Thanks Gary – you rock!

Is there any truth to the rumor that the LCD success is forcing some manufacturers to shut down their plasma lines?

Carl, I hope not. LCD is nowhere near the PQ of plasma and at the current rate of improvement it’ll be ten years before LCD looks as good as plasma. As a retailer, I hope the price drops are less severe than Gary says.

Thanks Gary,

I’m in the market, despite Terrible Tom’s posting, LCDs are far superior in quality. Maybe he is trying to push plasmas from his stock because they are building up.

I’ll be checking Best Buy this month for price drops.

Hmm – I plan on buying the Samsung 40A650 on May 10th. Is that enough of a wait?

thanks

dc

terrible tom
I too sell both plasma’s and lcd’s. The reason for my question is that many customer are comming in to our store saying that they read that plasma’s are on the way out. My continual battle on the sales floor is suggesting that customers forget the lcd and purchase a plasma. That technology is simply better. Heck, I make more $$$ on a lcd but I prefer my customer get the best bang for his/her buck. Plasma is it.

I help display tvs at an electronics store and wouldn’t mind if there were less plasmas going around. Those things are friggin’ heavy! LCDs are super light in comparison. I almost let my back out with a 60 incher when there wasn’t anyone around to help me mount it.

lol plasma is dead, you guys are all trippin

Any idea when in May prices are expected to drop? I am itching to buy a new LCD.Thanks in advance

Is any big difference for 40 and 46 lcd tv, beside the price? i am looking for Samsung LN46A650. I dont know when the price drop to my target price.

You made a typo
It is KDL-40S4100
not KDL-S4100 for the 40 inch unit

oops,  thanks 

The picture quality on a Plasma is unparalled. LCD’s are gimmick’s that have stuck with some consumers due to a familarity of them with PC’s.

Plasma TV’s got a bad rap early on with reports of burn in, image retention and needing to recharge them. Of course, it’s been proven that these concerns never manifest for the home user.

I do heavh console gaming on a Plasma TV. My old CRT TV actually had more image retention!

I chose an LCD since my kids love to pause the TV and walk away. Sometimes leaving it for hours paused. From what I have read, this is still a big “no,no” with Plasmas. Last thing I wanted was an imprint of the latest version of Power Rangers on my screen or even one of those crazy channel watermarks that all the channels seem to have these days. Sure you can run the screen wipe, but why bother. Don’t forget to think about your families watching habits too. I also liked the fact that the LCD was much lighter then that of a comparable Plasma. If you are upgrading to HD from analog, no matter what you buy the HD picture will be a ton better. Much, much better than my old Sony Wega XBR, which was top of the line some 8 years ago. Sony dropping prices by 500 dollars basically makes them more competitive with what the other sets at their size are going for.

Any suggestions on how to tell which brands/models are “new” for 2008?

I’d like to buy the latest and greatest when I finally take the plunge. And it looks like that’s going to happen in May.

Any tips on when this “price war” is actually going to happen?

Go to the respective manufacturers’ websites. Sonystyle.com says new on the 2008 models. Prices will adjust over the next three weeks, some retailers may delay the adjustments for a week or two to milk out more profit and hope you don’t use price protection (hey its the nature of retail).

HD Guru 

tivodad if you think you can’t burn in that lcd think again. It is not called the same thing but it will get stuck the same way. Plasma tech. has gotten much better. What do you mean the LCD was much lighter?

If you are looking for picture quality…go Plasma.

Ok I’m ready to pull the trigger on a new Samsung…when are these prices dropping!

What effect, if any, will this have on the older models still in the store, such as the KDL-52W3000, which I am looking into buying within the next few weeks?

steve, you naled that one on the head. I’ve had an LCD that had something very similar to burn in myself. LCD’s are difinately not immune and really have the same chance of burn in as a plasma set does.

Although my LCD did not do a logo burn-in, I used it to watch many, many HD channels. Unfortunately, many times the HD channels are broadcast in letterbox format, which eventually caused faint lines on each side of the screen where the bars began.

