Price of (good) UHD TVs plummeting...

[chazmo]

Just curious what you guys think... I'm seeing the prices of TVs fall into crazy low territory. Best Buy just sent me mail that they have three LG TVs for under $200, a 24", 27", and 32"...

That's just nuts. LGs are great too! And, these are LED TVs too!

What's driving this given that everything else around us is getting more expensive? If it's political (which I doubt), then just say so and don't answer. But, I'm kind of curious if there's some clear supply/demand explanation that accounts for this.

 

[Rocky]

Have you seen the price of bread recently? Or circuses for that matter?

Seriously, I yhink they've just gotten the technology to a crazy point.

 

[GAD]

In my experience there are two major types of TVs: The ones everyone wants and the ones crazy people like me want. The ones crazy people like me want never go down in price. The fact that there are a fair number of crazy people like me feeds the R&D to constantly make them better and that R&D trickles down into TVs that five years ago would have cost $5000 being 1/10th that price.

In other words there is high demand and high economy of scale for such a popular item so the cost goes down.

Also, Walk into a Costco and see how the 75" TVs are what's being pushed at people. Those smaller screens are much easier to make and thus cost less.

Lastly, a lot of modern (smart) TVs are subsidized by ads and the collection and selling of your watch patterns.

 

[chazmo]

Lastly, a lot of modern (smart) TVs are subsidized by ads and the collection and selling of your watch patterns.

This. I think.

Yes, of course there's economy of scale for the smaller screens, GAD. It's just that I do suspect other sources of income to the TV manufacturers that must be subsidizing this.

 

[GAD]

This. I think.

Yes, of course there's economy of scale for the smaller screens, GAD. It's just that I do suspect other sources of income to the TV manufacturers that must be subsidizing this.

LED TVs are stupidly simple devices, though. The original LED screens were very difficult to make without defects but they perfected that decades ago. I can't imagine a 32" TV costing more than about $100 to make and that's assuming $80 for the screen. Most of the processing involved can be done by a Raspberry Pi - hell there are $1000 laptops out there that aren't far from being a Raspberry Pi. Everything in a modern flatscreen TV is massively commoditized. Where the prices come into play is the R&D and the infrastructure to make millions of them, not to mention the transport of them across the ocean. I'd imagine there's licensing costs for things like Dolby Atmos that get paid as well.

 

[GGJaguar]

LED TVs are stupidly simple devices, though.

So are Artist Awards. If only they were simple to make (and commoditize).

 

[chazmo]

So are Artist Awards. If only they were simple to make (and commoditize).

??? Not sure what you mean, GG.

 

[GGJaguar]

They would cost less to buy.

 

[davismanLV]

I don't understand it, but also my life turned around a little over two years ago. I have my computer screen out over the bed, so I play and browse and it all goes through my sound system. My gigantic screen about 10' away from my bed was my TV choice until I dropped something in back and it hit the power strip and knocked it to the off position. Didn't have the inclination or desire to go through the machinations to pull the furniture out.... so I just switched all my viewing to my computer screen. And I've never looked back. Great view, great sound. My huge nice TV just sits there. I've never turned it back on.

Don has the same. Huge gigantic super nice TV screen.... that just sits there. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but... my life is fine without the gigantic screen.

 

[chazmo]

I don't understand it, but also my life turned around a little over two years ago. I have my computer screen out over the bed, so I play and browse and it all goes through my sound system. My gigantic screen about 10' away from my bed was my TV choice until I dropped something in back and it hit the power strip and knocked it to the off position. Didn't have the inclination or desire to go through the machinations to pull the furniture out.... so I just switched all my viewing to my computer screen. And I've never looked back. Great view, great sound. My huge nice TV just sits there. I've never turned it back on.

Don has the same. Huge gigantic super nice TV screen.... that just sits there. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but... my life is fine without the gigantic screen.

I get that. But I watch a lot of streaming TV, Tom, and my 70" LCD-based LG is such a wild improvement and such an awesome picture that I really love it.

