Best Buy to Sell $1,500 Plasma HDTV

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Best Buy to Sell $1,500 Plasma HDTV
The 42-inch set will be sold under the company's private label.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (July 17, 2006) -- Electronics retailer Best Buy next month will begin selling a 42-inch High-Definition Plasma TV for around $1,500.

That's according to an article in today's TWICE magazine.

The trade publication reports that the flat-panel set will be sold under Best Buy's private label, branded Insignia. The television should be on store shelves by mid-August.

The $1,500 price tag for a 42-inch HD Plasma TV is roughly $500 less than what most well-known TV manufacturers are now charging. However, Vizio, a lesser known brand, has sold a 42-inch high-def Plasma set for around $1,500

Best Buy is also breaking new ground by offering televisions under the Insignia label. In addition to the new Plasma set, the retail chain will offer three new Insignia LCD TVs, including a 27-inch widescreen model, according to TWICE.

Swanni Sez:
Best Buy's announcement is more evidence of how quickly HDTV prices are dropping. A year ago, you couldn't buy a 42-inch Plasma set for less than $3,000. Now they are approaching the magic $1,000 mark.

Retailers (and their TV manufacturing partners) appear to be setting the stage for a big 2006 holiday sales push. Watch for 42-inch Plasma HDTVs to hit the $1299 mark (or lower) by December.

To learn more, click Best Buy

Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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