Everyone is free to choose his preferences. Personally I hate that “heat waves” feeling when you gettin closer to plasma. Maybe some folks don’t care about that, but I prefer LCD with LED backlight. Plasma sucks. Plasma is dead.

Plasma is not dead. What is your source saying plasma is dead? Get close to some of the new Plasmas. Read Crutchfield’s website and compare some new plasma models with LCD models and notice the power consumption. I swear some of you guys probably think you have to go and refill your plasmas still. If LCD is so great, why did they come out with 120hz and super clear screens. They are always on the heels of plasma technology. Plasma gives you a better picture quality period!

So to keep on topic.

WHEN WILL THE PRICES BE DROPPING???

I haven’t seen any changes at CC or BB yet.

Hey i’m lookin to get the best HDTV i can get with about $1000 CAD (man i hope the price drops here too). Anyways, with the price drop hopefully i’ll be able to get a better one for the money. Now, i intent to use it to play video games on (metal gear solid 4) and was thinking of picking up a Samsung LN32A450. I sit about 5-6′ away from the TV most times and I hear you can’t really see that much of a difference between 720p and 1080p. Is this a good TV choice? and is the 720p vs 1080p thing stand for the viewing distance i’m at?

BTW the less money, the better

So it is Sunday and new Ads came out. I didn’t see a price drop. I DON’T WANNA WAIT LONGER!

I think I may buy the 47 inch Vizio at Costco and check about price Guarantee… what do you guys think?

HDGURU is full of it. Both BB and CC raised their price of the Samsung 650 series by $70.

Thanks a f-ing bunch.

Another happy, satisfied reader! I wrote May, not this weekend.

HD Guru 

WE CAN DREAM HD GURU! WE HAVE TAX RETURNS WE WANT TO BURN!

Don’t worry Kevin, BB and CC both know that people are starting to get their tax returns and rebate checks this month. Reguardless whether or not any of these companies are dropping their MSRP or not, you can still be confident that deals will be going on this month as retailers fight for your new found money!

Mmmmm….This weekend is May.

After hearing this, I’m planning to purchase a 1080p plasma (not LCD!!!, Plasma >>>> LCD period!) around mid May. Just curious, if you buy the TV and the price is dropped within say 10-20 days, can you get the difference by visiting the retailer?

If you go to any sports bar and watch the big screens. point out all the screens with the best picture’s and you can be sure they will all be plasma’s…..NO DOUBT!

LCD!.. You should just watch tv on your computer screen

rshinra,
It really depends on the retailer. I know some places like Best Buy, although they don’t heavily advertise it give you 30 days to do just what you are asking. All you have to do is bring in your reciept and the advertisement that says the TV is cheaper, or show the price on the sales floor.

In fact, I believe Best Buy will also price match other stores deals within 30 days of your purchase. I’m not 100% positive on that one though.

what’s the deal with DLP. are they being phased out?

Heh, finally someone mentioned DLP. I’d rather have a DLP set than Plasma.

Interest in Plasma has plummeted. Cost is a factor.

So Plasma has a slightly better picture quality. LCD’s are smaller, higher reliability and longer life.

has anyone herd of the samsung dlp that uses led lighting instead of the color wheel?

Ken nailed it.
Plasma is better picture quality, but has a shorter life span than LCD.

Still, I’ll take an LCD right now to help my wallet out– the quality is amazing on brands like Panasonic, LG and Sharp. Put any LCD up against a tube tv and you’ll stop complaining too.

With Mom’sDay right ahead I’d doubt retailers would want to give away on a good sale date.
I’m willing to wait till the 3day holiday weekend, but is that another bulls-eye for the price to go up?

Some Plasmas last longer. The 08 Panasonic have a life of 100,000 hours/30 years/8 Hours a day. The Panasonic Plasma will last as long if not a lot longer than your LCD screens.

it seems to me the newer plasmas have a much improved life span than previous models.

i do prefer dlp over the rest, but it seems they are difficult to find. as i asked previously, does anyone know if they are being phased out.

i am also interested in the samsung dlp with the led light engine. it replaces the color wheel and gets rid of the rainbow effect.

it doesn’t seem that prices are going to be dropping this month based on the advertisements we keep seeing. what do you all think?

