CRT TVs Remain Affordable Option

With all the hoopla over LCD and plasma TV sales in recent months, you'd think the bulkier tube TVs, or CRTs, are fading from the market fast. I had that same sense when I saw CRTs relegated to a corner of my local Best Buy so the more expensive big-screen TVs could stretch out and be center stage.

Not so fast, it turns out. As this Cnet article notes, 46 percent of TVs shipped to North American retailers at the end of 2006 were CRTs, according to iSuppli, an electronics market research firm. And while prices on flat-panel LCDs and plasma TVs have fallen dramatically in the last year, they are still expensive and out of reach to many consumers. CRTs remain the more affordable option and the picture quality can be pretty darn good on many of them.

From iSuppli: The average selling price for 30- to 39-inch CRT TVs in 2006 was $602 while similar-sized LCDs averaged about $1,235. In 2007, the firm predicts the same sized CRTs will sell for an average of $411, while their LCD counterparts will sell for $780.

As the price gap continues to close, more consumers will definitely take the leap to the newer technology. The Consumer Electronics Association predicts that by 2009, CRTs will no longer be sold in the United States. But today, manufacturers are still rolling them out on shelves because the market is alive and well. Samsung still produces one CRT for every eight TVs shipped, Cnet reports. And they are making them thinner and thinner, so they look more like their competition. Also, many may not realize there are HDTV CRTs available. They're more expensive than analog CRTs but they still cost less than LCD, plasma, and projector TVs.

So, let's be honest. While many of us would love to make the leap to a big-screen LCD or plasma, is there a chance your next TV purchase could be a CRT?

If so, here are some articles worth your time:

Uncovering the Pros and Cons of CRT TVs
Understanding HDTV Options