LCD TV's - why so expensive?

MichaelJP

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Given that you can buy a very good quality 15" 1024x768 LCD NEC monitor panel for £230, why are the TV models selling for at least £800-£1000?

Surely a tuner module only costs around £80? And current TV only requires 640x480, so the NEC above would be over-specced!

Isn't it a case of a vast profit margin being applied?

And if so, isn't there the potential for a big price collapse once a brave manufacturer steps up with a £300 LCD 15" TV?

- MichaelJP
 
Agree in principle. PLUS - you buy a PC Monitor - it comes with a 3 year on site warranty. Buy a TV and it comes with a 1 yesr RTB warranty.

Actually, you can now buy the LG 15inch item for £500 at Dixons, so it must be available for less, elsewhere.

I've also noticed that the brand new Sharp Aquos 22 inch widescreen jobbie has been reduced by £500 to £2000 so, again, must be available for less if you shop in the right places.

I think the short answer is that they charge high prices because, at present, there is still too little competition, too litte production, and the few people that are desperate enough WILL pay what is being asked.

However, prices of flat panels will undoubtedly continue to fall. That £2000 for the 22inch Sharp compares to £3500 for a 24inch Samsung only 18 months or so ago.

BTW - the Sharps have a much much better vertical viewing angle than the Panasonics.
 
There are actually a few LCD screens out now that have s-video and/or composite video inputs in them so you can just add a VCR or DVD to them and effectively have an LCD TV!!

Even if they didn't have these inputs, you could add a ProV that takes s-video and composite video input and outputs standard VGA - and still be cheaper than a LCD TV. (plus the ProV has a tuner in it!)
 
Michaeljp

Have you tried to order a Panasonic LCD TV - go ask in a couple of local stores and you'll get an idea why the manufacturers are holding the prices so high; they cant produce nearly enough of these 'Kitchen' TV's to keep up with demand.

No sense killing of a profitable CRT market just yet when you can also sell every LCD TV you can produce three or four times over (and at top dollar) - I tried to order a couple of Panasonic LCD TV' last week for an install and going through Panasonic Business Systems our units are something like number 750 in the queue - I'd hate to think what Panasonic Consumer Divisions back order book looks like!

Maybe Liam can chip in here which his experience with some of the other LCD TV manufacturers supply lines!

Best regards

Joe
 
That's interesting info, it's a case of unsatisfied demand keeping prices high then...

Presumably we'll see a lot more manufacturers getting in on the act and then the price will fall to reasonable levels.

- MichaelJP
 
out of interest, what are the advantages/disadvantages of LCD over Plasma? The reason I ask is that someone I know went out to John Lewis and bought a Panasonic LCD 22" TV for £2000!!!
 
Advantages of LCD over Plasma:

1) If you want a 22 inch set there are no plasmas this small.
2) Fill ratio is better. That is, the individual pixels are larger in relation to the black space between them than is the case with Plasma. Or.....the chicken wire structure is less visible.
3) Immunity to screen burn.
4) Absolutely NO flicker.
5) Long life. 60,000 hours quoted for Sharp Aquos - and that's only the backlight (which is replaceable). The LCD panel itself should last indefinitely. Plasmas have a shorter life and deteriorate over time as the phosphors get tired.
6) Never need re-gassing. But then, neither do Plasmas, unless you are to believe the shop salesman who wants to sell you an extended warranty.
 
Panasonic Consumer's books are a joke in general, although they did have the 15" LCD TV in stock for a bit over the last few weeks (not anymore surprise, surprise!).

I haven't had too much trouble getting LCD TV's to be honest, although the only ones i've looked in to recently (apart from the rarely available Panasonic of course) have been LG and Sharp (both are currently all in stock including sharps 30" widescreen model).

Weird really... the better screens are also the more available ones! Powers of supply and demand at work I suppose (or should I say powers of big budget marketing at work ;) ).
 
I've been considering going the LCD monitor route for my H.C. room, would make a good monitor for cueing up, rather than firing up the projector 1st... I need the tech spec before I buy one though, I want one that will work with my Keene synchblaster lead, I think some will. Anyone any idea? It must be capable of 15.625khz horizontal frequency.
 
According to bluefi.co.uk sony have released a 17" widescreen personal display in america for less than a thousand dollars. Don't know if they're available here yet.

You can read about it here. (This link may change as it's not a fixed url).

It sounds good to me if you could get one for £650, although 19" would be better.

Cheers,
Callum.
 
Been looking at an LG 18.1" 4:3 display, just DVI and VGA inputs, but I have a rgb-vga lead, just got to find out if it works. The LG is £619+vat
 
I have this monitor set in the wall connected to a HTPC in a seperate cupboard behind the wall:

PC is running the ATI 8500 AIW in case anyone was wondering.
 

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