Los Angeles – Sixty-inch and larger high-definition TVs will be
among the strongest selling products at retail this holiday season, according
to a survey revealed Wednesday by the
.
Consumers are either
upgrading to 60-inch HDTVs or accelerating their conversion from CRT
televisions, the DEG said.
The DEG is a multi-industry funded non-profit group dedicated to
the promotion of home entertainment software and hardware product sales.
By Dec. 31, some 1.3 million 60-inch HDTV sets are expected to
have been sold during the full calendar year, up 50 percent from a year ago,
with a substantial number of those sold in the final quarter during this
holiday season, the DEG said.
The association is attributing the activity to the widespread
adoption of the Blu-ray Disc players, which now appear in nearly 34 million
homes, and Blu-ray Disc software sales, which are up 58 percent in the third
quarter from a year earlier.
Encouraging adoption, the DEG said, is the fact that many of
those 60-inch plus sets will be priced at $1,000 and less. Blu-ray Disc players
also have significantly dropped in price, with some as low as $100 that can
also be connected for Internet streaming.
Also spurring consumer intentions to buy are new popular Blu-ray
Disc title releases, including “Star Wars: The Complete Saga,” “Bridesmaids,” “Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “The
Smurfs.”
In addition, major advances in home 3D technology have made
watching titles — such as the recently released “The Lion King 3D” and “Green
Lantern 3D” — in the family room at home a fully immersive experience.
The DEG said this is the first season 3D-equipped HDTV will have
a significant impact on holiday sales, with more than 10 percent of LCD and plasma
sets being 3D ready.
“TVs are one of the most in-demand holiday gift items every year,
and we’re hearing from shoppers that this year is no different,” said Allison
Dahlien, Best Buy home theater group senior marketing director. “The value,
especially in large-panel and 3DTVs sold at Best Buy, has never been better as
consumers realize the benefits of a larger screen size. We have created a
unique 3D experience in our stores that allows customers to engage in all of
the great content 3D has to offer, including sports, movies, gaming and
personal content.”
