TV makers seeing flat-screen plateau, expect sales to fall
Some predict sizes, quality will grow, prices to dip up to 7% through 2012
By Cox News Service
This article was published March 17, 2008 at 6:00 a.m.
LA CEIBA, Honduras — After years of heady growth, flat-screen TV sales have reached a plateau, and the industry is set for a shake-up that could mean lower prices for bigger, better screens.
Average TV prices in North America are expected to be nearly flat this year and decline by 6 percent to 7 percent annually through at least 2012, predicts Austin, Texas-based market research company DisplaySearch. Average screen sizes, meanwhile, will likely keep growing.
Declining demand is helping drive down prices. Total TV sales fell by 3 percent last year after several years of double-digit growth.
TV makers are hoping the government-mandated nationwide switch to digital broadcasting in February 2009 will spur some sales between now and then.
For more information see today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Subscribers can read the story here on ArkansasOnline.