I really hope prices do go down soon. I’m getting antsy with wanting to buy my first HDTV. I had already decided to buy the TV this month, but if what you say ends up being true, I will be unbelievable happy. I was just wondering……

I’m looking for something in the 42” to 50” range for $1000, no more than $1100, and it seems like everything I’ve looked at is just out of that price range. Can I expect some of those models from last year to drop say….$100-$200 this month or is that too much? I’ve found some great Panasonic plasmas and Samsung LCD’s that fit everything I want except for the budget.

Ronak,

You may see the kind of price drop once the retailers start putting them on sale. If the prices don’t drop to what you are looking for though, you may have to either bite the bullet and pay a little more than you want to, or go with a slightly cheaper brand like Westinghouse to get what you want. Beware though, you will definately want the extended warranty if you go with a brand that is second teir.

Thanks. From the stories I’ve read about post 1-year warranty customer service, I’d like to stick with the known brands. I’ve been watching Amazon closely on a select models and they are getting there. If anyone is interested, the Samsung HP-T5054 is $1050 down from $1200 a few days ago. I’ve heard of some cuts to come the 15th, so I’m holding off for now even though it’s quite tempting. Is it safe to assume that by mid-June, you will only be able to find the 2008 models around? Considering that these 2008 models are debuting at a much lesser price than last year’s, what are the chances of the 2008 prices dipping down to my range by mid-July?

I very much doubt that the new 2008 model TV’s will see any discounting until the fall holiday season. I would think that the will use the time between now and then to clear the shelves of the remaining 2007 models.

Pioneer’s new plasmas, all 1080P. No more 720P displays from Pioneer. The new line has 5x deeper blacks than the old line. List price on the smallest 50 inch is $4000. hands down the best sets out there. Takes on all comers and beats them. Of coarse at $4000 I would expect that.

In Jan 07, we were looking for a 32″ TV for a place we just bought in AZ, and intended to opt for a $280 brand x to get by. When at the store, I saw a unit on an end cap that had a price of $199. I thought it was for the stand. Salesman said, nope, that’s a Panasonic 1080i HDTV and the price is correct. It’s a return or repaired. It was MFD in 04. Full factory warranty. Downside? Picture tube and heavy. For that reason I went against my grain and bought an extended warranty. So, tell me the negatives. How does picture quality compare with LCD. DLP? Sounds like Plasma is the best PQ?

DLP. Horror stories about lamp life and cost. Swore I wouldn’t buy one, but my 50″ Toshiba just bit the dust. I guessed at the convergence IC’s but that didn’t do it. It trips off and red light flashes.

Anyway, I picked the tech’s brain. Yes, bulb life is a bummer. Be careful of the brand. Some lamps Very expensive. (Phillips, Sony?) others around $300 with a 2-3 year life. What would he buy? DLP. Bigger screen at lower cost. I too am interested in the models where LED’s replaced the lamp and color wheel. I would think LED’s would have long life. Any idea what replacements cost for these LED units? Any comments on any of this appreciated.

Thanks for the good news about price drop. I was about to buy a 2008 40″ 1080p Samsung but now I have to wait, it was about $1390. for some reason now I like Samsung more than Sony!!!

Has anyone actually seen any evidence of the price drops yet?

for anyone who thinks plasmas is so supiour to lcs check out the reviews of SAMSUNGS lcd LED 81 they are on pare with the best pioneer plasmas.the new samsung LED for 2008 are 2x the contrast ratio of last years.Just one question if plasmas are so supiour why are so many companys dropping them like hot potatos? like sony,pioneer,toshiba.?LED AND OLED are going to be the future.

I haven’t seen any evidence on a price drop for the model I’m looking at (LN46A550 Sammy). In fact I haven’t quite figured out Amazon’s pricing behavior. I will go up and down $100 daily. I want it to go down $200 with Free Shipping to $1400 so I can snag it. I figure $150-$200 is worth the extra 6 inches over the LN40A550.

