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“We Still Refuse To Pay You To Own An HD-DVD Player!”
Electronics | May 31, 07
At least Toshiba can still say this about its pricing, following the firm's latest round of price cuts.
Back in March I noted that introductory-level Blu-ray players were selling at a substantial premium to similar HD-DVD models (“Blu-ray May Avoid Betamax’s Fate…Even If The PS3 Isn’t So Lucky”). I argued then that this could be related to reports of Blu-ray sales far outstripping HD-DVD. Now, with Toshiba’s previous intro unit, the HD-A1, now phasing out in favor of the HD-A2, we’re seeing a repeat of the sharp discounting the A1 experienced. Back in October this model went for at least $500; Toshiba recently reduced the retail price to $399, but vendors on PriceSCAN.com are already listing the unit below $300, a stunning 25% further discount. The A2 still does not provide full 1080p output, however. For this, you’ll need at least the HD-A20, which has also seen a sharp reduction in price, from at least $500 in late March to as little as just under $380 today.
Time Period: 10/2/2006 through 5/28/2007
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
To be sure, Blu-ray players have seen significant discounting as well – the entry level Samsung BD-P1000, had dropped from $1000 at its introduction about a year ago to $450 when I wrote about it in March. It’s slipped slightly since then, offered for just below $430, still significantly more than the cheapest HD-DVD player (and it can output 1080p). Of course you can also get a Blu-ray player through the purchase of a PS3 game system for about $599, and Playstation sales have surely helped to catalyze the Sony products market penetration. Either way, it appears a significant segment of early adapters are willing to pay up for Blu-ray.
What could change this? One word: content, and Toshiba is getting a little help here from Warner Home Video and. the Wachowski brothers. With the Matrix Trilogy in HD-DVD, Toshiba may garner the ultimate proof-of-concept release. Now time will tell if the combination of this kind of eye-popping demo and sharp price cut will get consumers to plunge into the HD-DVD world, or if they’ll choose to take the “Blu” pill, as it were.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 10:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Flat-Screen Inflation?
Electronics | May 24, 07
We're getting used to rising oil prices, but higher-cost flat-screen televisions are another matter.
In the wake of reported remarks by a Philips exec to the effect that seasonally high demand might spur rising flat-panel prices later this year, I thought I'd revisit my March 11 post ("Are Large Flat Screen Makers And Retailers Taking A Break From Price Cutting Each Other Into Oblivion?") and see if the price stabilization/increase I discussed back then has continued. As can be seen from our PriceSCAN Plasma and LCD television indices, the rate of price decline had continued to moderate, especially for wider screen models. And in the case of some best-selling sets, we are already experiencing modest price increases. Some examples are more dramatic than others; the most popular Panasonic plasma on PriceSCAN.com, the 42" TH-42PX600U, was selling for around $1000 three months ago while the current lowest in-stock vendor price on this site is now just under $1600.
Time Period: 7/3/2006 through 5/14/2007
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
Yet even the number one flat-screen television on PriceSCAN, the 46" Sony KDL-46XBR2 Bravia XBR High Definition LCD WEGA, saw its price flatten out months ago, with a modest increase in the lowest offered price over the last couple of weeks.
Time Period: 7/31/2006 through 5/14/2007
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price
To be sure, this is still mainly a story of newfound stability as opposed to a steep across-the-board price hike. But, following the steep declines of last year, this is still quite a shift. Sharply falling tech prices have been one of the factors holding back inflation in recent years, and one has to wonder about the macroeconomic implications of an end to this trend. Meanwhile, if you're spending this Memorial Day weekend sitting on a beach contemplating the purchase of a flat screen, consider that with the coming of summer, some of the sharpest near-term price declines may be behind us.
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 3:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Digital Picture Frames - The Perfect Gift For Graduates And The Mothers Who Endured Them
Digital Cameras & Camcorders | May 9, 07
It's most appropriate that Mother's Day falls smack in the middle of graduation season. After all, no mortar board was ever tossed in the air that was not in the final analysis set in motion by a mom.
It was around this time last year that I noted how handy a digital camera can be for recording that magic day when a newly minted grad gets tossed off the parental gravy train ("Cheaper Digital Cameras To Capture The Moment You Stop Paying Junior's Tuition"). Since then, the price of saving those memories has dropped even further. But what about giving Mom the ability to proudly display that image of the moment her offspring made the transition from back-talking, dirty laundry-generating parasite to tax-paying, disgruntled member of the workforce? The answer is simple – a digital picture frame.
Now those of you familiar with the digital frames of days gone by may be hesitant to saddle Mom with a contraption that needs to be tethered to a computer, phone line, A/C wall plug and a subscription service (especially after all she's been through raising you). Never fear, however, for many current models are far more "stand-alone", and rather slick ones to boot. A particularly neat line is put out by Philips, featuring 800 x 480 resolution and a USB port allowing image transfer from either flash memory cards/sticks or directly from your computer. Philips says its internal battery allows continuous operation for about an hour, and the frames may be programmed to turn themselves on and off at pre-specified times. Plus, they look cool. This line including 9" wood-framed and 9" acrylic framed models, the later with four interchangeable colors. These go for as little as just below $200. For those working with a smaller post-graduation budget, there's also a 7" wood frame and 7" acrylic frame, each for as low as just below $160.
And for all you parents out there, remember, digital frames make a great graduation present as well. After all, who wouldn't want their kid to have a photo of their parents sporting the kind of ear to ear grins that can only be induced by a graduation mix of pride and financial relief?
Posted by jeffrey.trester at 2:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
