TVs Will Be Cheap, But Will Anyone Buy Them?
Everyone seems to agree-- this year will be the year of the cheap big-screen tv. The only question remains... will anyone buy them?
The New York Times says that DisplaySearch, a market research firm, says that so-called "Black Friday" prices "could go as low as $400 for a 32-inch LCD, and $600 for a 42-inch plasma set — about $200 off current prices."
From the NYT:
Many retailers are cutting costs because they expect a lighter selling season. Best Buy announced that it would hire 16,000 to 20,000 seasonal employees, a hefty drop from last year’s 26,000 seasonal hires.
Best Buy’s comparable-store sales in September dropped 2 percent from the year before. “We’ll see less traffic,” Brian Dunn, Best Buy’s president, said. “We’ll grow our share by offering the right solution, product and service. We’re not looking to get every dime out of you. If a customer just wants the lowest price on a TV set, we’ll give it to them with a smile.”
And to increase the likelihood that customers will pull out their wallets, several manufacturers, including Panasonic and Sharp, are working with retailers to offer extended financing with either same-as-cash interest or deferred payment plans.
Some believe that bundling items, like a flat-screen TV with a Blu-ray player or an audio system, will provide that extra value that will push consumers to buy.
Best Buy will offer a bundle “targeted to middle America,” Mr. Dunn said.
Hefty Discounts Could Arrive on Big-Screen TVs, but Buyers May Be Resistant [NYT]
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Always incentivized to buy, never to same... :(
I'd be tempted to get a 36-42" LCD that can handle 1080p, but I think I'll wait a bit. I already two nice flat screens, one that does 1080i and the other does 1080p at a smaller screen size (24") so I'm already set.
already in the past year bought a 32 and a 42...so no new ones for me
@jscott73:
Consumption is the lifeblood of the worldwide economy. You want to create momentum toward higher wages, more employment, and more robust production. Saving is deflationary and unproductive; the ideal environment provides consumers with the products they need today based on the income they'll earn tomorrow. It motivates investors to take risks on what is perceived to be an endless horizon of good ideas worthy of capitalization. Cash savings are a bet that things are uncertain and untrustworthy, which is not what an economy desires.
Why bother with a new TV? Comcast is crap for us -even for the standard issue- breaks up and lines out- and we are too cheap for HD. I won a 26" lcd tv and was able to flip it for a new PC tower...
I am figuring on a 30"+ tube type screen or back projector plus HD converter box for maybe $100 next summer after HD kicks over Feb. 2009...
We have a working box we got from my grandmother's home when she moved to a nursing home. I don't want to pay the higher electricity bills that supposedly come along with the flat screens, so we'll stick with our box for now.
Buying one this year, probably pretty soon but I'm still trying to figure out the timing. Money's saved; it's just a question of figuring out which brand and when prices will be super cheap. All I know is we want something that will last for several years, with a very nice picture quality, 42' or 46', and no decaBDE or similar brominated flame retardants. (Seriously)
I've been considering the TV purchase for a while, and Consumerist & Lifehacker (and commenters) have been VERY helpful. I appreciate being able to navigate this so much more confidently than I otherwise would have!
I was going to vote yes for the poll but I'm an atheist.
Recently purchased a 42" from Newegg. I've been looking and actually saving for one for the past 4 months. I'm ok with the very real possibility that a higher end/better tv will become cheaper, but like most Americans, I prefer immediate satisfaction.
Hell yes. Although I don't watch TV; it is strictly for movies and video games.
I've yet to jump onto the HD wagon as I can't quite yet justify the cost. If the deals get competitive enough in coming months, though, I just might bite.
I'm looking to get one for my parents for Christmas. I'm definitely hitting the pavement on Black Friday to see what I can score.
@mariospants: 1080p is unnecessary on anything less than a 42" screen. 720p will save you a hundred or so dollars and there won't be any visible difference.
hmm... I have a 32" Bravia. An upgrade to 42" or 46" is mighty tempting, though I am utterly poor. But still...
Don't they say that every year is the year that HDTV's become cheap?
Can we get a third option of "I want to, because I am a materially-obsessed person, but I don't know if my bank account can handle it"?
Eeeeh, I just watch the news on television and the rest of the media goes on my LCD monitor so no need for an LCD tv for me... I rather buy a fridge :)
hopefully the price will drop even more. Finally got the wife to agree on a size and price range and now I just saw that the samsung's I've been watching have dropped even more. the 52" 750 is now 2150 on amazon, with free shipping. Hoping it will drop another couple hundred by black friday/cyber monday.
I was kicking around the idea of going to a Best Buy and seeing what kind of deal I could talk them into. I'm just not sure if it's because I really want a TV, or because I just want to kick Best Buy while the market is down. I kind of suspect the latter...
I'm in the market for a new HD television, but prices would need to be QUITE low for me to buy. I can live without one.
Waiting for 60+ inches to crash like a led balloon.
@ADismalScience: Some of us, like me, are young and still attempting to procure their own personal wealth. Others, like me, were foolish and wanted to move out of their parents' house as fast as possible. Those, like me, didn't exactly have a financial backing to do so, and are just barely breaking right now.
