By MELANIE ALNWICK/myfoxdc
WASHINGTON, D.C. - LCD, LED, 720 or 1080P. No matter what kind you like, high-definition TVs are hot this holiday. And for those of us who dropped several thousand dollars a few years ago for a giant, big-screen TV set, it's a whole new world out there.
A sleek, high-definition TV can now be had for well under a $1,000. The 32" LCD 720P models are being aggressively priced, as they say in the retail world. Stephen Baker, vice president of Industry Analysis for NPD Group, explains why.
"There is an extraordinary level of competition, both between the retailers and the manufacturers, to get what appears to be a limited about of consumers to buy, and because of that, we are seeing as good of prices as we have ever seen," said Baker.
From 5 - 11am on Friday, Wal-Mart will sell a 32" Emerson for $248.00, and on Saturday, they'll offer a 32" Samsung for $398. The Sony 32" Bravia, which regularly sells for about $500, will be $378.00 all day on Friday.
Best Buy is selling it Friday for a dollar cheaper, $377.99.
Steve Johnson, store services manager at the Wisconsin Avenue store in D.C., warns that after Friday, that deal is gone. Best Buy rolled out some of its promotional prices on some sets a week early. The 32" Samsung is now $397, and the Dynex 32" is $299.99, while the Insignia 32" is $339.99. If early sales are any indication, it's going to be a busy weekend.
"It's hectic. We've got a lot of work to do, a lot of work to do, but we'll manage to do it," says Johnson.
Other 32" deals we discovered on Black Friday websites include a Sylvania 32" with built in DVD player for $349.99 at K-mart, a 32" Sony for $379.99 at Sears, and a Westinghouse 32" selling for $246.00 at Target. Of course, the bigger the TV, the bigger the bargain.
"Those products are down over $1,000 from where they were when introduced six months ago," says Baker.
LED, or Light Emitting Diode, sets are the newest entry into the market.
"With the LED, you're getting a more efficient TV, energy wise," explains Best Buy's Johnson. "You're getting better detail, better color saturation-- the redder reds, whiter whites type of thing."
They're also ultra slim. Best Buy is selling a 46" Samsung LED set at almost half price-- just $1,499.00. Wal-Mart will sell the Samsung 46" LCD version for $848 on Saturday only.
"The number-one rule is to get people in the store. Often there are great prices, but most of the products that are advertised have limited quantities, many are below cost," says NPD's Baker.
The TV price wars have begun, and buyers are the winners in this year's retail battle.Source
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