A survey released (subscription required) explains just how popular liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) are becoming as consumers get rid of their old tubes to make room for their new flat panels. Independent researcher NPD Group explains that close to 40 percent of TV-set owners plan to purchase a new TV in the next year, with 15 percent interested in LCDs and 12 percent leaning toward plasma.
“We continue to see a very strong interest in flat-panel technology,
particularly LCD technology,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry
analysis at NPD Group, a company well known for consumer and retail
research.
Plasma and LCD TV sales have increased more than 500 percent in the
past two years. Consumers purchased 4.2 million flat-panel displays in
the year ended in June, according to NPD. Rubin explains that this is
due to a combination of sophisticated consumer behavior, heavy
marketing, and falling prices. The average price of a plasma television
has dropped 43 percent in the past two years to $2,626, while the
average price of LCD displays has dropped 7 percent, to $969.
