2009 - 2010 Retail Street Pricing by Model, Manufacturer, Format, and Diagonal Screen Size

 

The following chart shows street prices for HDTV television sets by format, diagonal screen size, manufacturer, model, and suggested street price* from Weekend circulars in Western North Carolina from Best Buy (bb), hhgregg (hh), Sears (sr), and Wal-Mart (wm) in late December 2009. To see more variety of products, please visit their respective Web sites.

HDTV sets were reduced in price for 2009 -2010, prices ranging from $150 for a 19-inch diagonal HDTV LCD set Dynex) to $2,800 for a 65-inch diagonal Plasma set Panasonic.)

Note that best pricing for large screen displays was for Mitsubishi DLP sets (none-wall hanging) but with small footprints for each attractive floor unit that also stores all your add-on components. Prices without floor mount ran $900 for a 60" diagonal set to $2,500 for a 73" diagonal set. Floor mounts with component storage run from around $250 to $450 and are specifically designed for the sized screen you are buying. (Note: larger DLP sets were not available in my city.) Scroll down to see my own DLP 65" diagonal with actual untouched picture.

* Note: Retail Street Price is shown in actual street dollars, no cents.

Circuit City pricing taken before going out-of-business announcement

 

But first some important comments about the HDTV evolving technology.

1. Rear projection CRT sets, where you could buy large diagonal 57" HDTV 1080 screens for a reasonable price compared to more expensive LCD sets were GONE last year along with Direct View sets (CRTs) and the earlier EDTVs that had been used to playback DVDs at their best resolution at the time.

However, rear projection sets from Mitsubishi Electric, DLP mirror technology, have a small footprint and are sold with a component storage unit the HDTV set is secured on. While DLP sets are not designed to be hung on the wall, if you're looking for a large screen size with outstanding brightness and sharpness for a great price, we believe it is the best buy.

Below is a photo of a 65 " DLP screen with an actual Hi-Def picture in a home entertainment environment. The price of $2,300 included the 70" HDTV DLP set, a wide two-shelf componenet stand as shown, a five-year warranty, and tax and delivery. And because the unit uses no phosphorus, video games static images cannot burn an image into the screen. With power usage of plasma sets coming into question by some government agencies, the DLP is energy efficient when compared to plasma technology.

 

Actual 65" Diagonal DLP screen image untouched

 

Because of this plasma sets will continue to be challenged until they can reduce their energy usage, as environmental whackos in the name of religion in California and England are already trying to ban its sale in 2010, forcing the marketplace to use the LED and DLP technologies.

2. Flat-screen HDTV format television descriptions in circulars do not always mention if they have built-in stereo amplifier or speakers, and if they do what would be the sound quality anyway in an entertainment room. HDTV sets with tuners will say HD-Built in, meaning an HD tuner is built into the set. It therefore will not require a converter box for receiving broadcasts from local television stations transmitting HDTV digital signals.

Please check with a salesperson if you are looking at any of the flat-screen models mentioned on a sales floor. These sets do not include a television stand or wall mounting bracket unless noted with a special in-store promotion.

3. All television sets sold today have digital tuners, so you don't need to worry about buying a convertor box to receive all-digitial broadcast signals that took over analog in June 2009. The old workhorse NTSC that allowed us to have televisions signals beamed into the air has gone by the wayside, replaced by higher resolution signals that allow 1080 lines of resolution. The system that is used today was developed by Zenith in the late 1990s.

4. Basic 5.1 Dolby very low-wattage, separate, home stereo systems can start around $150 if you need to add audio to your wall-hanging HDTV set. But the less expensive ones are not built to handle those huge base signals coming from the new Blu Ray Disks. Plus we prefer the Dobly 7.1 systems for a better surround-sound experience and higher wattage. We found the Onyko an excellent value for the price, with a dynamic woofer and heavy surround speakers, feeling twice the weight and size of their 5.1 system.

Basic HDTV stands can run $200 or more. Normally these don't have enough space to hold all the components, probably requiring you to purchase an additional vertical component stand to be placed near your flat-screen HDTV set. If you need to mount the speakers on the wall, you may have to also purchase a mounting bracket for each speaker. Please check our chapter on accessories and wiring for more information. (Note: I had to drill holes in the rear of the Onkyo speakers so they would hang horizontally from the ceiling.)