 

[GAD]

For me probably 70-80% of viewing enjoyment comes from the sound so a huge screen without a butt-ton of speakers pointing at my head just isn't worth it. My wife couldn't care less and the kids moved out so my big screen is hanging on the wall in the basement with all the speakers on the entertainment unit sitting unused. My wife actually offered to get me an even bigger screen for my birthday and I said no. We just watch the 55" in the living room with the built-in speakers for now.

Also there's no couch in the basement so that could have something to do with it.

 

[Rocky]

??? Not sure what you mean, GG.

They're just a few pieces of wood, glued together, coated, and metal attached. How hard could it be?

 

[JohnW63]

I bought my Dad a smart TV so he could watch his favorite YouTube channels in the living room. It fit the bill. It's a 55" and I think it was under $400.

We have a rather old Sharp Aquos 32" in our living room. My computer monitor is that big now. It was a pricey TV back then. Sharp doesn't even make TVs anymore. We should upgrade, I guess, but the place on the wall can't go lots bigger. I think a 48" at max.

 

[silverfox103]

Just curious what you guys think... I'm seeing the prices of TVs fall into crazy low territory. Best Buy just sent me mail that they have three LG TVs for under $200.

TV's may be going down in price, but I can't think of anything else that is dropping in price.

Tom

 

[chazmo]

We have a rather old Sharp Aquos 32" in our living room.

John, you're a perfect candidate for one of these LGs at Best Buy then... You could replace that for under $200.

 

[chazmo]

TV's may be going down in price, but I can't think of anything else that is dropping in price.

Tom

That's exactly what I mean, Tom! Weird. But, I think GAD hit the nail on the head... The TV manufacturers are getting their bread buttered in other ways, I think.

 

[davidbeinct]

At the beginning of the pandemic our first generation plasma tv went. I told my wife no way was I going through lockdown without a tv. I went online to Best Buy, picked the size I wanted and sorted by price. I bought the cheapest one, went to Best Buy and they loaded it in my van. It’s better in every way than the old one at a quarter of the price.
Our only problem was I didn’t think about where the bracket lined up and I couldn’t wall mount it. We jerry rigged a stand and zip tied it to the old wall mount. Eventually my wife and I built the stand shown here which cost about half as much as the tv not counting our labor.

 

[jp]

LED TVs are stupidly simple devices, though. The original LED screens were very difficult to make without defects but they perfected that decades ago. I can't imagine a 32" TV costing more than about $100 to make and that's assuming $80 for the screen. Most of the processing involved can be done by a Raspberry Pi - hell there are $1000 laptops out there that aren't far from being a Raspberry Pi. Everything in a modern flatscreen TV is massively commoditized. Where the prices come into play is the R&D and the infrastructure to make millions of them, not to mention the transport of them across the ocean. I'd imagine there's licensing costs for things like Dolby Atmos that get paid as well.

That's exactly what I mean, Tom! Weird. But, I think GAD hit the nail on the head... The TV manufacturers are getting their bread buttered in other ways, I think.

There seems to be a never-ending string of class-action lawsuits against TV manufacturers for all sorts of issues. I remember about 15 years ago when a large high quality flat screen TVs cost over $1000, until that $1.1 billion lawsuit against the main manufacturers confirmed they were price fixing to retailers. Manufacturers settled for roughly half of that. Flat screen prices plummeted after that.

I wonder if there's something behind the scenes that accounts for the current price drop?

 

[davismanLV]

At the beginning of the pandemic our first generation plasma tv went. I told my wife no way was I going through lockdown without a tv. I went online to Best Buy, picked the size I wanted and sorted by price. I bought the cheapest one, went to Best Buy and they loaded it in my van. It’s better in every way than the old one at a quarter of the price.
Our only problem was I didn’t think about where the bracket lined up and I couldn’t wall mount it. We jerry rigged a stand and zip tied it to the old wall mount. Eventually my wife and I built the stand shown here which cost about half as much as the tv not counting our labor.

Obviously, you don't use the fireplace. And although they're not center stage, there is a guitar and a pair of feet for another category.

 

[davidbeinct]

Obviously, you don't use the fireplace. And although they're not center stage, there is a guitar and a pair of feet for another category.

You’re welcome.