People still think HDTVs are too expensive... why?

[PGHammer]

but 99.9% of "normal" customers dont know the difference

Also, outside of certain single-country markets, most non-BD HD content is, at best, 1080i, NOT 1080p. The UK is the exception compared to most of the rest of the EU, let alone North America. Also, few viewers watch *only* or even mostly 1080p content, even where it's available (most watch lower-definition content, and some watch mostly SD content). People tend to get a TV that matches what they watch the most of. Throw in close-out sales on older models (which are taking up space in the warehouses) and the appearance of out-of-whack pricing is even more pronounced.

I bought a Philips 42PF7320A/37A plasma TV (no longer manufactured) in 2006 (close-out at a local wholesale club) because it was both the largest TV my bedroom could hold with the features I required (primarily, CableCARD and clear-QAM support), and the lowest-priced (no LCD with the same features was within $200 of its price; worse, the only LCD that was within $500 was both ten inches smaller AND more expensive and didn't match the PQ). I don't have a BD player or PS3 (buying one is far down the pike at present); instead, I'm far more likely to buy a straight upconverting DVD (or even closeout HD DVD) player than I would be to invest in another format such as BD (right now, player prices are way too tall, especially since the only way to guarantee compatibility with all possible disc formats is to spend $400: yoikes).

With the economy the way it is, the CE market is going to remain soft/in flux for a few months yet.

[+StevoFC MVC]

It's a simple fact that HD televisions are not any more expensive than SD televisions used to be. I remember buying a 27" Sony Trinitron CRT TV years ago for $700. Now, you can get a 32 inch LCD for that price.

Just like all other electronics, old technology prices go down as new technology comes out. The new technology replaces the old at the same price point.

Is it really that hard to understand?

[Gamerhomie]

Hak Foo. No, I mean I've met people before that say they're scared of new HDTV's and what they're going to do to our kids future because of the big bright realistic screens and all that. How they're transmitting new signals and how they could pose a threat of some kind.

[TruckWEB]

It's a simple fact that HD televisions are not any more expensive than SD televisions used to be. I remember buying a 27" Sony Trinitron CRT TV years ago for $700. Now, you can get a 32 inch LCD for that price.

Just like all other electronics, old technology prices go down as new technology comes out. The new technology replaces the old at the same price point.

Is it really that hard to understand?

SO TRUE... I remember my first DVD player when they came out... Paid $579 for a Hitachi player. Remember, those first player where not even progressive scan.... Now you can have HDMI 1080p player for barely $99 or go even cheaper with $20 basic DVD player....

I remember paying $1200 for a RCA 32inch Stereo CRT back in 1989.

[Rudy]

i have a 27" 720p lcd and a

46" 1080p lcd

[DaDude]

It's a simple fact that HD televisions are not any more expensive than SD televisions used to be. I remember buying a 27" Sony Trinitron CRT TV years ago for $700. Now, you can get a 32 inch LCD for that price.

Well I bought my 27" Sony Trinitron 20 years ago for only $600. A good Sony 32" HDTV will cost you $1,000.

Now you can have HDMI 1080p player for barely $99 or go even cheaper with $20 basic DVD player....

Never buy a $20 DVD player. I fell for that and the DVD player broke down on the second day and I had to return it. The lowest you should pay for a DVD player is $70-80. But you're right. I remember my older Sony DVD player I bought in 2000. That cost me $250. But now you can get a better Sony DVD player today for $90.

Anyway, my point is I'd rather wait. Eventually, HDTVs will have to go down in price someday. I'm not willing to upgrade, especially at these prices, when I have perfectly working TVs already that give decent picture. Look how DVD players today are MUCH cheaper than what VCRs used to be. Eventually, HDTVs will become much cheaper than CRTs. Patience always pays off.

[profets]

Well I bought my 27" Sony Trinitron 20 years ago for only $600. A good Sony 32" HDTV will cost you $1,000.

i agree, but what was the value of $600 20 years ago? our family also bought a 27" sony triniton around 6 years ago for 800ish i think.

anyway, i dont think price is the problem - the main issue is why replace something that is working? most people probably do not have a need to go rush out and replace an existing tv if theres nothing wrong with it.

it seems like in the past a good tv set would last us 20 years, but with the way theyre changing so fast, its scary thinking that we're going to get into a cycle where we replace an hdtv every 5 years or so to keep up with the change.

[+StevoFC MVC]

Well I bought my 27" Sony Trinitron 20 years ago for only $600. A good Sony 32" HDTV will cost you $1,000.

Last time I checked 27" was smaller than 32" so yeah, that's makes sense.

i agree, but what was the value of $600 20 years ago? our family also bought a 27" sony triniton around 6 years ago for 800ish i think.

exactly...

[DaDude]

Last time I checked 27" was smaller than 32" so yeah, that's makes sense.

HDTVs are widescreen and will be shorter. So, if you had an 27" 4:3 SDTV and want to upgrade to a 16:9 HDTV, you may want to get something a little bigger. And there are some HDTVs than are smaller than 27" and are about $600 anyway. So, HDTVs are still pricey no matter how you look at it.

anyway, i dont think price is the problem - the main issue is why replace something that is working? most people probably do not have a need to go rush out and replace an existing tv if theres nothing wrong with it.

it seems like in the past a good tv set would last us 20 years, but with the way theyre changing so fast, its scary thinking that we're going to get into a cycle where we replace an hdtv every 5 years or so to keep up with the change.

Exactly. I'm not denying that HDTVs are better in picture than SDTVs. Clearly they are. It's just that, I have three perfectly working TVs in my house and to rush out buying a $1,000+ HDTV is just absurd. At least for me, it is.

