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Deals Market Trends & Analysis

HDTV Expert - Black Friday: Boom, Or Bust?

Black Friday 2013 retail data presents a contradictory picture: while total weekend spending was estimated at $57.4B and online purchases hit a record 40% of all transactions, Black Friday brick-and-mortar sales actually declined 13.2% from 2012, cannibalized by earlier Thanksgiving store openings. Mobile devices accounted for 40% of online traffic and roughly 22-26% of online sales, with smartphones driving 25% of Friday shopping traffic. Electronics and Blu-ray discs ranked among the top four in-store purchases, yet Walmart, Target, and Best Buy all lowered quarterly expectations amid sliding consumer confidence.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Home Theater Deals

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #609: Black Friday Preview 2013

This Black Friday 2013 preview catalogs home theater deals across major retailers, with standout pricing including a Denon AVR-E300 875W 5.1 receiver at $274.99, a Vizio 70-inch 1080p Smart LED HDTV at $998, and Blu-ray players starting as low as $38. Compared to 2008 benchmarks when a 50-inch 720p plasma cost $900, 2013 buyers can acquire significantly more capable 1080p displays and audio hardware for the same or lower spend. Shoppers prioritizing value will find the sharpest per-inch pricing at Walmart and Target for mid-size LED HDTVs, while Sears lists early 4K Ultra HDTV options from Seiki starting at $499.99.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Home Theater Deals

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #557: Black Friday 2012

This Black Friday 2012 shopping guide covers HDTV and home theater deals across major retailers, with televisions ranging from a $78 Orion 24-inch 720p LED at Wal-Mart to a $1,999.99 Sharp 70-inch 1080p 120Hz Aquos Smart TV at Sears. Standout picks include a Toshiba 40-inch 1080p LCD for $179.99 at Best Buy and a Vizio 60-inch 1080p 120Hz LED for $688 at Wal-Mart. Shoppers looking to maximize value will find curated top-deal breakdowns organized by screen size across Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Sears.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Deals Home Theater

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #549: Black Friday 2012 Predictions

GottaDeal.com's Black Friday 2012 predictions anticipate 32-inch LCD HDTVs dropping as low as $149 and Blu-ray players hitting $39, with the HT Guys offering their own commentary on each forecast. Inexpensive Android tablets are expected to dominate deals while Apple products remain largely full-price, and the newly released Nintendo Wii U faces likely stock shortages just five days after its launch. Shoppers willing to skip Black Friday hype may find better value on larger name-brand HDTVs in early-to-mid December or during pre-Super Bowl sales.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Deals

HDTV Almanac - Best Buy: $10 per Inch for 50″ LCD

Best Buy is offering a 50-inch Insignia LCD HDTV at $500, a $10-per-diagonal-inch price point more commonly associated with plasma displays. The set is a standard 60Hz panel with three HDMI inputs, lacking advanced features like Internet connectivity or 3D support. Buyers seeking smart TV functionality can supplement it with a Roku or Vizio Google TV network media player for under $100, making this a cost-effective entry into large-screen HDTV ownership.

Alfred Poor •
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Streaming HD Deals

HDTV Almanac - Amazon Adds MGM Movies

Amazon Instant Video, bundled with Amazon Prime memberships at $79 per year, has secured a content deal with MGM to add hundreds of classic films and TV episodes, including The Silence of the Lambs, Rain Man, and Stargate. The service offers free streaming of select titles, some in high-definition, but still trails Netflix and Hulu in catalog size. For Prime subscribers, this MGM addition expands the value proposition of a membership that already includes free two-day shipping and Kindle book borrowing.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Home Theater Deals

HDTV Almanac - How Low Can They Go?

The 42-inch Sharp LC42SV49U is currently listed at Best Buy for $329.99, falling well below the $10-per-diagonal-inch benchmark that has long served as a reference point for TV value. Sharp's Gen10 LCD fabrication plant, built for large-panel production, is running at just 50% capacity amid a softening television market, pressuring the company to move inventory at aggressive prices. Buyers willing to shop outside of Black Friday can now access competitive pricing without the overnight wait.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Home Theater Buying Guides Deals

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast - Podcast #505: Black Friday 2011 and Receiver Buying Guide

This podcast episode covers Black Friday 2011 HDTV and home theater deals alongside a receiver buying guide spanning four price tiers. Highlighted deals include a Sharp 42-inch 1080p LCD at $199.99 and a Panasonic 55-inch 600Hz 3D Plasma Smart HDTV at $1,099.99, while receiver picks range from the Denon AVR-1612 with HDMI 1.4a at $349 to the Integra DTR 80.2 9.2-channel network receiver at $2,800 with HQV Reon-VX upscaling. Shoppers gain a practical framework for matching receiver features like THX certification, Audyssey room correction, and AirPlay support to specific budgets.

