Video Asylum

Posted by zaphod (i) on June 26, 2001 at 17:22:48

In Reply to: When HDTV in sub $1000 TVs??? posted by Vert on June 26, 2001 at 14:45:28:

currently you can find 32" HDTV ready sets for around $1500 (SONY and PANASONIC). Look to companies like SAMPO and Daewoo to break the $1000 level first. Companies which are looking to break into the American Market in a big way will compete on price level. It will probably be at least a couple of years before the mainstream players hit the magic $1K number, unless of course the government mandates ATSC tuners in all sets, that could change things completely.

Keep in mind, that the HDTV-ready TV's are really not that overpriced right now, its the STB's that cost around $600-$1000 that are really hurting HDTV's growth. Many more monitors have been sold than receivers. If there was a wealth of programming available or the STB's were in the $100-$200 range I think you'd see a huge growth spurt.

While it's good for the market (and prices have steadily decreased on HDTV-ready sets) that HDTV-ready sets are selling at a record pace- the fact that virtually no receivers are selling will keep networks, and Satellite providers, from increasing programming. We're back to the whole chicken and egg issue. no one will provide programming until consumers buy receivers, no one will buy receivers until someone provides programming. And prices won't drop until both things happen.