The mundane television set has changed. No longer is it a thing to watch some movie in it.It is now a gadget that either adds or substracts to your social standing. Just like Apple did with the i-line of gadgets. TV makers are doing it as well.
Your TV doesn't have those little side-lights to add "ambiance"? You are behind. Buy a better one. It doesn't have that Symphony remote control with the little color LCD at the top? Ditto. Wait, you mean your TV is not 3D? Or that it doesn't have internet access to watch Netflix? Ditto, Ditto.
That is why the TV prices are so high. They are now a status symbol. The same way people trade-up their cell new cell phones for the newest model, people trade up their new TVs.
The price problem is a direct effect of this.Most people need to re-coup the cost of buying the high-end TV to buy another one.So they don't budge on the selling price. They keep it high to lower the amount of money needed to buy the other TV.As a result they create a niche market with its own social standing phenomenon.You see people bragging about paying high prices for an used TV, They might say "But its the XCVFRHTH-1234-TV with a digital remote, and dual LED Ambiance lights".
So, in summary, its not that the TV prices are high. Is that people cannot afford the latest gadget, and need to re-coup their money in some way. There is a a sub market of people who cant dream of buying the TV new, but can scrounge up the money to buy it used. And so, the circle of TVs keeps on going.
It does not happen to phones, because everything looks like an i-phone these days. But you can't confuse an Sony high end TV with one made my Emerson.
"That is why the TV prices are so high. They are now a status symbol."
The main point is that TV prices are so CHEAP, not high.
I could buy a plasma TV for $300 when it used to cost $3000 not so much time ago. Or a flat LCD for less, this is amazing for something that was impossible to manufacture(big HD TVs) just 5 years ago.
You don't need to buy 3D, or ambiance or whatever, you are free to buy them if you want. How is that bad?
The low end TVs are cheap. But the big ones that most people want to produly display on their living rooms are expensive. That is the root of the problem. Keeping up with the TV Johnesses.
Well, that is certainly the story that the TV manufacturers are telling, but I don't really see it getting traction with most people. I don't know many people who have upgraded their TVs lately, besides replacing CRTs.
Also seems like size is the primary motivation for people to buy a new TV, because their room is larger or they can now afford the size they really wanted to buy originally.
I remember from childhood that a 'big screen TV' was one of the stereotypical status symbols. Same with nice cars. But back then, TVs didn't innovate that much, so people treated their TVs like they did cars. They kept them on decade long schedules and repaired them instead of replaced them.
Your TV doesn't have those little side-lights to add "ambiance"? You are behind. Buy a better one. It doesn't have that Symphony remote control with the little color LCD at the top? Ditto. Wait, you mean your TV is not 3D? Or that it doesn't have internet access to watch Netflix? Ditto, Ditto.
That is why the TV prices are so high. They are now a status symbol. The same way people trade-up their cell new cell phones for the newest model, people trade up their new TVs.
The price problem is a direct effect of this.Most people need to re-coup the cost of buying the high-end TV to buy another one.So they don't budge on the selling price. They keep it high to lower the amount of money needed to buy the other TV.As a result they create a niche market with its own social standing phenomenon.You see people bragging about paying high prices for an used TV, They might say "But its the XCVFRHTH-1234-TV with a digital remote, and dual LED Ambiance lights".
So, in summary, its not that the TV prices are high. Is that people cannot afford the latest gadget, and need to re-coup their money in some way. There is a a sub market of people who cant dream of buying the TV new, but can scrounge up the money to buy it used. And so, the circle of TVs keeps on going.
It does not happen to phones, because everything looks like an i-phone these days. But you can't confuse an Sony high end TV with one made my Emerson.
Same with cars, tools, bycicles...