How Much Will You Pay For An HDTV In December 2008?

At the recent DisplaySearch Flat-Panel TV Conference, industry experts came up with some predictions regarding expected pricing for LCD and plasma flatscreen HDTV's for holiday season 2008. While HDTV prices dropped by about one-third last year, 2008 won't see drops quite as drastic, yet they'll continue to drop nonetheless.

LCD TV prices will drop by about 5-19%, resulting in the following expected prices by December 2008:

a 32-inch 720p set will sell for $647, down 7 percent from December 2007
a 37-inch 720p LCD TV will cost $782, down 5 percent
a 40- or 42-inch 720p LCD TV will sell for $944, down 5 percent
a 40- or 42-inch 1080p set will sell for $1,123, down 19 percent
a 46- or 47-inch 1080p set will sell for $1,528, down 17 percent
a 52-inch 1080p LCD TV will sell for $2,243, down 19 percent

Plasma sets saw drastic price cuts last year, the largest of which was the 63% price drop for 50-inch 1080p sets. This year we can expect to see a more moderate decrease in prices, 17-27% by year-end. So what can you expect to pay for a plasma HDTV by December 2008?

a 42-inch 720p set will sell for $803, down 20 percent from December 2007
a 42-inch 1080p model--which were scarce last year--will sell for $1,200, down 20 percent
a 50-inch 720p model will sell for $1,154, down 17 percent
a 50-inch 1080p model will sell for $1,817, down 27 percent

Other predicted HDTV trends for the rest of 2008 from DisplaySearch industry experts:

HDTV sizes uncommon last year such as 55-inch LCD's and 32-, 37-, and 46-inch plasma sets will take a more prominent place in the US
120 Hz motion blur technology will become more popular
higher-end brands such as Panasonic and Samsung will increase their market share, eliminating lesser known brands from the US
the use of LEDs will surge, including the use of OLED's, usage of which is expected to see 120% growth
Wal-mart and other general retailers will become more prominent in television sales
retailers will begin to offer more HDTV packages that could include, for example, Blu-ray players with the television purchase
with the top manufacturers exchanging the number one sales spot so frequently, most retailers will carry a fair selection of different HDTV brands

There you have it, HDTV in the year 2008.

Via Consumer Reports

March 25, 2008

How Much Will You Pay For An HDTV In December 2008?