Is this a good time to buy DLP/LCD?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote in message news:CzTpd.65$Xd.24@trndny02...
> 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

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

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?
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Chances are, over time, prices on HDTV's will fall. But there are other
considerations, especially in the relatively short term. The football
playoffs and Super Bowl drive TV sales, as well as Christmas, so there may
not be as much interest in lowering prices until after those events are in
the past -- meaning February 2005. If you wait, you don't get to watch HD
between now and whenever you buy and that has to be worth something to you
or you wouldn't be interested in buying an HDTV. Also, as the value of the
dollar drops against Asian currencies, that will be a force to drive up
prices, since the TV's are made in Asia and must be paid for, in the end,
with higher-priced Asian dollars.

mack
austin


"Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote in message
news:CzTpd.65$Xd.24@trndny02...
> 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.
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

> 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.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 16:20:48 GMT, LivingReminder <Living@aol.com>
wrote:

>"Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote in news:CzTpd.65$Xd.24@trndny02:
>
>> 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
To reply drop XYZ in address

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 19:51:45 GMT, LivingReminder <Living@aol.com>
wrote:

>"Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote in news:m43qd.10$nq6.7@trndny09:
>
>>> 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.
>>
>>
>
>First it goes against your credit line. Second you must be approved for
>credit to get 0%. Only people with great credit scores will get
>approved for this 0% interest plan. Now keep in mind if you have bad
>credit, you'll NEVER EVER see 0% interest for two years. You must apply
>for credit from the store, just like getting a credit card. If you get
>turned down for credit cards, you'll get turned down from Tweeters they
>run the same credit report on you that the credit card companies do.
>The next catch is you better read the fine print associated with that
>contract. Nearly all stores with "No interest payments until..." ads
>have fine print that says this: "If the item is not paid off in the
>alloted time, interest will accrue from the date of delivery." That
>interest rate is usually 21-25% APR! Let's face it if you don't have the
>money to pay for that item today and you're swimming in debt, it's
>highly unlikely you'll pay it off in the alloted time.

Why do you assume that people that wish to take advantage of zero
interest are "swimming in dept?" If you pay the same for the item as
you could have gotten it in cash it can be an excellent deal for the
consumer. Stores offer this to generate sales and to reduce the
interest they pay to carry the items in their stores. Do you think
that all that stuff that you see at Circuit City is already paid for?
CC is paying interest to stock their stores. There is nothing wrong
with the careful use of debt.
Thumper






>So if you don't,
>you'll get slammed with 21% interest, not the free 0% interest you
>thought you were going to get. So if you sign up to this, you better
>make sure you can pay this off in 23 months. Notice I said 23 months
>instead of 24, so they cannot try to claim you sent in your twentyfourth
>payment late! Don't lie about your credit either, because they do run
>your credit report. Make sure you get your own credit report before you
>apply for credit so you can clean up any issues or errors on your credit
>file.
>
>Third, a TV is about the last thing you have to have in this world. Save
>your credit for more worthy things in life. People in this country are
>swimming in debt, pay day is coming soon for many of them.

To reply drop XYZ in address

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Steve wrote:

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

Marketing.

Matthew

--
Thermodynamics and/or Golf for dummies: There is a game
You can't win
You can't break even
You can't get out of the game

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 17:53:01 GMT, Steve <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote:
>>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 [...] 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."

A new TV is not "necessary" to get digital reception, just a set top box.
So people do not necessarily need to spend 10X or more than they did for
their previous TV if it is not worn out yet. Although, they may wish for
a new one as more content is either distorted or letterboxed on a 4:3
screen.

Also I think they were originally only counting broadcast users in
percentages. If they count cable/satellite users, they can reach their
percentage of digital users sooner. I don't know how they guestimate
percentages though. How would they know that I have an OTA digital tuner
or HDTV?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

If you are asking from a technical point of view, no. The new backlit
ultra bright LEDs will be much longer lasting and cheaper to operate
than the present $300 light bulb. The chips themselves will get
better. OTOH, as others will no doubt repeat, you can wait forever for
never ending technical improvements. I think those two however ustify
a small delay.

If you are asking about price, keep in mind your government has
"stolen" about 30% of your purchasing power from your bank account as
the euro, among other currencies, has gone from 82 cents to $1.33. The
US powers that be intend to let the dollar fall another 20 cents or
so, and it could free fall out of control, rendering imports - and all
offshore products become too expensive to buy. OTOH, there will be
small decrements in prices due to mass production. On another hand,
buy it now with a mortgage and pay it off in depreciated dollars.

Or on the rest of your hands, if you just want one, its the right
time to buy it.

Dave

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 04:41:06 GMT, "Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net> wrote:

>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.
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

In article <CzTpd.65$Xd.24@trndny02>, "Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net>
wrote:

> 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 not going to go into the financing thing; it's already been beaten
way past the dead horse level.

I'd have to say "no", if only because it's now a buying season, which
means it's a seller's market. First for Christmas shopping, then for
Super Bowl shopping. Prices should go down after January just for that
reason alone, though it might take a couple more months.

My other reason is if you want a good built-in OTA tuner, now probably
still isn't the time to buy. You should especially avoid any set with
no ATSC tuner at all, as analog broadcasts WILL end someday, probably
within five years. The same goes for needing an encrypted digital input
like HDMI. All this isn't quite as important if the set has a VGA input
and can still be used as a computer display. (If only Aquos sets had a
VGA input...)

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:00:32 -0600, Bruce Tomlin
<bruce#fanboy.net@127.0.0.1> wrote:

>In article <1a3qd.512$zK1.475@trndny05>, "Steve" <stevem@spamfree.net>
>wrote:
>
>> What about the EDTVs they are promoting at the stores? What are they?
>
>480p 4:3, I think.
Just read an article in the paper that said most people are willing
to settle for an SD set as long as they can get a thin screen. Size
seems to be more important than quality.
Thumper
To reply drop XYZ in address