So, in summary, I would LIKE to spend, and buy myself all the gadgets I want, and move out of the crummy apartment I have, but I am financially unable to do so. I need to save so I can spend when I have the means.
I'm hoping to get one from my dad this Christmas... if he doesn't get one for us we might end up buying one.. We'll see what happens..
Awesome! Our 8-year old 32" Wega just died so we're in the market for a 32-37" LCD. I bought a Toshiba 1080p for the game room a few months ago, hopefully we can get the 37" version of it for around the same price we paid for the 32"!
Already bought one earlier this year when I had saved up the cash.
@jscott73:
Yes, companies are trying to encourage people to buy the products they sell. In other shocking news, the sun rose in the East this morning.
The Feb 2009 transition has nothing to do with HD.
If you currently watch analog television via an antenna, you'll be affected. Nobody else will. Every TV hooked up to cable or satellite will be exactly the same as it is today.
We currently have 26" and 32" tube TVs. We've discussed buying a new one but since both of ours work there isn't any reason.
I've heard that the DLP sets have better pictures than the LCD and they're cheaper but take up a bit more floor space. Until one of the TV's goes (Probably the 26" Panasonic) we'll stay low tech.
My brother is buying one, since his old TV died and he's using an old, small, borrowed TV.
Me, I'd love to, but I don't have the money. I am semi-secretly hoping our TV will die so we have a good excuse. ;)
@Methusalah: I think that 24" would be more like a computer monitor where resolution makes a huge difference at that size. More screen real estate is quite visible, and you generally sit closer to a computer monitor than a TV.
@Quill2006: Supposedly, eh? Might wanna do your research before saying things like that.
I'm not even necessarily saying you're wrong, just suggesting that you may make yourself look a little silly sometime.
@nate4096: That's only true if you're sitting as close to it as you would a computer monitor. Most people don't sit that close to their TVs. If you have the more typical setup with the TV on one side of the room and the couch on the other, Methusalah is right.
@Corporate_guy: Not really. While the LCD itself draws very little power, the backlight on a big-screen TV draws a couple hundred watts. That puts it roughly in the same league as a CRT TV.
I really wish I could afford one right now , I'm still stuck using a tiny crt TV so hopefully maybe I'll be able to come up with some cash this month.
In a word: yes.
I think what you're saying in essence is that what's good for the individual is bad for the economy.
I grabbed a 32" LG when I moved. It's the perfect size for my small space, and went for $700 back in June. I'm sure this set is much cheaper now.
I must praise the durability of this tv. It gets quite the workout. I've a Wii, DVD player, XB360, and desktop PC hooked up to it. Between my gf and I, it's guarunteed to be turned on for at least 4-8 hours a day, and I don't even have cable OR satellite!
@Parapraxis: Which really raises the question of what an economy is *for*. Is it purely for generating big numbers, or does the happiness of people participating in the economy matter? In the U.S. we tend to fixate more on the big numbers, compared to other industrialized countries.
In the true spirit of consumerism, I suggest everyone throw out their current TV and buy a new one!
Actually, skip the buy part. My wife and I got rid of our TV about a year ago and don't miss a thing. Really! TV is crap. Commercials are crap. If you find that you really like the odd TV show, buy a big computer monitor. Then wait until the series comes out on DVD and get it for free at your local library or buy it on iTunes.
Plus, I've found that the relative size of your screen increases the closer you sit :) My 30'' monitor is just perfect for movies and such.
I don't miss TV in the least, and haven't had to suffer through five minutes of commercials in over a year. Our condo is quiet and has more room for other stuff.
52-inch Panasonic plasma widescreen, a year old. $1300 from the former owners of our new house, who didn't want to schlep it out of the basement.
I think it'll be many years before we replace it...
@GuinevereRucker: You do know that HDTVs are basically computer monitors right? And that you could have had a much larger 'monitor' for the same price had you bought an HDTV? Only you are responsible for the programming that gets displayed on your HDTV/monitor.
My husband and I decided we're buying one for each other for Christmas this year. Not super-big, but our TVs are 10 years old, we have antenna only, and we didn't really want to muck with the boxes. We'll put the old ones in the basement rec room for DVDs and video games, and/or donate them. We'll get a new flat screen for the living room so we can hang it on the wall and not have it take up real estate. But not a very big one.
The crash in prices has just been a bonus for us, since we had to make a decision one way or the other with the switch to digital coming up!
Cheap won't be until I can find a freebie. My 27" tube HDTV was off Craigslist, my 17" LCD was traded out for an answering machine at a e-waste dropoff.
I've already got a 42" plasma from 3 years ago on Black Friday.. I'm not planning on upgrading again until either:
1) This Plasma gives out
2) 60" OLED < $2,000
I have to admit I've turned into way too much of a geek lately. I'd rather blow my money on the best PC monitor I could find. My TV has become obsolete. My PC has actually become a new media center. My games, movies, music and pictures are all in one place. I believe that TVs will ultimately be replaced with PCs. Some of those remotes are way more confusing than a keyboard + mouse. And with the right setup, you could already use some TVs as a PC monitor and still have your cable hooked into it.
Already got a 42inch LCD so no need to buy another and especially not from Best Buy. Vanns and Amazon have had the best prices in my opinion.