JBM,

I think if you have problems with your LED’s you’re basically screwed unless it’s still in warranty. I can’t really tell you any specifics, but it would not be good for that to happen. On the other hand, the LED’s should work well past your TV’s lifespan, unless you get a dud.

bestbuy.ca samsung 4681 is on sael for 2599.00 but still got a friend one for 2300.00 that is 1700 off i think thats a big price drop.Its starting…..

That is great news ed. I however, am waiting for the midrange priced models to get discounted more heavily though.

The models and prices listed in the article are in fact the pricing for those TVs on the website. However, they’re not even available and none of the other prices have gone down with them

Do you know if the current 2008 models (KDL-40V4100 or KDL-40W4100) will also receive a price drop? I am looking at Sony and Samsung models (LN40A550, LN40A650). Should I wait until closer to a Father’s Day sale or do you think the upcoming Memorial Day weekend sales will reflect any price drops.

The wait is killing me (I am still using a SDTV 27″)….

I am looking to buy a 52″ LCD TV very soon. When will these prices (MSRP) of brands like Toshiba change?

I haven’t noticed any change at BestBuy or Futureshop yet.

For all of you who are expecting hdguru to know EXACTLY when the price will be dropping, or showing frustration as to why the price hasn’t dropped yet, you are hereby informed that I have gazed into the crystal ball and it tells me that price will be dropping at exactly 12:39pm EST on May 23rd. Now, I hope you feel better because the long wait that you have had to endure thus far will soon come to an end.

I have a question on hooking up my plasma to the cable box. We have a Panasonic 50″ 1080i Most of what we watch is cable broadcast in digtial not HD. We typically watch in full screen-justified . The cable box has IEEE, DVI, component as well composite.. The TV has HDMI, DVI, IEEE, composite ,component, S-Video. The cable company hooked up the system in component video and composite audio. Given how I going to use the TV is is worth changing the cabling ?

This is crazy. Now MSN money is predicting possible price increases:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/ConsumerActionGuide/FourReasonsToBuyAHighDefTVNow.aspx

HD Guru – can you comment on this article which seems to contradict your prediction.

Im thinking of purchasing a 1080p 60″-65″ tv. Plasma or LCD? Im looking to spend between 3000 and 5000. Any suggestions?

I’ve just noticed a $200 drop from yesterday (2499 to 2299) on the 50″ 1080p Samsung plasma from Best Buy, think I’ll go for this one.

Too bad I live in Canada so have no choice to buy from other much cheaper outlets like Amazon.com

IT does not matter if you live in CANADA or the USA.The discounts are all the same if not better in CANADA.The main fact remains .Never pay retail when the retailers like futureshop,visions will negotiate the price.I never pay more than 5-10% above coast.

Hey Ed, just how do you go about negotiating prices with retailers?? I’m kind of shy and soft spoken so I can never get the guts to bargain properly. I’d love to know how to negotiate prices down from the big box retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City.

Ronak, I am in sales at a commission environment. If you are looking at purchasing a tv, most commissioned environments are more willing to negotiate a deal to close you that day. I used to work at big box retailers in a non-commission sales structure and they have less incentive as salespeople to get you to buy. Whereas a commissioned sales person will usually be willing to work you a deal to get a faster sale. Best advice – don’t shop in big box retailers for the best deals…

My old Sony Trinitron just kicked the bucket today. I’ve been watching the pricing on Sony’s all month, but have yet to see them go up or down more than $200. *crossing fingers*, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.

Have you ever heard of the Sharp Aquos LC-65d93upk? The sellers claim its an upgrade of the regular 65d93u. I contacted Sharp and they have never heard of the item.

David, where can I find a commissioned environment? I live in a northern suburb of Chicago and all we have around us are the BB, CC, Sears, Sam’s Club, and Sears. I don’t think we really have any small independent sales shops around.