5. Newer HDTV sets can come with three HDMI inputs or more, important when realizing the basic HDTV configuration has a minimum of three sources; Blu Ray / DVD player, Satellite / Cable / TIVO, and video streaming for downloading movies or Internet viewing.

Also remember LCD technology had to be stepped down to 720 because it could not display the higher number of pixels needed for 1080 resolution. Some manufacturers have caught up with the newer LCD's for a true 1080 picture, but you will still pay more for these sets if all LCD manufacturers do not offer full 1080.

Some step-up features on HDTV sets include PC-capable displays and memory card slot for displaying digital-still pictures from your camera or camcorder.

Keep in mind when looking at HD televisions, if you come across "monitor" it mean that's all it is, a video monitor. Monitors are used mainly for monitoring a video signal in a studio control room or for computer displays for large images on a small footprint.

And for wall-mounted Plasma and LCD sets with small footprints, be aware while some may have a stereo output and a built-in amplifier with speakers, the sound quality will be limited to the smaller speaker size with very minimum bass sound, since there is no woofer or at least one of any consequence for that small cabinet space. Be careful, as these sets may expect even the audio output to be taken from an external tuner and not the set itself. Which means if you don't have an audio system at home, you may have to buy one getting the audio from the feed source. They call these units HD Theatre Systems.

The newer Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 audio systems have come down in price. But watch out, as mentioned, for sound quality that cannot fill a large entertainment room without pushing them to distortion. While home theater sound systems can start in the $200 - $300 range, high-end amplifiers with speakers sold separately can be expensive but will give you all the full range audio and bass your Blu Ray BD-DVDs are capable of, these playback units continuing to be updated as new firmware releases become available.

A better sound system will have a dynamic woofer that supplies its own power, having to be plugged into the wall. That is because you can get just so much bass driven from the speaker outputs of a low-end amplifier.

For best price, look into the system where the amplifier includes in the box five or seven matching speakers and a dynamic sub-woofer sold as an entire set, the best value for your buck. HOWEVER, be aware these are mass-merchant items and the receivers probably are not sold separately. THEREFORE, if something goes wrong with the receiver in the first 15 or 30 days of the retailer's return warranty, you cannot just return the receiver for repair. Instead, you will be required to rebox the entire system including all literature, collateral materials, wiring, and speakers that are hung in the ceiling. The other alternative would be to ship the amplifier to the manufacturer's service center and wait for its repair.

And unless you're going to pay around $500 or more for a Dolby receiver, don't expect excellent internal component or HDMI switching. Some of these high-end receivers will allow you to switch HDMI and component video signals along with the audio, eliminating one remote if you already own a separate HDMI remote-driven switcher. I have discovered, however, that the HDMI built-in switcher in a receiver could be designed to be extremely sensitive to HDMI coding rules. Is that important? You bet.

In my case the receiver's internal HDMI switcher would view a HDMI signal from a DirecTV HD box, while it refused to pass the signals from a Blu Ray and a discontinued HD-DVD player. Switching these three around, no matter which HDMI input port was used, only the satellite HD box would be allowed to pass the signal to the HDTV television. I was advised that the HDMI codes are strict to help prevent the recording of HD movies. Because of that these units could reject the incoming signal from lesser models, my being told the engineers were surprised a Blu Ray's HDMI signal had been block by their unit.

In my case, I simply went back to my HDMI remote-controlled external switcher. While I had almost sent the receiver back, further investigation told me that to rebox everything and ship it back to the dealer might be a waste of time with a new amp having the same results. That is because the unexpected problem was not a defective component but overzealous engineering. But a few months back I purchased the DLP set shown above, instead using its three internal HDMI inputs and remote switching, eliminating the need for an external HDMI switcher.

Be also aware the world is changing for these audio receivers in other areas and you may have a high probability in the future of no longer being able to find FM / AM tuner with these models or a gasp . . . magnetic or ceramic vinyl turntable input!

Therefore, if you have an audio turntable for your vinyl record collection, you might have to invest in a magnetic cartridge amplifier for around 40 more bucks. If you have a turntable, buy one of these separate magnetic amplifier. That's because one day in the not to distant future you could find yourself no longer being able to find these little gems.

However, turntables can now be purchased with an USB output along with standard left and right stereo cables. This new breed of turntable is being sold along with software for direct connection to your computer for audio corrections that will assist in eliminating hiss and pops before they're burned to a CD in your computer. One new one is even built for 78 speeds, too, while others allow playing 78 records on 45rpm and then up-converting them to 78 speed using the software provided by the manufacturer. There is now even a laser turntable that will play broken records. Those owners can tell their wives, "Go ahead, throw it. I can still play it."

