HDTV Budget Range:
Prices of flat panel displays are continuously on the decline in the past few months because of decreasing consumer demand and the on-going price war between vendors, whose number is also on the rise. But the decline has never been more pronounced than today because of the current global economic crunch that led consumers to tighten their belts. With fewer and fewer people going to the stores, there is a possibility that the market will soon be flooded with TV sets. This reminds us of the Economics 101 principle on law of supply and demand. Lower demand plus over supply of goods equates to lower prices.
The prediction from many market analysts is there will be a tendency for vendors to offer their HDTV sets at bargain prices in order to survive the economic downturn. The smaller sets, 32 inches and below, may also become the big sellers because consumers may try to spend on this type of commodities but still save for the harder times to come. The 32-inch LCD TV sets, which cost now ranges from $600 to $700, maybe offered to as low as $350 in stores. Prices for the larger 40-inch sets may also drop below the $1,000 level psychological barrier.
The following is a fearsome prediction of some analysts on the possible prices of some types of HDTV sets in the coming weeks or months:
19-inch LCD TV: $200 and below
27-inch CRT TV: $200-$300
32-inch LCD TV: $400-$500
40-inch LCD TV: $800-$1000
42-inch plasma TV: $600-$700
50-inch plasma TV: $900-$1000
Below is a guideline in recommended HDTV displays according to budget range based on existing market prices (as of this writing):
$300 and below:
CRT TV: up to 27 inches
LCD TV: up to 20 inches
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$300 to $500:
CRT TV: up to 32 inches
LCD TV: up to 32 inches
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$500 to $750:
CRT TV: up to 36 inches
LCD TV: up to 37 inches
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$750 to $1,000:
LCD TV: up to 42 inches
Plasma TV: up to 42 inches
DLP: up to 62 inches
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$1,000 to $1,500:
LCD TV: up to 47 inches
Plasma TV: up to 50 inches
DLP: up to 62 inches
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$1,500 to $3,000:
LCD TV: up to 52 inches
Plasma TV: up to 60 inches
DLP: up to 73 inches
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Above $3,000:
LCD TV: up to 70 inches
Plasma TV: up to 103 inches
DLP: up to 73 inches
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The future, especially the coming Christmas season, looks bleak for TV retailers but the steep drop in display prices may help them survive the storm. They have no other choice but to offer the sets at bargain prices in order to stay in the game until the economic meltdown stops.
On the other hand, consumers may go for the smaller displays and stripped-down models in order to save for the rough times ahead. Another factor that may lure consumers particularly in the US to buy new HDTV sets is the impending shutdown of analog TV broadcast in February 2009. They may opt to buy new sets that come with digital tuners instead of using set top boxes for their old TV sets. This scenario may also hold true in other countries that are also transitioning their analog TV broadcast to digital broadcast.
