Update-Mitsubishi Prices Added 8/22
Models Added and Correction Made- 8/20
In a perfect storm of flat panel vendor oversupply, slow retail sales and the start of the “TV selling season†(Aug 24), large screen HDTV flat panel prices are dipping again with manufacturers cutting retails up to $300 (with instant rebate). These new lower prices come hot on the heels of the last decrease, which occurred less than seven weeks ago.
All these new prices are on the latest 2008 models and come just in time for the start of the 2008-2009 TV and football seasons and the Baseball post-season games.
Industry sources report new pricing on HDTVs from Samsung, Sony, Mitsubishi and Panasonic. A number of other HDTV vendors are expected to react quickly, to hold onto their respective market shares.
The HD GURU® has obtained the price changes for Samsung LCD HDTVs. These prices are MAP (manufacturer’s minimum advertised price) Pricing from the other vendors will be posted as they come in, so please check hdguru.com often for updates.
Remember, these are manufacturers “MAP” pricing, actual “street” prices will usually be much lower.
Date Of Price Drop
Model      Size   New Price   Old Price
Samsung
August 17
LN52A630   52â€Â   $2599      $2699
LN52A650   52â€Â   $2799      $2999
LN52A750   52â€Â   $2999      $3199
August 24
LN32A550   32â€Â   $999      $1099
LN32A650   32â€Â   $1199      $1299
LN46A550   46â€Â   $1699      $1799
LN46A580   46â€Â   $1799      $1899
LN46A630   46â€Â   $1999      $2099
LN46A650   46â€Â   $2199      $2299
LN46A750   46â€Â   $2399      $2499
August 31
LN32A540   32â€Â   $699      $749
Plasma Aug 17
PN50A550   50″    $1999    $2199
PN50A650   50″    $2299   $2499
Mitsubishi
Model        New MAP  Old MAP (effective 8/21)
LT-46148   $2399   $2599
LT-52148   $2799   $2999
LT-46149   $2799   $2999
LT-52149   $3299   $3399
LT-46246   $2999   $3199
LT-52246   $3499   $3699
Copyright ©2008 Gary Merson/HD Guru® All rights reserved. HD GURU is a registered trademark. The content and photos within may not be distributed electronically or copied mechanically without specific written permission.
39 Comments
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I just got Samsung 52A750 for $2300 from brandsmart.Anyone thinking the price will go even lower than this by x-mas or new year time? Or I got really good deal on it?
Drat – misinformed on Best Buy price – no money back in the pocket yet….
Best Buy has the KDL-46Z4100 for $2199 – money back in the pocket! I’ll be heading back to the store in a day or so.
———————
On 25 August 2008, Charlie Z said:
Just bought a Sony BRAVIA 46″ 1080p 120Hz Flat-Panel LCD HDTV (KDL-46Z4100)  a price drop in the next week or so would be welcome, thanks to the 110% price guarantee.
I just bought the Samsung LN52A750 for $2499.97 @ HHgregg in Chattanooga,TN 9-06-08
LMB-you are wondering if the tru2way will work with satellite-check out the article at pcworld.com dated 15JUl08 titled ‘sony embraces cable-without-the-box-technology’. the answer to your question is there and thensome.
(yes, i too hate the cable box!) good luck. zosimo
I may have spoken too soon. One of my local B&M’s has lowered the price on their website (which is normally MSRP) by $100 from the latest MSRPs on all their 52″ Samsung sets (550, 630, 650, 750, and 860). They have only lowered the price on their 52″ Samsung sets, and not on any of the smaller sizes.
So, it looks like the HDGuru was correct. It also looks like other stores intend to pocket the savings since no one advertised it.
The $200 Mounted Memories MIR is quite disappointing.
Man, I was so looking forward to getting at least a $100 mail in rebate that HDGuru said was coming. The $200 Mounted Memories Reward Cert is super lame! :/.
A $200 Mounted Memories Reward Certificate for Samsung 1080p HDTV 40″ and larger wasn’t what I had envisioned when HDGuru said there was an instant rebate on some Samsung sets. Are there that many people who want NFL memorabilia?
Looking to p/u a 46″LCD for the Labor Sales any help on Sony vs Samsung and is Amozon the best price point
Thanks
Anyone know when the Sony’s are supposed to drop, if they are? Price on the KDL-52W4100 dropped $100 at buydig.com so I was excited. But today they put the price back up to $2299. WTF.
Any word on Panasonic older 50PZ800U.
I think I can get a display unit for about $2000 total.
Will the new “tru2way” technology work with satellite TV service which also requires a card? I was ready to purchase a Samsung LN52a650, but I’ll wait if tru2way works with satellite. I hate that box!!!
Duh – meant to include the price: $2399.99.
Just bought a Sony BRAVIA 46″ 1080p 120Hz Flat-Panel LCD HDTV (KDL-46Z4100) — a price drop in the next week or so would be welcome, thanks to the 110% price guarantee.
(Love it, by the way!)
@deez
I have no idea what you’re talking about. The LN52A650 was $2279.98 and is now $2253.86. Amazon still shows a $2999 MSRP also.
Amazon just did a major price drop on their Samsung LN52A650 which I have been tracking … over $200.
It seems that a lot of you are pumped for the football and baseball seasons in HD but there have been no mentions of Sharp including in the plummeting price talk. Just thought you might want to know that Sharp is the official HDTV of MLB because its technology is specially geared for night game contrast and no blurry balls so it is def. something to check out. I’m their rep so shoot me ?s or find info at http://sharp.smnr.us
yes, the prices are continue to go down but wait……..come the holiday season the merchandise currently out there will be a whole lot cheaper. why? well by years end Sony, Lg, Panasonic and Samsung will have Hds with “tru2way” capabilities. “tru2way”, for those who dont know, will be Hds with TWO way cable cards so the cable box will not be needed. as it is now, cable cards are one way only. so i reckon i have waited sometime to take the Hd plunge and will wait a few more months to get the “tru2way” technology. again the merchandise out there now will be a whole lot cheaper as it will only have the one way cable cards.
