The January issue of PC World magazine has an article with some real data on the downward trend seen in HDTV prices; a well-known phenomenon in the electronics industry, it’s still interesting to look at some real numbers about how much prices can change over just 12 months. Based solely on the graph at the left:
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• 42-inch HD plasma in Q4 2004: ~$4,000
• 42-inch HD plasma in Q4 2005: ~$2,600
• 32-inch LCD TV in Q4 2004: ~$3,000
• 32-inch LCD TV in Q5 2005: ~$1,600
The take-home message here? Prices fall. Forget timing the market, but know that any shiny new plasma/LCD/DLP today will cost less in the future. If you braved the Black Friday scrum and came away with a smokin’ deal (and sans an ear or a finger), props to you. If you want a big screen and can get a fair price for it, do it.