The prices they are a droppin!

[Frank Z]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=452493

[phuz]

Damn why didn't I wait.

[Whadyasay]

That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm sticking by my 32" CRT HDTV until this first big wave of LCD/Plasma/DLP sets subsides so I can strike a kickin' deal. I've come close to pulling the trigger a few times, but have found I've been able to upgrade audio components at a steadier increment (pricewise) at the current rate of advancements in technology. That...and computer upgrades are taking me to the cleaners! Computers are a major part of my bread and butter, so when new things come out, I have to be there. Whereas I've heard 10-15 yr old audio systems that still sound phenomenal.

[brettw22]

Very good to see prices coming down.........we'll see how likely it is to come to fruition by years end though...

I was SOOOO close to buying a 57" Mits DLP2 set a few weeks ago and decided to wait...(waiting sucks ass though, as we all know)

[kberg]

Thanks, Frank. Looks very promising.

[Tour2ma]

The free market... what a concept.

Thanks for the link, Frank. This bit really tweeked my curiosity...
... high-definition, rear-projection televisions are gaining ground. Many run on Texas Instruments Inc.'s digital light processors which carry hundreds of thousands of tiny mirrors that flip up to five thousand times a second. :eek:

[Polkersince85]

I waiting on the big "thin" tubed models coming out this year. Half the price and better picture than the plasma/lcd. They are supposed to be as thin as the stands that the plasma/lcd sit on now, 16" or so thick.

[malikarshad]

Well I was not close to buying but I bought a Hitachi 57" RPTV last year and it was delivered to me in a weeks time and I suddenly changed my mind somewhat due to its size and WAF factor.
I'm soooooo glad that I canceled my order. My eyes are lurking for the Samsung next generation DLPs maybe in 2006.
Thanks for the info Frank
And keep watching.....

[organ]

Thanks for the link, Frank. I'm always surprised at how fast prices for big screen TV's are dropping everytime I go to the store. I'd like to own a nice big TV one day.

Maurice

[brettw22]

Originally posted by organ
Thanks for the link, Frank. I'm always surprised at how fast prices for big screen TV's are dropping everytime I go to the store. I'd like to own a nice big TV one day. What's odd is that I haven't really noticed a substantial drop in prices over the past year or so. I haven't ever looked seriously at Plasma's because I think that's an errant technology, but on the 50-65" screens, every new model that has seemingly come out is priced a bit above the previous model. We'll see what happens over the year, but I'm not holding my breath to see them drop 50% on the same model without it being something that's a customer return/scratch/dent piece.

[Frank Z]

From the article I linked to...
Plasma TVs, which use a charged gas to illuminate pixels on the screen, are expected to cost an average of $2,485 this year, down from $4,649 in 2003, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

[brettw22]

I did read that Frank......but anytime they're pricing Plasma's, they're pricing a 42 inch screen, which is (by most people's current standards) not big screen enough to warrant the output.

When I say it's errant, I'm just saying that there is nothing you can do to a plasma to regenerate it as it gets older........once it dims to the point of being a distraction, it's done and you have to completely replace. With the DLP's of today (not sure about the LCD's that I've seen), you can just replace a bulb for (albeit pricey) $500 and get back the brightness that went away.

If the option is a 42" plasma for $2500 vs. a 50-65" DLP or LCD, guess which I'm going to choose for longevity.

[kberg]

Originally posted by Polkersince85
I waiting on the big "thin" tubed models coming out this year. Half the price and better picture than the plasma/lcd. They are supposed to be as thin as the stands that the plasma/lcd sit on now, 16" or so thick.

I wanna hear more about these. Any links/articles/additional info? Anyone?

[brettw22]

I'd be interested in seeing some information on those sets myself. I dont' know how well they're going to work based on the tubes essentially needing to throw the image to all corners, and the biggest tv's that are out are out are 40" (tubes). I don't know how they'd ever venture into teh 50-60+" sets and not weigh 500 pounds either. My 40" tube set is almost 300 pounds I believe.

[Shizelbs]

We're about to buy a TV. Ours is on the fritz. We are looking at a HD RPTV from Sony. 51" for $1699. DLP only looks slightly better, but not at twice the price.