-“lets roll”
Dear HD guru and others,
I just got a Samsung ln52a550 from frys for $1599 with free shipping and no tax. Can I expect to get a better deal in the next week, as I can most likely cancel the order and wait. Thanks for any answers.
Brett: I’m with you, just recumbent…
Hi Gary,
Not sure if you remember me, but we worked on some stories when I was at PopSci back in the first half of 2003. Saw this great post and linked to it from the NYT’s Bits blog. One of our readers had a question I was hoping you could answer: Will these price changes also occur in the UK? If so, when?
(In other news, email me. Want to talk to you about some work-related stuff. Hope you’ve been well.)
All best,
Sam
Prices are definitely falling. The 61A750 usually sells for $1999, but you can snag one for under $1,300 dollars. That’s almost unhead of. It’s refurbished so it isn’t a “perfect deal,” but it’s a great savings if you’re looking for a deal. You can read more about it here: http://tvlampsnbulbs.com/2008/08/buy-hl61a750-dlp-for-1299/
I’m slightly confused – are those manufactured suggested retail prices as you say in the comments or minimum advertised price as you say in the original post? If MSRP, then we should see considerably lower street prices, but the retailers are not supposed to advertise products below MAP.
Something a bit off the subject: I wonder if the new 9 series LCD TVs by Samsung get some sort of discount or promotional offer as well. They started appearing here and there online as “in stock†but they run for the full MSRP price of $4199 for the LN55A950 and $3199 for the LN46A950.
I’d rather ride my mountain bike.
I’m curious … given last year’s Supreme Court decision giving manufacturers greater control over retail pricing (report on prices since then in this week’s WSJ – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121901920116148325.html) … do you have any idea why TV manufacturers aren’t following up? Don’t get me wrong — I’m glad that they aren’t!
Sony is instituting what it calls “SURE” pricing on its (to be released in Oct.) XBR7 and XBR8 models. Dealers will be prohibited from advertising or selling these models below MAP pricing or face termination as a Sony dealer, as it has been explained to me. Will it work and hold? Stay tuned.
HD Guru
So, Uh… What happened to the 2 week $100 instant rebate on 52″ selts listed for August 31st? The text still references an instant rebate, but it’s not in the list any more.
The rebates are coming, but I did not receive second source confirmation on the dates so I dropped it. Sorry for the confusion.
HD Guru
This should be posted on avsforum.com asap!
It’ll help a lot of us trying to decide when/what to buy.
It seems that the smaller sets have actually gone up in price and the largest LCD are dipping quite a bit. We are getting a very small margin between different sizes, probably a result of fuel costs and the fact that it really doesn’t cost much more to make a 47 than a 37.
Right now the e-tailers are higher than major stores, except that Walmart and Costco have just lowered some prices on bargain brands.
Thank HD Guru – the wife unit’s been after me to get and HD set. Since I have no desire to watch HGTV in HD and spend the money…I balked. But these price drops (and the start of College Football) may make it worth it.
Thanks again!
Actually Frys is showing a lower “regular” price than the one mentioned earlier by Justin on the LN52A650 (now $2,299.95)
Any word/info on the Sony 40″+ XBR6 and XBR8 pricing??
Here’s the article i was referencing:
http://hdgurucom.wpengine.com/swelling-inventories-force-another-hdtv-price-drop/254/
Last month, mid July, HD Guru reported that there would be another ~$400 MSRP price drop coming soon–That report never came to fruition. Online retailers have YET to even remotely reflect the MSRP price drops. Why should this news be taken anymore serious than the last?
The HD Guru has a attracted a feisty group of commenters today. The article you refer to contains manufacturer’s retail prices obtained from the respective vendors listed. Why didn’t (as you state) the “street” prices come down as much as the retail price? There could be a number of reasons.
Perhaps the dealer wanted to get a higher margin as the summer months are the slow season of TV sales, or they wanted to keep the 2008 model prices higher to move out their remaining inventory of last year’s (2007) models. As they say on TV, “all dealers are independently owned and operated” and can discount as little or as much as they desire.
Let me add, from next week on, we are entering the peak selling season for TVs, and retailers traditionally fight it out to get as many sales as they can.ÂÂ
HD Guru
Wow, this story is really bringing out all the people with poor reading comprehension… Now if we could just get Samsung to update all the MSRP’s on their site.
@ Justin
These are drops in the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Prices not actual in store retail prices. These drops in MSRP’s should mean lower prices at Fry’s and UE.
Are you sure about the price drop of the LN52A630 set from $2599 to $2399? The Samsung website already reflects the new lower MSRP for the LN52A650 and LN52A750, but not the LN52A630 (still $2599). The LN52A630 did drop from $2699 to $2599 in the past week though.
These prices make no sense. I already have all these televisions cheaper at my store and so do the local competitors. Maybe this is a couple months old?
For example.
52a650 is $2399 at Ultimate electronics and Frys.
46a650 is $1699 at Ultimate and Frys.
Every TV on this list is cheaper.
As stated in the article:
“Remember, these are manufacturers retail pricing, “street†prices will usually be much lower.” In other words, Frys, Ultimate and other retailers sell HDTVs below the manufacturers retail price. When the retail price drops, so do the real “street” prices, so you will soon see lower pricing from the HDTV retailers you mentioned and others.
HD GURU