Is this a good time to buy DLP/LCD?

Just got back from checking out DLP and LCD TVs as a local higher-end
electronics store--Tweeter. They have 24-months no-interest financing--as
well as good prices (as low as CC and BB)--through the end of the weekend.

I'm wondering if this is a good time to buy. While no one knows for sure,
what is the general consensus on pricing and financing? Will prices drop
further before Christmas or perhaps soon afterward? Or are prices likely to
stay where they are? In either case, are inventories likely to be depleted?
Also, are these extended finance specials likely to continue or will they
disappear as Christmas approaches?

Naturally, the salespeople tell you that neither the price nor the financing
will be this low again any time soon. The truth is probably somewhere in the
middle. What do you think?

The salesperson I spoke said he thinks LCD and DLP prices will drop as
plasma becomes more affordable. It's his opinion, however, that this won't
affect DLP and LCD prices any time soon.

"Steve" wrote in message news:[email protected]
Just got back from checking out DLP and LCD TVs as a local higher-end
electronics store--Tweeter. They have 24-months no-interest financing--as
well as good prices (as low as CC and BB)--through the end of the weekend.

I'm wondering if this is a good time to buy. While no one knows for sure,
what is the general consensus on pricing and financing? Will prices drop
further before Christmas or perhaps soon afterward? Or are prices likely to
stay where they are? In either case, are inventories likely to be depleted?
Also, are these extended finance specials likely to continue or will they
disappear as Christmas approaches?

The longer you wait, the lower the prices will be, IMO.
Look at the track record of any developing technology product for the proof.

Prices will probably be coming down 10-20% per year for a few years.
It's up to you to determine when you're willing to buy into it.

Don

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 04:41:06 GMT, "Steve" wrote:

Just got back from checking out DLP and LCD TVs as a local higher-end
electronics store--

I'm wondering if this is a good time to buy.

There's never going to be a *perfect* time to buy, only a good time to
buy.

While no one knows for sure,
what is the general consensus on pricing and financing? Will prices drop
further before Christmas or perhaps soon afterward?

Historically, pants and shirts go down after Christmas, while TV's go
up after Christmas and until they go on closeout status somewhere
around August.

Or are prices likely to
stay where they are?

The prices will fall, eventually. For now, I predict your best prices
will be between now and Christmas until sometime around August of next
year where the prices will be lower than the Holidays bargains.

In either case, are inventories likely to be depleted?

Maybe not likely but most certainly possible. For instance, at Sears,
we had the Panasonic 53" projection TV on sale today (Day After
Thanksgiving Sale) for 1299, list, 1599, and the Sylvania 42" plasma
EDTV for 1799, list 2799.

By 5 PM today, we could not even order these TV's at full retail from
the manufacturer. They'll be available again in days, or weeks but
for now, those supplies are "depleted" and cannot be ordered at all if
that helps.

Also, are these extended finance specials likely to continue or will they
disappear as Christmas approaches?

They're probably likely to continue up til' Christmas. If your
favorite retailer isn't offering it at the time you are ready to buy,
perhaps, they'll match their competors' zero pecent financing deal.

Naturally, the salespeople tell you that neither the price nor the financing
will be this low again any time soon. The truth is probably somewhere in the
middle. What do you think?

I think that's an unfair generalization. In non-commission paying
stores, the salesmen have no incentive to lie to you. In commission
paying stores like Sears, Rex, and the high-end stores, the "good"
salesmen are trying to build a clientele by treating you right and
advising you of the best route to take so you'll send friends and
family members to buy from them.

While it would be fair to assume half of the commission people at
these stores are "live for today" hacks, it would also be fair to
assume the other half are hoping you'll get your TV home and be
totally blown away by your purchase and will go on to send your
salesman more business via referrals.

The good news is, you can usually tell within seconds if you have
spoken with a "clientele" driven salesman or a "live for today"
salesman.

That said, I think I agree mostly with the salesmen you've spoken to
who've advised you to buy before Christmas if you want your new TV in
your house sometime before late next summer or early next fall. I
also agree that no matter when you decide to buy, in only a few years
you'll be able to purchase that same item, with more features and
better picture quality for a fraction of the price you paid today.
That's just the nature of electronics and it'll never change.

I suggest if you're in the market for a TV, and you want to upgrade,
and you don't feel like waiting for 10 years for it to cost 3 bucks,
find the best deal in your town, then bring the ad to your favorite
retailer and ask them to pricematch it (most retailers will
pricematch), then go home and enjoy the latest and greatest.

The salesperson I spoke said he thinks LCD and DLP prices will drop as
plasma becomes more affordable. It's his opinion, however, that this won't
affect DLP and LCD prices any time soon.

