Study: Flat HDTV Prices to Drop 15 Percent
The price decrease would be roughly the same as in 2007.
By Swanni
The California-based research group estimates that the average street price for a flat-panel HDTV declined by 14.7 percent in 2007.
However, Pacific Media cautions that some categories -- such as 1080p sets -- witnessed smaller price drops in 2007.
TV makers last year aggressively marketed the new, more expensive 1080p set, which purports to offer a better picture resolution. The effort was designed to stabilize high-def set prices after a sharp price decline during the 2006 holidays, which hurt both retailer and manufacturer profits.
“At this time last year, manufacturers were hoping that 2007 would bring some stability to flat panel HDTV pricing,” said Rosemary Abowd, a Pacific Media vice president.
Abowd says the 1080p set has kept the average street price of a flat-panel HDTV higher.
Pacific Media also estimates that the global market for flat-screen TVs (LCD and Plasma) will jump 41 percent in 2008 to 113 million sets. The research group says unit sales rose 86 percent in 2007.
"The projected 41% unit growth for 2008 is still a healthy increase, but significantly less than the growth we saw in 2006 and 2007,” the group stated.
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