HDTV brushes economic woes off its shoulder in latest survey
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 7th 2008 8:01AM
posted Oct 7th 2008 8:01AM
Some things in life may be substitutable -- fine dinners can be sufficiently replaced with Top Ramen, high-end kicks can be swapped out for homegrown sandals, and that luxury whip can be exchanged for a jalopy. Apparently, one thing that simply can't be done without even in "tough economic times" is HDTV. Based on a recent survey from PriceGrabber (which, admittedly, shouldn't be taken very seriously), 73% of non-HDTV owners that responded said that they were forging ahead with plans to snag an HDTV within the next 12 months. Granted, such a figure really isn't all that shocking -- after all, the looming digital transition is the perfect excuse to splurge, and prices are apt to be at an all time low this Black Friday. Trust us folks, 720p+ is worth the sacrifice.[Image courtesy of StarTribune]
It seems as if the CE retailers and manufacturers are trying to get out ahead of the recession by cutting prices earlier than they did last year. There have been some great prices lately on not just value HDTVs, but also high-end units in larger sizes with 1080p, 120Hz and low (5ms) response times.
This weekend the deal sites (TechDealDigger.com, SlickDeals) posted a phenomenal deal on the LG 42LG70 -- LG's 42" 1080p, 120Hz, 5ms LCD TV for just $999. Link: http://www.techdealdigger.com/hot-deals/hdtvs-sale/63
That's funny because I know a lot of people who are putting off that purchase. Everyone who I thought was going to get one, isn't. They want to see where the economy is going and they think if prices go down they'll stay down for the next year. Besides paying your rent at this point and credit card bills seems to be a priority for some people.
I actually bought my first HDTV last month - Nothing would have put me off the purchase, to be honest. Loads of people I know want to get an HDTV, but are waiting for some reason or another. I wouldn't give up my 32 incher for the world, now. Football just isn't the same without it!
Seems like my previous post upset someone. Oh dear.
I guess the current chatter & 'phony recession' has some people fooled into thinking something has actually happened.
It hasn't even hit yet.
Let's see just how people respond to this sort of survey in 6-12 mths time - when the actual effects of umteen bank collapses, the vast burden of 'nationalised' debt and liability on our Govs and the liquidity crunch have begun to take their toll.
Too many people have their heads in the sand.
Ask the peoples of Russia or the eastern European countries what happens (in recent modern times) when an economy collapses.
How much veg can your garden grow is a serious possible concern we might be having.
High def TV or downloadable or disc based media etc etc may come to be a long forgotten luxury.