Re: hdtv purchase now or later?

["Jerry Feldman-2" <user=4@nabble.blu.org>]

 On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:09:44 -0400 (EDT) 
Scott Ehrlich <[hidden email]> wrote: 

> My thoughts and theory were come cutover date: 
> 
> - Many, many people won't realize or simply know their cable box can do 
> the trick and will think they _must_ switch tvs no matter what.  I still 
> talk to people today who believe that, if they even _know_ about the 
> 2009 switch to hd, or even what hd _is_. 

The cable companies have already been notifying their customers. 

> - As people _think_ they need new equipment, manufacturers will want to 
> take advantage of profit and keep prices as they are or increase them. 
> Once either people buy as much as they want and/or get educated that they 
> may not need a new tv, then I can see prices getting lower. 
  
Perception is important, and is a major component of demand. But, I 
think that prices will continue to decline. But also remember that the 
retailers will be selling the digital converter boxes to people. 
Additionally, nearly every major sports event today in the US is 
broadcast as HDTV as is most major network TV shows. Some local 
stations are in the process of converting their 480i or 480p (4:3 aspect 
ratio) to 1080i (16:9 aspect ratio). Channel 5 was the first in Boston 
to convert their news to 1080i.  The manufacturers and retailers will 
be haranguing us to buy new equipment before the 2009 deadline so the 
sky won't fall. The chicken lickens will most likely make unnecessary 
purchases. So, the issue really is, "do you really want to get a wide 
screen (16:9 aspect ratio) TV so you can view all the nice stuff like 
Brady to Moss or Ortiz homeruns. Or you are sick of watching 
letterboxed wide-screen movies on your 4:3 TV. I suspect in late 2008 
and early 2009 prices are going to go up as there probably will be a 
short demand bubble, but as the supply catches up, the prices will fall 
toward spring or summer. 

-- 
Jerry Feldman <[hidden email]> 
Boston Linux and Unix user group 
http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 
PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9 
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