Don’t know why I said Sears twice…

what ED said isn’t true from what I see… the Samsung PN50A650 plasma model I want (yes, changed my mind) is $800 cheaper in the US (amazon.com) compared to BB or futureshop here.

Even the best deal I could find from independent store is still $500 more than the US price. Apparantly, it’s because of the “localization cost” according to the salesperson. Consider yourself lucky if you live in the US.

When did interest in plasma start dropping?
According to the real numbers, plasma sales in Q1/08 were up 53% over plasma sales in Q1/07
Samsung and LG saw an increase in Q1/08 of over 300% over their 2006 totals as a whole, taking 1st and 2nd place in the plasma market ahead of Panasonic, whose new -8 series will no doubt put them back in first for Q2/08.

Globally LCD sales are over 7:1 ahead of plasma, but with sizes under 20″ that’s not too bloody surprising.

DLP sales are well below plasma and in terms of picture quality it’s no contest, plasma is ahead of LED, LCD, SXRD, DLP, all the above comfortably.

Where cost is concerned a 1080p 50″ plasma is cheaper than a 50″ LCD.

People sure can talk a lot of crap.

Just need some clarification since I’ve read conflicting statements… is the the Sony KDL-40S4100 a 10bit or 8bit processor? Doesn’t really say on the Sony sight. I’ve seen the picture on this set and it looks great, and the price is right. Does it matter?

May is almost over. No price cuts. Lame.

no price cuts? sears has a 40″ samsung 1080p for 999 that isnt a cut? if you want a free tv it aint gonna happen. this article was right on thanks hd guru

Can you provide source for that? The sears website has that one for 1399.

i see no price cuts also…

No cuts. Is this stuff just made up? Where does this information come from in the first place? I can’t find any references to any upcoming cuts.

Any insight into the price cuts you had estimated for May? Are we looking at this month maybe or July?

This came out a day after I purchased a 50″ plasma and got me a little worried. I thought I might need to exercise the “price protection” option, but the price on my set is up more than $200 over the sale price I paid.

So in reference to the question that brought me to this site and a link someone posted from msn money, how do you think the switch to digital in the upcoming year is gonna effect the price?

MSN said the price would increase because China would raise the prices due to rising mfg costs from trying to offer better benefits and wages to factory workers. I guess communist countries can raise the price of mfg a product across the board just because they feel like it. Maybe they forgot why the companies went there in the first place.

On the contrary, the first thing that my high school economics class taught me is that as demand increases, supply increase, and price decreases.

Are you guys blind?

Compare a plasma and LCD side by side and the superiority of the plasma, in most cases, is very evident. Put both on a SD station (most people fail to realize that this is the format a majority of networks still broadcast a majority of their programming in) and the Plasma blows the LCD out of the water.

On that 30 day deal with bb, they only give you two weeks now, I bought a washer and dryer from them a while back and they droped the price $30.00 and I went to get it and they wouldn’t give it to me, I called the mang. and he said they had changed that to 14 day’s, as far as I know that is on everthing, you best check, all the other stores are still 30 days as far as I know.

[...] Dentro de unos d�as el precio de los televisores de pantalla plana se reducir� considerablemente. Sony quiere recuperar su n�1 en cuota de mercado, por lo que est� disminuyendo dr�sticamente los precios. Samsung, LG y Sharp, ya est�n planeando su contraataque en la guerra de precios. Estamos hablando de descuentos entre 20-25%. Esto supondr� que por primera vez un LCD 1080p tendr� un precio por debajo de un plasma 1080p, lo que tambi�n reducir� sus precios. Conclusi�n: Esperar hasta mayo para comprar una TV HD porque ser� mucho m�s barata. Psst?Wanna Save Big on a New HDTV? It Will Pay to Wait Till May HDGURU.Com [...]

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MSN said the price would increase because China would raise the prices due to rising mfg costs from trying to offer better benefits and wages to factory workers. I guess communist countries can raise the price of mfg a product across the board just because they feel like it. Maybe they forgot why the companies went there in the first place.

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