I think I agree with this. Strictly in my own opinion, it was the
affordability of the DLP's and LCD's that forced plasma prices to
drop by about 50% this year from last year. Now, all three of those
technologies are ROUGHLY in line with each other (or getting there)
due to DLP/LCD sales versus plasma sales.

When it gets down to it, what does a plasma TV offer over a DLP or LCD
if you don't have this "pet rock" mentality of just having to hang the
thing on a wall? Not much.

One thing's for sure in electronics - no matter which day you buy the
item of your affection, you are GUARANTEED to pay much more for it
this year than you will pay 5 years down the road and it will be
GUARANTEED to be obsolete.

On the other hand, as a salesman, I hear it all the time - "Our
RCA/Zenith/Fill-In-The-Blank 19" TV we bought 20 years ago has finally
given up the ghost and we need to replace it. We LOVED that TV....
great picture quality, served us well all these years.... blah blah
blah... We're looking for TODAY'S equivalent in picture quality and
construction quality"

The point is, those same people noticed the same things after their
purchase that you are afraid of seeing.... they could buy a bigger and
better TV than that 19" for half the price four years later. But
instead of focusing on that little fact, they continued to appreciate
the purchase they made, knowing they got a great deal and a great
product at the time.

In closing, I'd wrap it up like this - do NOT be afraid to purchase a
kick ass TV just because people who wait for 5 years will get a better
"deal" and a better TV for less than you're spending today. Be more
afraid of watching a crappy TV for the next 5 years when there are
good bargains and amazing TV's to be enjoyed right now for the savvy
consumer.

Just my 2 cents.... Happy Holidays :-)

Thanks, Don and HDTV-slingr! Very helpful information.

The salesman was definitely a "clientele driven" and really knew his stuff.
I asked many questions. ;^)

I asked--and he confirmed--that he works on commission. I made sure to get
his business card. I sympathize with them, as I'm sure they deal with plenty
of "tire kickers".

Being a commission-based store, I'm surprised that their prices (at least
this weekend, anyway) are identical to BB and CC.


One thing's for sure in electronics - no matter which day you buy the
item of your affection, you are GUARANTEED to pay much more for it
this year than you will pay 5 years down the road and it will be
GUARANTEED to be obsolete.

On the other hand, as a salesman, I hear it all the time - "Our
RCA/Zenith/Fill-In-The-Blank 19" TV we bought 20 years ago has finally
given up the ghost and we need to replace it. We LOVED that TV....
great picture quality, served us well all these years.... blah blah
blah... We're looking for TODAY'S equivalent in picture quality and
construction quality"

The point is, those same people noticed the same things after their
purchase that you are afraid of seeing.... they could buy a bigger and
better TV than that 19" for half the price four years later. But
instead of focusing on that little fact, they continued to appreciate
the purchase they made, knowing they got a great deal and a great
product at the time.

Do you really mean "obsolete"? My last TV lasted almost 20 years. I wouldn't
call it obsolete even today; certainly woefully eclipsed by plasma, LCD, and
DLP, but still watchable. Do you doubt that will be the case in five years
with these current models? If so, in what way? Will they be breaking and not
be financially-prudent to repair? Will they be unable to display the current
technology's signal (of five years from now) well? Other than bulb repair on
the DLP, I figured it would still render as awesome of a picture as it does
today.

IMO, I doubt HDTV will be that much more established in five years than it
is now; further along, yes, but mainstream, I'm not so sure. Still, I'm
hedging my bets by going with an HDTV-Ready TV instead of just EDTV. In your
opinioni, is that: 1) absolutely necessary; 2) just wise; or 3) plain
foolish, finacially?

I think you're dead wrong about digital tv NOT being more established in 5
years. I wouldnt be at all surprised if Congress mandated 2007 or 2008 for
the death of analog broadcasting. They want that spectrum back and the
dollars it will bring at auction! Their formula didn't work for 2006, so
they will change the formula.
BTW, there is no such thing as "edtv". Just Sdtv and hdtv. Both the
480's are 'standard", and 720 and 1080 are considered HD.



IMO, I doubt HDTV will be that much more established in five years than it
is now; further along, yes, but mainstream, I'm not so sure. Still, I'm
hedging my bets by going with an HDTV-Ready TV instead of just EDTV. In
your opinioni, is that: 1) absolutely necessary; 2) just wise; or 3) plain
foolish, finacially?

"Steve" wrote in news:[email protected]:

Just got back from checking out DLP and LCD TVs as a local higher-end
electronics store--Tweeter. They have 24-months no-interest
financing--as well as good prices (as low as CC and BB)--through the
end of the weekend.

I'm wondering if this is a good time to buy. While no one knows for
sure, what is the general consensus on pricing and financing? Will
prices drop further before Christmas or perhaps soon afterward? Or are
prices likely to stay where they are? In either case, are inventories
likely to be depleted? Also, are these extended finance specials
likely to continue or will they disappear as Christmas approaches?