The HT Guys •
Podcasts
Deals Plasma TVs LED TVs

HDTV Expert - It's Deal Time!

Retailers are clearing 2010 TV inventory to make room for 2011 models, creating significant price drops on name-brand sets. Standout examples include a 50-inch Panasonic 1080p 3D plasma (TCP50GT25) now at $796.84, down from roughly $2,800 at launch, and a Sharp Quattron 40-inch 1080p LED LCD with 120 Hz motion correction at $698.74. Shoppers willing to browse Sunday fliers and major retailer websites can find substantial savings on both displays and Blu-ray players before new model stock arrives.

Pete Putman •
Columns
Deals

HDTV Almanac - HDTV Bargains Still Out There

Post-Black Friday clearance pricing has pushed 47-inch 120 Hz LCD HDTVs from LG and Vizio into the $599-$699 range, while a 50-inch LG 1080p plasma is available at $699.88 and a 24-inch LED-backlit 1080p LCD dips to $189. HDTV sales underperformed the broader consumer electronics market in 2010, leaving retailers motivated to move inventory before year-end. Shoppers willing to act before the NFL playoffs could find competitive pricing across screen sizes and display technologies.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Smart TVs Deals

HDTV Almanac - Pssst! Wanna Free Google HDTV?

Google's 'I Want My Google TV!' promotion offers 100 Sony 46-inch Internet HDTVs running Google TV, free to winners who submit YouTube videos tagged 'YTGTV' by December 22. Entries are judged on originality, creativity, entertainment factor, technical execution, and enthusiasm for the platform. With 100 prizes and a likely entry pool in the low thousands, the odds are considerably better than typical single-prize sweepstakes, making this a worthwhile shot for anyone with a digital camera capable of recording video.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Deals

HDTV Almanac - Black Friday Starts at Midnight

WalMart's Black Friday electronics deals include a 32-inch LCD HDTV priced under $200 and a 42-inch LCD HDTV under $400, with a Sony 46-inch LCD HDTV available Saturday for $698. Consumer electronics deals beyond the midnight Nintendo Wii bundle go on sale at 5 AM and remain available until 11 AM. Panel performance on the budget sets may fall short of major brands, but shoppers willing to trade quality for price will find genuinely aggressive discounts worth considering.

Alfred Poor •
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Deals

HDTV Almanac - Get Ready for Bargains!

Discount retailer hhgregg's president Dennis May predicted 3DTV retail prices would fall to $1,199 as consumers resist paying a premium over basic HDTV models. Supporting that outlook, a leaked Target Black Friday flyer lists a 40-inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV from Westinghouse at $298, a price point that competing retailers cannot easily ignore. Shoppers with budget in hand can realistically expect 10 to 20 percent discounts off current street prices across a wide range of HDTV models this holiday season.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Deals

HDTV Almanac - Sears "Black Friday Now" Leaked

A leaked 16-page Sears 'Black Friday Now' sales flier for October 29-30 reveals that advertised deals are priced at standard retail rates rather than genuine discounts, according to analysis by BFAds.net. The author coins the term 'blackwashing' to describe retailers who apply Black Friday branding without delivering meaningful price reductions. Shoppers evaluating pre-Thanksgiving consumer electronics promotions should scrutinize advertised sales carefully before assuming discounts are real.

Alfred Poor •
Columns
Deals

HDTV Almanac - ‘Tis the Season

CompUSA (a Tiger Direct division) launched its 2010 holiday electronics campaign in early October, featuring deals such as a 55-inch RCA 240 Hz LCD HDTV for $999.99 and a refurbished Magnavox Blu-ray player for $69.99, with 81 days still remaining until Christmas. The author interprets this unusually early promotional push as a sign of financial pressure on consumer electronics retailers struggling to drive sales. Readers looking for the best prices may benefit from waiting, as the author expects deeper discounts to emerge closer to the holiday season.

Alfred Poor •
Columns