[fireshoes]

Originally posted by brettw22
the LCD's that I've seen), you can just replace a bulb for (albeit pricey) $500 and get back the brightness that went away

Actually the lamps are typically around $200 on the rear projection DLP's or LCD's. $400 to $500 is more common on front projectors.

[Shizelbs]

Originally posted by fireshoes
Actually the lamps are typically around $200 on the rear projection DLP's or LCD's.

This was true for my father in law as of this week. (Samsung DLP)

[jarros]

Originally posted by brettw22
I did read that Frank......but anytime they're pricing Plasma's, they're pricing a 42 inch screen, which is (by most people's current standards) not big screen enough to warrant the output.

When I say it's errant, I'm just saying that there is nothing you can do to a plasma to regenerate it as it gets older........once it dims to the point of being a distraction, it's done and you have to completely replace. With the DLP's of today (not sure about the LCD's that I've seen), you can just replace a bulb for (albeit pricey) $500 and get back the brightness that went away.

If the option is a 42" plasma for $2500 vs. a 50-65" DLP or LCD, guess which I'm going to choose for longevity.

As fireshoes said, the price is closer to the $200 mark, but you can expect to replace the bulb every two or three years.

For all who are interested in a comparison between LCD, Plasma, and DLP, I found a wonderful site that sets it all out in front of you. It also has an annual price breakdown of each type of TV for typical daily usage.

Here's the link (http://www.avdeals.com/classroom/LCD_tv%20_versus_plasma_tv.htm)

[fireshoes]

The "average annual usage" costs of plasma versus DLP is bogus. They say 6000 hours of lamp life on a 42", which should be 8000 or more; $300 for a lamp which is really $200, and a ridiculus 10 hours of viewing per day. Not saying that some people don't watch that much, but the typical American watches 3-4 hours a day, and in their plasma advantages/disadvantages they used 6 hours a day. Trying awfully hard to boost plasma sales...:rolleyes:

[jarros]

Originally posted by fireshoes
The "average annual usage" costs of plasma versus DLP is bogus. They say 6000 hours of lamp life on a 42", which should be 8000 or more; $300 for a lamp which is really $200, and a ridiculus 10 hours of viewing per day. Not saying that some people don't watch that much, but the typical American watches 3-4 hours a day, and in their plasma advantages/disadvantages they used 6 hours a day. Trying awfully hard to boost plasma sales...:rolleyes:

Ah, I didn't quite notice that. I'm not really in the market for buying a new TV, I was just doing a quick search to find out the differences between the new formats. I probably would have looked at it closer if I was planning on making a purchase. Thanks for pointing that out.

If a person was watching TV for about 4 hours a day, the bulb would last about 7 years. The low end of a plasma's expectancy (30,000 hours) would bring you to just over 20 years. In the example on that site, the initial cost for a 42" plasma was $2500, while the DLP was $2000. So, if you have to replace a bulb every 7 years, your cost would pretty much be equal at that 20 year mark. (Obviously beyond that the DLP would be the "better value" as you wouldn't have to replace the whole unit. But that's assuming that the plasma will die out very early in it's life expectancy).

Regardless, that site does provide some decent info that will teach you the basics about the different TV formats out there.

[fireshoes]

Oh yeah, thanks for reminding of that little tidbit....if you're getting a 42" plasma for $2500, sorry, you just got an EDTV, not an HDTV. Definitely lots of spin in that article.

[Polkersince85]

I found the article referencing the flat tubed screens. I don't know how big they will go though. May be worth watching as they develop them.



http://news.com.com/Slimmer+tube+TVs+to+challenge+flat+panels/2100-1041_3-5458670.html?tag=nl

[eaadams]

My dad has a friend who is a chief of sales for one of these tv companies. He said after next christmas we can expect screens to drop 70% in sizes betwen 40" and 52" due to something like 40 plants being finished this year around the world.