Naturally, the salespeople tell you that neither the price nor the
financing will be this low again any time soon. The truth is probably
somewhere in the middle. What do you think?

The salesperson I spoke said he thinks LCD and DLP prices will drop as
plasma becomes more affordable. It's his opinion, however, that this
won't affect DLP and LCD prices any time soon.





If you have to finance a TV you don't need it. Debt is for homes, maybe
a car or medical emergencies. Anything beyond that is for losers.

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 13:57:35 GMT, "Steve" wrote:

On the other hand, as a salesman, I hear it all the time - "Our
RCA/Zenith/Fill-In-The-Blank 19" TV we bought 20 years ago has finally
given up the ghost and we need to replace it. We LOVED that TV....
great picture quality, served us well all these years.... blah blah
blah... We're looking for TODAY'S equivalent in picture quality and
construction quality"

The point is, those same people noticed the same things after their
purchase that you are afraid of seeing.... they could buy a bigger and
better TV than that 19" for half the price four years later. But
instead of focusing on that little fact, they continued to appreciate
the purchase they made, knowing they got a great deal and a great
product at the time.

Do you really mean "obsolete"? My last TV lasted almost 20 years. I wouldn't
call it obsolete even today; certainly woefully eclipsed by plasma, LCD, and
DLP, but still watchable. Do you doubt that will be the case in five years
with these current models? If so, in what way?

"Obsolete" was not a good word. "Woefully eclipsed", the phrase you
used, better describes what I was trying to say :-)

Will they be breaking and not
be financially-prudent to repair? Will they be unable to display the current
technology's signal (of five years from now) well?

They'll be perfectly fine and you'll have many years of enjoyment from
your new set :-)

Other than bulb repair on
the DLP, I figured it would still render as awesome of a picture as it does
today.

I would assume you're correct.

IMO, I doubt HDTV will be that much more established in five years than it
is now; further along, yes, but mainstream, I'm not so sure.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. HDTV broadcasts and HDTV
channels are likely to greatly increase because of pioneers like Voom,
who offer multiple choices (if they survive).

Still, I'm
hedging my bets by going with an HDTV-Ready TV instead of just EDTV. In your
opinioni, is that:

Great choice.

1) absolutely necessary;

No, not absolutely necessary. ED looks fantastic. HD just looks a
little better, that's all.

2) just wise; or 3) plain

You can't go wrong with either :-)


foolish, finacially?

If so, we're both fools then, so I wouldn't be qualified to judge ya
;-)

If you have to finance a TV you don't need it. Debt is for homes, maybe
a car or medical emergencies. Anything beyond that is for losers.

I have the money now, but why not take advantage of the opportunity to pay
over 24-months with no interest? Seems like a more wise use of finances to
me, everything else being equal.

I think you're dead wrong about digital tv NOT being more established in 5
years. I wouldnt be at all surprised if Congress mandated 2007 or 2008 for
the death of analog broadcasting. They want that spectrum back and the
dollars it will bring at auction! Their formula didn't work for 2006, so
they will change the formula.

I hope you are right. I based my comment on an article I came across a few
days ago at http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/1...ness/49828.htm.
It made the comment: "..."There's not a prayer" that deadline will be met,
Leichtman said. "Unless the government forces consumers to pay tens of
billions for new television sets, it won't happen until 2009 at the
earliest. They (Congress and the FCC) are going to have to rethink this
because there are 300 million television sets out there. While we expect the
digital sales to take off, it will take awhile before we have 20 to 25
million households."

BTW, there is no such thing as "edtv". Just Sdtv and hdtv. Both the
480's are 'standard", and 720 and 1080 are considered HD.

What about the EDTVs they are promoting at the stores? What are they?

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 16:20:48 GMT, LivingReminder
wrote:

"Steve" wrote in news:[email protected]:

Just got back from checking out DLP and LCD TVs as a local higher-end
electronics store--Tweeter. They have 24-months no-interest
financing--as well as good prices (as low as CC and BB)--through the
end of the weekend.

I'm wondering if this is a good time to buy. While no one knows for
sure, what is the general consensus on pricing and financing? Will
prices drop further before Christmas or perhaps soon afterward? Or are
prices likely to stay where they are? In either case, are inventories
likely to be depleted? Also, are these extended finance specials
likely to continue or will they disappear as Christmas approaches?

Naturally, the salespeople tell you that neither the price nor the
financing will be this low again any time soon. The truth is probably
somewhere in the middle. What do you think?

The salesperson I spoke said he thinks LCD and DLP prices will drop as
plasma becomes more affordable. It's his opinion, however, that this
won't affect DLP and LCD prices any time soon.





If you have to finance a TV you don't need it. Debt is for homes, maybe
a car or medical emergencies. Anything beyond that is for losers.

Only a loser would have such a superior attitude as yours.
Thumper
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