(Note: When you speak to someone about turntables today, the word now has a double meaning. Turntable is also used to describe computer laptops whose screens turn horizontally to allow others to see the screen without having to shift the position of the unit.)

The final step in the HDTV revolution down the road will be viewing surfaces you can paste to your wall at home like old-style wallpaper, even going around corners, the new OLED screens a precursor to this coming technology. There are amazing technologies just around the corner.

Finally, here are some new trends to look for in mid to late 2010 (see source below) :

Backlighting in either an edgelit format or a full backlit design. Local dimming will provide better blacks

Faster refresh rates are coming as manufacturers try to drastically reduce motion blur.

Look for developments in 3D (But I still hate the glasses, and have since introduced at the 3D movie of the wax museum many decades ago.)

Internet capabilities to stream video will become built-in to the set.

Thinner screens with greater energy efficiency

New technology of making ultra-thin displays using organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) will soon be offered by Sony, Samsung, and others but in very small screen sizes for now.

Source: amonitorblog

_____________________________________

KEY

1.)

HDTV resolutions; 720 and 1080

2.)

Screen Size ( in inches measured diagonally.)

3.)

Format by color: Direct View (not advertised in selected retail brochures this year), LCD (LCD), DLP (DLP), and Plasma (Plasma)

4.)

Street Price (This is not manufacturers suggested retail, called MSR. Price rounded to next dollar..)

5.)

Manufacturer (Corporate or third-party brand name.)

6.)

Model Number (As shown in the ad brochure.)

(Prices for Best Buy (bb), hhgreg (hh), and Sears (sr) sets are for late Demember 2010.. Walmart (wm) prices were taken in same time period from their Web site. These prices should hold into the fall of 2009, when new models hit the streets again,. These are usually introduced at the international CES show but usually not available for purchase until the fall. This may be the last year this chart is needed if the industry moves to a single format. Look for OLED to become the new standard.

 

2009 - 2010 Sampling of HDTV Prices

For a complete list of HDTV products, visit Best Buy (bb), hhgregg (hh), Sears (sr), and Wal-Mart (wm)

(Chart is organized by screen size / price / manufacturer - alpha. Specific formats can be accessed in their respective chapters linked from the bottom of those pages.)

Resolution Screen Format Price / Store Manufacturer Model #
720p 19" LCD $- 150 bb Dynex DX-L19
720p 19" LCD $- 180 sr Sharp LC9SB27UT
720p 19" LCD $- 198 wm Philips 19PFL3504D/F7
720p 19" LCD $- 208 wm Haier HLC19R1
720p 19" LCD $- 220 bb Insignia NS-LDVD19Q dp
720p 19" LCD $- 250 hh Samsung LN19B650
720p 19" LCD $- 252 hh LG 19LH20
720p 19" LCD $- 270 hh Sharp LC19DV27UT
720p 19" LCD $--270 hh Toshiba 19LV610U
720p 19" LCD $--300 bb Toshiba 19LV612U
720p 22" LCD $- 208 wm Haier HL22K1
720p 22" LCD $- 238 wm Haier HLC22R1
720p 22" LCD $- 288 wm Vizio VA22OE
720p 22" LCD $- 250 bb Dynex DX-LDVD22 dp
720p 22" LCD $- 250 sr Samsung LN22B350
720p 22" LCD $- 291 hh Samsung LN22B460
720p 22" LCD $- 297 hh LG 22LH20
1080p 22" LCD $--298 wm Viore LCD22VXF7MPT
720p 22" LCD $--300 hh Toshiba 22AV600U
720p 22" LCD $- 315bb Insignia NS-LDVD26Q dp
720p 22" LCD $--350 bb Toshiba 22LV610U dp
720p 26" LCD $- 280 hh Curtis LCD2603A
720p 26" LCD $- 296 wm Sanyo DP26649
720p 26" LCD $--308 wm Viore LCD26VH59
720p 26" LCD $- 320 hh LG 26LH20
720p 26" LCD $- 378 wm Sanyo DP32649
720p 26" LCD $- 387 hh LG 26LH20
720p 26" LCD $--430 hh Toshiba 26LV610U
720p 26" LCD $- 444 hh Panasonic Viera TCL26X1
720p 32" LCD $- 300 bb Dynex DX-L32
720p 32" LCD $- 300 hh Haier HL32D1
720p 32" LCD $- 338 wm Emerson LC320EMX
1080p 32" LCD $--348 wm

