Sales of HDTVs expected to soar

[Chris Blount]

ANALYSTS CITE LOWER PRICES, MORE PROGRAMMING AS REASONS

By Jim Fuquay

Sales of high-definition television sets are expected to grow more than 50 percent in 2004, thanks to lower prices and more programming, analysts say.

Yankee Group, a Boston technology research firm, estimates that Americans will buy between 6 million and 7 million HDTVs this year, compared with about 4 million in 2003. That will be enough to put HDTV sets in about one in eight U.S. households, said Adi Kishore, media and entertainment analyst at Yankee Group.

``Just going back a few years, HDTV was not taking off, and with good reason,'' Kishore said. ``They were quite expensive, and there was almost no programming.'' But the rapid expansion of digital programming over the air and via cable and satellite providers, along with plunging prices, has finally sparked sales, he said.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average price of an HDTV set is expected to be $1,295 in 2004 -- about half the price in 1999.

Full Story (http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/technology/8358170.htm)

[Jacob S]

The new tv's that will have intel chips in the pixels to cut costs and increase picture quality should help sales a good bit, along with an improving economy.

[maddawg]

Where is the elusive HD programming.

[DarrellP]

Where is the elusive HD programming.
VOOM :D

[Jacob S]

perhaps when enough people get HD tv's more providers will see more of a reason to provide HD programming.

[mini1]

As I have said before, once almost all HDTV's are true sets, including an ATSC AND QAM tuner with cablecard slots then they will take off in terms of sales. Also when the providers stop holding up deals for more HD channels because they think the consumer wouldn't want to pay a few cents extra per month for a channel. Case in point ESPN HD and TWC.

[Nick]

"According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average price of an HDTV set is expected to be $1,295 in 2004 -- about half the price in 1999. "I seriously doubt that $1295 will be the "average" price. That's just above the current low-end prices of around $1k, with high-end sets still in the $4k - $7k range. there would have to be a ton of sub-$1k sales to bring the "average that low.


"perhaps when enough people get HD tv's more providers will see more of a reason to provide HD programming."That's the legendary chicken-egg conundrum. Classic example was when "color tv" was first introduced to the public. Few wanted to buy the expensive new color sets because there was very little programming being produced in color because there were so few color TVs in use.

I saw my first color program - the 1961 World Series - at a fish camp near Savannah. The grass on the baseball field was no longer gray-it was a lush, beautiful green.

Ah, the good old days, the mammaries... :sure:

The smell fresh fish frying, snacking on hot hushpuppies, a couple of brews & color TV - priceless! :grin:

[Jacob S]

Well, another way of looking at it is that the program providers do not want to provide much HDTV yet because not many people own them at this time.

[HarryD]

Where is the elusive HD programming.

I agree! I just signed up with the D* HD package ($10.99) and I get ESPNHD, HDNET, HDNET movies, and DSC HD Theater. :nono2:

[DarrellP]

I seriously doubt that $1295 will be the "average" price.
Nick, I was reading a CES report that by the year 2007 or 2008 they expect Plasma to take over the world and the price of a 42" should be under $1,000. I find that hard to believe, but WTF, stranger things have happened.

Today you can already get a 47" Panasonic RPTV at Wal Mart for under $1200 and the 57" are only a couple $hundred more so prices are continuing to drop.

[cdru]

Case in point ESPN HD and TWC.Are people really requesting The Weather Channel in HD? There must be some die-hard weather junkies out there...

[DarrellP]

Just get Voom, HDNews has the weather in HD and the graphics are outstanding.

[Jacob S]

I would like to get The Weather Channel in HD. That would be one more reason for me to go HD.

[Nick]

Nick, I was reading a CES report that by the year 2007 or 2008 they expect Plasma to take over the world and the price of a 42" should be under $1,000. I find that hard to believe, but WTF, stranger things have happened.

Today you can already get a 47" Panasonic RPTV at Wal Mart for under $1200 and the 57" are only a couple $hundred more so prices are continuing to drop. I was referring to the 2004 avg price. Who knows what 2007-2008 will bring. My Panny 53WX42 was on sale at Rex TV for $1219 nine months ago. I neg'd it down fifty bucks to $1169, then the delivery bro bought my 31" for $200 - net cost to me = $969. Not too shabby for an excellent pic. Gregg's tweak cost set me back half the (reduced) price of the set but was well worth it.

Noticed a plasma and a direct view HD @ Sears tonite - both hooked up with composite video - why bother??? :confused:

[DarrellP]

Composite, yeah I hear you, I went to a Video Only looking at some 34" widescreen tube sets for the family room and they were all hooked up via composite & they had a component distribution box sitting there unused. I asked the guy why they didn't have the component hooked up feeding an OTA HD signal and he said they could not keep the OTA STB's in stock long enough to keep one in-house for a feed. WTF?

I have to question the mentality of these retail outlets. How can they expect to show the public what HD is all about when they can't even show them a HD signal? I would think it would be well worth the $400 investment to keep a HD STB in the backroom to feed these boxes so the sets would fly off the shelves.