A $10,000 Television? This Season's Hot Home Entertainment Toys Will Have You Seeing Green, Red, and Yellow in Vivid, Life-like Detail--Almost as Good as Having Tom Cruise Live in Your Living Room.

Business Editors

BROOMALL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2002

Forget all that news about a slowed economy. The truth this holiday season is that the hottest selling products in home entertainment are also among the priciest. Get this. TVs selling for up to $10,000 are all the rage with area homeowners and consumers eager to enjoy a new generation of TVs that incorporate the latest gee whiz technologies.

"This holiday season is all about TV," says Jon Robbins, Chief Operating Officer of HiFi House, which this year will sell more high-end plasma display TVs than any other retailer in the area. "Consumers have finally seen the future--and they want to view it on large screen plasma and Liquid Crystal Displays--so lifelike that you'll feel like you're in the room with your favorite TV personalities.

What's causing the buzz? First, it's the technology. Revolutionary new science is for the first time since its invention, changing the way we view TV with exotic new materials. Even their names, Plasma Gas and Liquid Crystal, sound as if they come right from Star Trek. Second, it's their design and look. Lightweight and ultra slim, new flat screen TVs offer entirely new design options. Mount them directly on the wall and reclaim floor space. Place them on a bookshelf or nightstand and throw out the large, clunky entertainment center. And finally, the advent of High Definition TV, which is seeing more stations broadcast digitally, is convincing more consumers that now is the time to invest in next generation TV technologies.

Here's what to know, if you're considering investing in a new television this holiday:

Plasma TVs: It's Gas

One of the most exciting consumer electronic products to debut in a decade, Plasma TV is literally changing the shape of television to a sleek, flat display that hangs on walls like artwork. Plasma Displays--which measure up to 61 inches in size--use inert gases, that when stimulated by electricity, emit colored light. The result is a drop-dead picture with high clarity and brilliant, vivid colors. The price varies from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the size and quality. Expensive?

"It's an investment," says Joe Hart, Store Manager for HiFi House's Broomall location. "But stop and think. You can't own the world's best sports car or wrist watch for $10,000. But you can own the world's best TV--50-inch Plasma TV--for that price."

Overall, Plasma TV prices are dictated by screen size--ranging from 32 to 61 inches--and whether or not they are HDTV ready. The highest quality brands include Sony, Marantz, Fujitsu, Pioneer Elite and Sharp.

Once installed, they are highly reliable, advanced devices that, with proper care, will last for years.

Yet, there is a caveat. You don't move or install a Plasma TV on your own. "They're highly sophisticated," says Hart. "And consumers assume a lot of risk when they order them by mail or move them in a SUV or van. They require an expert's touch when moving, placing, installing and mounting them. But when expertly installed, they open a whole new world to the TV enthusiast."

Looking into the Liquid Crystal Ball

On the other side of the technology spectrum, Liquid Crystal displays produce images by passing light through Liquid Crystal material that can block or transmit light. Such displays are now common for computers. But tweaked for video, Liquid Crystal displays deliver an incredibly lifelike image, with none of the flicker or softness of conventional TVs. But even more compelling is their size and lightweight. The average 20 inch Liquid Crystal TV weighs in at only 16.1 pounds and require just two or three inches of depth. Screen sizes range from 10 to 30 inches and prices from $700 to $5,000.

"A conventional 20 inch TV can easily weight 60 pounds and need 20 inches of depth to house a vacuum tube," says Hart. "New Liquid Crystal Displays fit comfortably on a bookshelf, a bathroom wall, kitchen countertop or other spots that open up entirely new design options," says Hart. Top brands, including Sharp and Panasonic, offer excellent viewing angles, allowing everyone in the room to see a bright, robust image that often looks as clear as real life. In fact, pause an image from a DVD, and you can turn a Liquid Crystal TV into a work of art!

Theater of the Absurd 

So the new TV technologies sound great, but you were thinking about something a little more substantial, say an entire home theater. Next-generation Front Projection TVs rely on silicon chips and millions of miniature mirrors to capture and project pixels onto home screens that measure 110" diagonally. Add in a state-of-the-art audio video system, and you have a complete home theater that can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000! Just great for entertaining friends.

For more information about this year's hot Holiday TVs and home entertainment equipment, contact Nickie Boston at [phone] or Garrett Allen at [phone] [e-mail].