[kberg]

Originally posted by Polkersince85
I found the article referencing the flat tubed screens. I don't know how big they will go though. May be worth watching as they develop them.



http://news.com.com/Slimmer+tube+TVs+to+challenge+flat+panels/2100-1041_3-5458670.html?tag=nl

I just got around to reading this. I have to say that I am DEFINITELY going to watch for the slim CRT line. I'm hoping/waiting for the day I can get a 50" "slimmer" widescreen CRT TV for $2,000 or less. Once/if that happens, my 32-inch bulky CRT is GONE! The black levels of CRT just CANNOT be beat by any other display technology, at least for now. Until then, I'll stick with my 32" CRT set.

I'll pass on plasma and LCD.

[bknauss]

I wouldn't hold my breath on a big screen CRT slim TV. Most of the big TV makers are focusing on DLP RPTVs, LCDs, and some with plasmas. Just wait a year or two and HD DLP RPTVs will be 50+ inches and under $2000.

But then again, I could be wrong, and I have been wrong in the past.

[BobMcG]

Thanks guys. Some interesting reads. I'll play the waiting game and see what's offered this same time next year. Slimtube technology looks very interesting and might be a consideration if the larger sizes are there. For now my 36" CRT will do.

[brettw22]

I haven't read any info on the slim CRT's that keep surfacing now and then, but I have a 40" Mitsubishi Tube and this thing weighs just barely under 300 pounds. How they could get a magnet to throw the video that wide and keep slim would be neat to see indeed.

Also, with as long as it's taken for the prices to drop on the LCD/DLP sets, I wouldn't expect to see anything reasonable on Slim CRT's for several years.

[kberg]

Well, time will tell, I guess. Anywho, I can't stand today's DLP sets, and the "traling effect" of LCD's irritate me too. LCoS and plasma would be second to slim CRT, but they just aren't at the right quality/price point for me at the moment.

God I hate waiting.....:mad:

[brettw22]

I think the best 2 sets that I've seen are the RCA HDiLA and the Mitsubishi 725 series DLP sets. I'm waiting on the prices to come down as well.

[mulveling]

That's why I dropped $2k my 34" HD CRT in November. The technology is so mature that the prices are pretty stable. It's also the only technology that renders an image I can live with - LCD (projection LCD is especially difficult for me to watch), DLP, LCoS and Plasma (to a lesser extent) just don't "blow my skirt up" like a top-notch direct view CRT does. The small image size and enormous weight are issues I can live with. Too bad all the digitals are squeezing CRTs out of the market. The new Slim CRTs could be promising, but I am skeptical that something (pertaining to image quality) won't have to be sacrificed to achieve that.

Anyways, that 34" CRT is the best electronics purchase I've ever made - amazes me every time I turn it on. Wish I had bought it sooner.

[brettw22]

I think it's a mental block thing for me personally, but I couldn't ever drop $2k on a 34" tube.

[bknauss]

On the topic of HDTVs of all varieties, here's a good article from twice.com. Guess CRTs have some more life than I thought!

Samsung Unveils 1,080p DLP Models

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 5/2/2005 11:27:00 AM

New York — Samsung said at the recent HE Expo, here, that it will ship in June its long-awaited 1,080p DLP rear-projection HDTV sets to complement a full line of 720p offerings.

The 1080p DLP sets, which were slated to ship back in November, will expand a growing line of DLP rear-projection HDTV offerings for 2005. All models this year will integrate ATSC tuning and most models will also add digital CableCARD slots. The overall line will feature two basic classes of product for mainstream and A/V specialty accounts.

The 720p models in Samsung’s 67 series will include the 42W-inch ($2,499 suggested retail price), 46W-inch ($2,699), 50W-inch ($2,999), 56W-inch (3,299) and 61W-inch ($3,699) screen sizes. The 68 series, for specialty distribution, will include 1,080p models in the 50W-inch ($4,000), 56W-inch ($4,499), 61W-inch (4,799), 67W-inch ($6,199) and 71W-inch (due in late summer at a $6,799 suggested retail) screen sizes. The 1,080p models will carry roughly a $1,000 suggested retail price step over the 720p versions, said Steve Panosian, Samsung’s DLP marketing director.

