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

Read More in: How to buy an HDTV

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