RCA

L32HD31R
720p 32" LCD $- 368 wm Vizio VO32OE
720p 32" LCD $- 377 bb Sony KDL32L504
720p 32" LCD $- 380 sr Sony KDL32Z504
720p 32" LCD $- 388 wm AOC L32H961
720p 32" LCD $--398 wm

RCA

L32HD35D dp
720p 32" LCD $- 398 bb Samsung LN32B360C5D
720p 32" LCD $- 420 hh Insignia NS-LDVD32Q dp
720p 32" LCD $--430 hh Toshiba 32AV502R
720p 32" LCD $- 440 bb LG 32LH30
720p 32" LCD $- 450 hh Panasonic Viera TCL32X1
720p 32" LCD $- 450 hh Samsung LN32B460
720p 32" LCD $- 495 hh Sharp LC32D47U
720p 32" LCD $- 498 bb Samsung LN32B530P7F
720p 32" LCD $- 675 hh LG 32LH40
1080p 32" LCD $- 448 wm Vizio VL32M
1080p 32" LCD $- 600 bb Insignia NS-LBD32X dp
1080p 32" LCD $- 600 hh Sony KDL32XBR9
720p 37" LCD $- 400 sr Sylvania LC370SS9
1080p 40" LCD $--468 wm Viore LC37VX60FHD
720p 37" LCD $- 500 hh Panasonic Viera TCL37X1
720p 37" LCD $- 695 hh Samsung LN37B550
1080p 37" LCD $- 810 hh LG 37LH40
720p 40" LCD $- 500 bb Dynex DX-L40
1080p 40" LCD $--540 sr

ProScan

40LC45Q
1080p 40" LCD $--548 wm

RCA

L40FHD41
1080p 40" LCD $--590 sr Toshiba 40RV525U/R
1080p 40" LCD $--598 bb Samsung LN40B550
1080p 40" LCD $--600 sr Samsung LN40B500P
1080p 40" LCD $--648 wm Viore LC40BRD59SB
1080p 40" LCD $--662 bb Sony KDL40S504
1080p 40" LCD $--665sr Sony KDL40S504
1080p 40" LCD $--698 wm Sony KDL40S5100
1080p 40" LCD $--719wm Sony KDL40W5100
1080p 40" LCD $--755 hh Samsung LN37B550
1080p 40" LCD $--800 hh Toshiba 40XV645U
1080p 40" LCD $--890 hh Sharp LC40E77UN
1080p 40" LCD $-1,070 hh Sony KDL40W5100
1080p 40" LCD $-1,100 hh Samsung LN40B650
720p 42" LCD $--548 bb Samsung LN42B400P3
720p 42" Plasma $- 630 sr Zenith Z42PQ2
720p 42" Plasma $- 630 hh LG 42PQ30
720p 42" Plasma $--650 sr Panasonic TCP42S1
720p 42" Plasma $--524 hh Panasonic TCP42X1
720p 42" Plasma $ -625 hh Samsung PN42B450
1080p 42" Plasma $- 800 hh Panasonic TCP42S1
1080p 42" LCD $--628 wm

Sanyo

DP42849
1080p 42" LCD $--627 wm

RCA

L42FHD37R
1080p 42" LCD $- 648 wm Vizio VO42OE
1080p 42" LCD $- 658 wm Philips 42PFL3704D/F7
1080p 42" LCD $- 700 bb Insignia NS-L42Q120
1080p 42" LCD $--739 wm

