Why are TVs so expensive as compared to a few years ago? Are there any good less expensive ones?

Question

My 15 year old 27" Magnavox still plays but when I looked at TV's in an electronics store they had nothing for less than $800 and the sales rep said it might last 3 years. I am appalled by TV prices. All I want is a basic conventional TV that has a good picture and lasts longer than 3 years. What has happened to quality and at these prices, why are people paying over $1000 for poor quality TV's? The electronics companies are ripping off the consumers.

Answer 1

>Why are TVs so expensive as compared to a few years ago? Are there any good less expensive ones?

They are not more expensive. You can walk into Walmart and buy a good 27" TV that looks like your old TV and costs about $250. You probably spent at least that much 15 years ago. The new one will have a digital tuner built in so you won't even have to buy a converter box when all the old channels switch off on 2/17/09.

What does cost more is if you want the latest "sexy" flat panel TV. Even if it's worth the extra money to you, the price of these has been dropping every year for some time and should continue to do so.

While some TVs have always died young, flat panel TV should last a lot longer on average than 3 years of normal use. TV sales reps are about as reliable as used car sales reps as sources of information.

>why are people paying over $1000 for poor quality TV's?

The same reason they buy expensive cars. It makes them feel good.

Used CRT type TVs are really cheap these days because of all the people replacing them with big screen TVs. The cheap way to go is to find a good used CRT type TV for next to nothing, in Jan 2008 buy a digital converter box for about $20, and then enjoy it for a few years until the flat panel TVs come down to a price you like.

Answer 2

First off, if you don't need a new TV, then don't buy one. In 2009, when the change to all digital occurs, you will still be able to buy a converter so that your current TV can receive the signals, albeit at a lower quality.

As for cheap TV's, you can find them at Wal-Mart, K-Mart or any other similar store. They won't be low hundreds, more like $400-$800. But those TV's will more than likely need the converter in a few years. Most TV's being sold now can handle the digital signal, just at low resolution.

The government decided that to be a technological giant, like we claim to be, we should implement an all digital broadcasting system. The cable companies have been claiming they were ready to do this for years, when in fact, they are not, and probably will not be ready in 2009.

As for the quality of today's TV's, you were informed by someone who has no idea what they are talking about. Today's DLP, LCD, and Plasma TV's, and soon the OLED's are usually good for anywhere between 45,000 and 65,000 hours. That is roughly 20-25 years. The same as most TV's. Obviously, you would want to investigate the technologies to see which one would suit your needs and budget.

Basically, in 2009, if everything goes according to plan, you will want a digital TV in whatever format you choose. The difference between a 480, 720, and 1080 is not going to be that big of a difference. If you have all 3 definitions in front of you, the difference would be noticeable. The number is the amount of pixels per line on your TV screen. The more pixels, the better clarity and definition. The letter that follows is normally either a "p" or an "i". The "p" stands for pixelated and the "i" for interlaced. When your TV displays the picture on the screen, it refreshes each pixel a certain number of times per second. Interlaced picture does every other pixel every other second. Pixelated does them all. Pixelated is preferred so there is less blurring during a motion shot, like when watching sports.

Hope this helps you understand. I researched it recently for when I replace my 15 year old 30" Toshiba. Which will be soon. I wanted to know what I would need and the variations on quality.

Answer 3

Wow. I'm not sure who you talked to, but they have no idea what they are talking about. TVs now, such as Plasma, LCD, and DLP, last just as long as the average Tube TV lasted. Quality of televisions is just as good as it used to be as long as you go with an established brand. The prices are higher right now because the technology is still new. You can still find TVs for far under $800 in electronic stores. You just have to move away from the wall of TVs and go to the ones on the shelves. This is how technology goes though. Either you upgrade or you are left behind.

Answer 4

Welcome to the digital revolution. There are still a small number of TVs that are in the low hundreds range. look for tube SDTVs and small, 23", flat panels. People want big screens now that the higher resolution of HDTV makes them viewable and they don't want a TV the size and weight of a stove, so they want flat panels. Not that the industry isn't happy about selling $2000 TVs instead of $300 ones. Check online and scour the stores. Just don't buy an analog set that you'll need a converter for after 2/18/09.

Answer 5

Why Are Tvs So Expensive