As time passes, the prices of LCD TVs are going nowhere but down. A few years back, there were only a few name brands such as Sony, LG, Philips, Samsung, etc. But there are several new entrants in the LCD TV market such as Westinghouse, Maxent, Norcent, Syntax, Olevia, etc. These new companies are pricing TVs lower than the established brands, sometimes even by as much as $1000. Naturally this is creating a furor in the market as even big names are being forced to pull their prices down to keep up with the competition. The question always asked when buying a LCD TV is, why not go for a cheaper brand if it provides the same quality for a $1000 less? The purpose of a LCD TV is to produce high quality images. Newer brands (read cheaper brands) force themselves in the market by lowering their prices, but their quality is rarely up to snuff. They may not be able to compare with the images produced by, say, a Sharp or a Sony. There are many nuances in pictures like contrast ratios, intensities, etc., which cheaper TVs do not provide. However, cheaper sets compensate for their flaws in quality by sleeker designs and other peripheral features. If you are not too keen on image quality, but the price cut matters to you, then you may go for a cheaper TV. Cheaper brands might also skimp on after-sales services and warranties. There are exceptions, though. Yet, a bigger brand with more experience at after-sales service may be more trustworthy. The price of an LCD TV depends on the panel, which is the image display. The prices are drastically falling. Thirty to 32 inch panels now cost under $500. Even the prices of the most popular size, 42 inches has come down to $2500, which is significantly less than what it was last year. A complete 42-inch TV from a new brand would cost approximately $3000. Cheap TVs are constantly being advertised extensively on online portals such as Costco and Best Buy. Sale of cheap TVs online is higher than that of bigger brands, illustrating the fact that people are opting for the technology itself rather than the quality it provides. It is expected that prices of TVs may slump more in successive years. But whatever the case, even the price of the cheapest LCD TV will remain higher than the price of other technology TVs. |