RCA

L42FHD2X48
1080p 42" LCD $--797 wm Vizio SV42)M
1080p 42" LCD $--900 hh Toshiba 42ZV650U
1080p 42" LCD $--990 hh LG 47LH40
1080p 42" Plasma $- 798 wm Panasonic Viera TCP42S1
1080p 42" Plasma $-1,000 hh Panasonic Viera TCP42G15
1080p 46" Plasma $-1,000 hh Panasonic TCP46S1
1080p 46" LCD $--748 wm RCA L46FHD37R
1080p 46" LCD $--848 bb Samsung LN46B500
1080p 46" LCD $--852 bb Sony KDL46S504
1080p 46" LCD $--855 hh Sony KDL46S504
1080p 46" LCD $--898 wm Sony KDL46S504
1080p 46" LCD $--898 wm Toshiba 46XV64U
1080p 46" LCD $--900 sr Samsung LN46B500
1080p 46" LCD $--980 hh Toshiba 46ZV645U
1080p 46" LCD $-1,000 hh Samsung LN46B630
1080p 46" LCD $-1,240 hh Sharp LC46E77UN
1080p 46" LCD $-1,310 hh Samsung LN46B650
1080p 46" LCD $-1,310 sr Samsung LN46B650
1080p 46" LCD $-1,600 bb Samsung LN46B6000VF
1080p 46" LCD $-1,760 hh Sony KDL46Z5100
1080p 47" LCD $- 948 wm Philips 47PFL5704D/F7
1080p 47" LCD $-1,197 wm Vizio SV471XVT
1080p 47" LCD $-1,260 hh LG 47LH40
1080p 47" LCD $-1,710 hh LG 47SL80
720p 50" Plasma $- 698 bb Samsung PN50B430
720p 50" Plasma $- 698 wm Sanyo DP50749
720p 50" Plasma $- 700 hh Panasonic TCP42X1
720p 50" Plasma $- 700 sr Samsung PN50B430
720p 50" Plasma $- 810 hh LG 50PQ60
720p 50" Plasma $ -850 hh Samsung PN50B450
720p 50" Plasma $ -898 bb Samsung PN50B530
1080p 50" Plasma $ 1,039 hh LG 50PS60
1080p 50" Plasma $ 1,060 hh Samsung PN50B550
1080p 50" Plasma $ 1,680 hh Samsung PN50B860
1080p 52" LCD $-1,048 wm

RCA

L52FHD38
1080p 52" LCD $-1,098 wm

RCA

L52FHD2X48
1080p 52" LCD $-1,120 hh Samsung LN52B550
1080p 52" LCD $-1,510 hh Sharp LC52E77UN
1080p 52" LCD $-1,080 hh Sony KDL52Z5150
1080p 52" LCD $-1,260 hh Toshiba 52ZV648U
1080p 52" LCD $-2,010 hh Sony KDL52XBR9
1080p 54" Plasma $ 1,600 hh Panasonic TCP54S1
1080p 55" LCD $ 1,398 wm Vizio VF55OM
1080p 55" LCD $-1,800 hh Samsung LN55B650
1080p 55" LCD $-1,800 hh Toshiba 55ZV650U
1080p 55" LCD $-2,160 hh LG 55LH55
1080p 58" Plasma $ 1,600 hh Samsung PN58B550
1080p 58" Plasma $ 1,798 wm Panasonic TCP58S1
1080p 58" Plasma $ 2,000 hh Panasonic TCP58S1
1080p 60" LCD $-1,950 hh Sharp LC60E77UN
1080p 63" Plasma $ 2,940 hh Samsung PN58B860
1080p 60" Plasma $ 1,980 hh LG 60PS60
1080p 65" Plasma $ 2,800 hh Panasonic TCP65S1
1080p 60" DLP $ - 900 hh Mitsubishi WD60C9
1080p 60" DLP $ -1,100 bb Mitsubishi WD60C9
1080p 65" DLP $ -1,250 hh Mitsubishi WD65737
1080p 65" DLP $ -1,400 bb Mitsubishi WD65C9
1080p 65" DLP $ -1,900 bb Mitsubishi WD65837
1080p 73" DLP $ -1,600 hh Mitsubishi WD73737
1080p 73" DLP $ -1,800 bb Mitsubishi WD73C9
1080p 73" DLP $ -2,500 bb Mitsubishi WD73837
1080p 82" DLP $ -4,000 bb Mitsubishi WD82837
1080p 82" DLP $ -4,000 hh Mitsubishi WD82737

 

 

dp = DVD player included ..... LG = formerly Goldstar

 

Compare last year 2008-2009 prices by all screen sizes and formats

Compare last year 2007-2008 prices by all screen sizes and formats

Compare last year 2006-2007 prices by all screen sizes and formats

Compare last year 2005-2006 prices by all screen sizes and formats

Compare last year 2004-2005 prices by all screen sizes and formats

 

Copyright freedomisknowledge.com 2010

 

 

Index

1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

 

 

 

 

"Freedom is Knowledge"