Vizio to crank down the price on 1080p TVs
If you were thinking of buying a high-end, high-definition TV, you may want to wait a few weeks. Vizio says it will come out with a 47-inch LCD TV with 1080p resolution for under $2,000, its first set with that level of definition.
Vizio's $999 plasma
(Credit: Vizio)TVs with the same resolution and screen size from other manufacturers now sell for around $2,500 to $3,000 at mainstream retailers, though some independent dealers advertise lower prices. (The Vizio set pictured here is a plasma TV; photos of the LCD model weren't available.)
"Before, 1080p wasn't affordable. We don't believe anyone can call $3,000 affordable," CEO William Wang said. The TV is slated to come out sometime before the Super Bowl in January, but the release date may be accelerated before the end of the year.
"That's a good price," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst with IDC. "They have done a good job of coming from nowhere to play a big role. Hell, I bought one of their TVs."
The new set is the latest salvo in the TV price war from a small company making a name for itself in the TV world. The Southern California business started selling TV sets under its own name in 2003. Now, it is the seventh-largest digital TV company in the United States, according to statistics from DisplaySearch. It will pull in about $800 million in revenue this year.
On the Thanksgiving weekend, it offered a 42-inch plasma for $999, the first time a TV of that size sold for under $1,000.
unless this is >40in and has a contrast res > 5000, big deal
- Westinghouse already has this for $1,800
- by pwk2000 December 15, 2006 8:48 PM PST
- Its the LVM-47w1 1080p 47" for $1,800 (bestbuy)
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(4 Comments)Seems like these will hit the 1499 sweet spot as soon as Vizio and maybe Olivia release their versions.