Most step-up models will also include TV Guide On Screen interactive program guides and IEEE-1394 with DTCP inputs. Additionally, many step-up models will feature improved light engines with better contrast performance and will add a second HDMI/HDCP input.

Samsung expects about 70 percent of its DLP business to come from the 720p models, according to Panosian.

A key screen size for Samsung this year will be its entry 720p 42W-inch model, which features a slim-design cabinet that will fit many existing armoires. Panosian said many new DTV customers are looking for products that will fit the existing décor of their homes.

Additionally, the set will be priced to keep a step ahead of plasma panels.

“We expect the street price for the 42W-inch model to hit around $2,300, and, with various promotions by the end of the year, we think the street price will be well below $1,999. That’s key for getting the next tier of consumers who are looking and $1,500 and just need one more reason to jump up to $2,000.”

Meanwhile, Samsung will distribute its DLP design lines by class of trade. For example, models with a pedestal base design and all 67 series DLP models will be open to national distribution this year, including national and regional A/V retail chains, TV appliance chains and distributors.

Models in the 68 design series will be directed at Best Buy, select TV appliance chains and AVID distributing.

Models in the 78 design series will be offered to AVB and Pro Group dealers and select A/V specialty dealers.

In addition, derivative DLP models featuring 2004 styling cosmetics will be offered in a 56 series for mass merchants and warehouse clubs. This series will include 50W-inch and 56W-inch models, and possibly a 61W-inch model later in the year. All 56 series models will add integrated ATSC tuning but will omit digital cable card slots and TV Guide On Screen, Panosian said.

Given the climate of rapidly dropping price points in flat-panel TVs, Panosian said Samsung’s DLP trainers are pushing the longevity advantage of its microdisplay rear-projection sets, pointing out that plasma and other display technologies can be vulnerable to image burn-in, while DLP sets can require only a bulb change to get picture performance equivalent “to a brand new set.”

Meanwhile, Jim Sanduski, Samsung’s visual media products marketing VP, said that because other manufacturers have recently dropped out of the HDTV CRT rear-projection television business, Samsung has decided again to add CRT-based rear-projection models to its national distribution program.

Last year, Samsung opted to scale back CRT-based HD rear-projection sets to select accounts. Sanduski said Samsung will offer for national distribution two models in the 43W-inch ($1,200 suggested retail) and 47W-inch ($1,300) screen sizes, while reserving a 52W-inch model for “sheltered distribution.” The sets are slated to ship in May.

All three models will incorporate ATSC tuning but will not add digital CableCARD slots.

“We expect our business in CRT rear-projection to be about 20 to 25 percent of our DLP lineup this year,” Sanduski said. “Our focus continues to be DLP in the projection category, but we will offer some CRT this year to take advantage of the brands who have left the category.”

In digital direct view, Samsung will continue to carry only fully integrated ATSC models (without CableCARD capability), and will introduce in May its first SlimFit direct-view model featuring a 30W-inch screen size ($999 suggested retail). The unit features a slimmed down cabinet and with a reduced foot print.

In the third quarter, Samsung will ship a 26W-inch SlimFit unit, followed by a 27-inch 4:3 version in the fourth quarter.

In flat-panel TV, Samsung is launching new plasma and LCD TVs. In plasma, the company is offering fourth-generation panels. Models will feature improved brightness, while the contrast ratio was boosted to 10,000:1, the company said. Panel life is now rated as 60,000 hours.

All plasma models this year feature built-in ATSC tuners and CableCARD slots.

Screen sizes include a 42W-inch EDTV model, a 42W-inch HD model and a 50W-inch HD model. Later in the year, the company will add a 63W-inch and an 80W-inch 1080p set, the later at a $90,000 suggested retail. The current 37W-inch monitor will be discontinued after June, Sanduski said.

In LCD, Samsung is carrying models in 15-inch, 17-inch and 20-inch 4:3 screen sizes with EDTV resolution and in HDTV resolution 23W inches, 26W inches, 32W inches, 40W inches 46W inches and 57W inches.

The first models from the new “Gen 7” LCD plant will include the 32W-inch and above screen sizes. Later in the year, the 23W-inch and 26W-inch models will also come from the new plant.