[Brandon]

For my college dorm it didnt make sense to lug a 24" crt that would take up like half the room. 26" LCD on clearance for $250 and it takes up next to nothing

Its like LCD monitors for PCs. 5 years ago, they were expensive, ghosted like crazy and didn't offer great color reproduction. Now, most PC's aren't even sold with CRT monitors (that I am aware of) and have come extremely close to the color reproduction of CRTs - not to mention they give you a desk and don't throw off so much heat

[SidVicious]

My LG 32LC3RA (32", 1080i) works fine.

But it was really expensive here (R$ 2999) in October/2007.

[+StevoFC MVC]

So, HDTVs are still pricey no matter how you look at it.

But they aren't "pricey" at all. They are the current technology, therefor they are the price associated with current technology. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

You just aren't thinking logically at all about it.

Here's a chart:

Old Tech ------> New tech

examples:

SD TV -----> HD TV

4th gen 20gb iPod ------> 80gb iPod Classic

DVD player ------> Blu-ray Player

PS1 ------> PS3

1mp Digital Camera ------> 10mp Digital Camera

All of those are examples of items that were priced exactly the same when they were the "current" technology.

If you have SD tv's and are happy with them I'm not telling you to go buy new ones, but the argument that new technology is pricey is just totally wrong because they are at the exact prices they should be.

If you are happy with old technology then good for you. Save money.

[DaDude]

But they aren't "pricey" at all. They are the current technology, therefor they are the price associated with current technology. Why is that so hard for you to understand?

So, you're saying HDTVs will never go down in price? This is as low as it's going to get? Because from my experience, as time goes, the price of a new technology always go down. The DVD player example that was mentioned before proves my point. And also, PS1, Ipods, SDTV and digital cameras all went down in price eventually. And they were pricey when they were new. But what I'm saying is that I'm being patient and waiting until HDTVs go down to a price that I'm willing to pay for. If you have some proof that HDTV prices will never go down, show it to me and I'll vow to never buy an HDTV. Because as these prices, I simply cannot afford it. You may be able to, but I can't.

Edited May 26, 2008 by xraffle

[Rudy]

So, you're saying HDTVs will never go down in price? This is as low as it's going to get? Because from my experience, as time goes, the price of a new technology always go down. The DVD player example that was mentioned before proves my point. I'm being patient and waiting until HDTVs go down to a price that I'm willing to pay for.

no, what he's trying to say (i think) it that right now HDTV is considered "new technology", at one point it will make it's way to "old technology" and the price will be significantly reduced (there's already 120hz models, and 2080p might be on its way....not soon but it's coming)

[+StevoFC MVC]

So, you're saying HDTVs will never go down in price? This is as low as it's going to get? Because from my experience, as time goes, the price of a new technology always go down. The DVD player example that was mentioned before proves my point. I'm being patient and waiting until HDTVs go down to a price that I'm willing to pay for.

All HD TV's aren't the same. Currently LCD prices are dropping on older models only because newer ones are being released with different feature sets.

For example, an LCD that isn't 120hz will be cheaper (within the same brand) than one that is 120hz. Why? because 120hz is the newest technology.

Older DLP sets that use a bulb are cheaper than the newer LED DLP televisions.

Older plasma televisions that used to have 1024x768 native res and major problems with burn in are now cheaper than the newer models with higher native res and burn in protection features.

It is a product life cycle. When something new comes out then the older models are always reduced, but only so much if they aren't obsolete.

SD televisions are almost to the point of being obsolete in terms of the use of current technology.

You can't watch digital or HDTV on them without purchasing some other device to enable it. You can't use Blu-ray to it's full potential. You can't use gaming systems at their intended HD resolutions. etc...

Edited May 26, 2008 by StevoFC

[profets]

definitely like StevoFC says. its not that prices are going to all of a suddan remain static, but that technology will keep changing, and the stuff thats aging will come down in price as opposed to the newest tech, which will be relatively more expensive.

i see it as kind of a tough change, as before hdtv's really came around, the choice was pretty much crt/rear projection. all SD sets. and prices didnt move too much, and a tv would last you 10-20 years (not that current tvs wont). just now that this tech for TVs is changing so fast, and theres so many more variables when purchasing a new tv now compared to before... almost as if we're going to want to start upgrading our tvs every so often the way we do with other electronics, such as computers..

back to the main point of the article though - i dont think hdtvs are too expensive - i was just thinking of a 60" rear projection my parents bought back in 99. it was a sony, and between 4000-5000 cdn.. thats just how the prices were then for sets that size. look now at what that price would get you - easily a 60" plasma.

[Ghostdraconi]

I think people are confusing the subject. Some are saying that the average price for HDTV's are the same as TV were a while ago while others are saying that they are still pricy. Personally I find both arguments valid and not at all mutually exclusive.

$800 may be a valid price for a HDTV but that's still more than some can afford. It doesn't matter if it's an historicallly valid price it's still a lot of money.

[profets]

I think people are confusing the subject. Some are saying that the average price for HDTV's are the same as TV were a while ago while others are saying that they are still pricy. Personally I find both arguments valid and not at all mutually exclusive.

$800 may be a valid price for a HDTV but that's still more than some can afford. It doesn't matter if it's an historicallly valid price it's still a lot of money.

very true, good point. you could say tvs in general are an expensive purchase for a lot of people, and its not something we want to do too often

also regarding the subject - maybe many people think hdtv's are too expensive because they have a working sdtv, and there is still waaaay more SD content than there is HD content, not justifying the reason to spend money to replace a working tv.

[DaDude]

very true, good point. you could say tvs in general are an expensive purchase for a lot of people, and its not something we want to do too often

also regarding the subject - maybe many people think hdtv's are too expensive because they have a working sdtv, and there is still waaaay more SD content than there is HD content, not justifying the reason to spend money to replace a working tv.

Exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth.