Analysts say HDTV sales could decline in current economy, snow could fall in Montana

Hey, the analysts have to find something to talk about, right? As the Blue Chips rise and fall like the tides, so have bobbed the reports regarding how this economy will affect HDTV sales. Just a week ago, one survey found that 73% of non-HDTV owners were still forging ahead with plans to pick up an HDTV within the next 12 months, and given the record low prices we're apt to see on Black Friday, we don't half blame 'em. Merely 24 hours later, out popped another report backing the claim. Now, however, Craig Moffett, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., is suggesting that the current credit crunch could already be eating away at TV sales. Or, you know, maybe all these intelligent souls out there understand that massive sales are just over a month away. How's that for analysis?

[Image courtesy of StarTribune]

[Angrychinchilla @ Oct 14th 2008 11:30AM]

I'm a electronics salesman and I can verify that sales have indeed declined in the last few weeks

[Angrychinchilla @ Oct 14th 2008 11:32AM]

...and I also do not know how to edit comments....

[lowdef @ Oct 14th 2008 11:39AM]

yes... because when your individual store location has a decline in sales you can accurately suggest that the entire nation has a decline in sales...

[Angrychinchilla @ Oct 14th 2008 11:57AM]

i didn't "suggest" anything, i was just saying that it has happened here. They have cut our commission rates as well because the whole region is losing money and they have also placed a hiring freeze on us as well. i'm not saying that my info is the same everywhere, but it does match the info above. We have also had crazy sales trying to drum up business but its not really working

[DudeManDude @ Oct 14th 2008 11:31AM]

well duh? everyone has been saving for a new Macbook! ;)

[Zelatio @ Oct 14th 2008 11:35AM]

Doubt it.

[pavlindrom @ Oct 14th 2008 11:36AM]

"snow could fall in Montana" :)
One of the best jokes in engadget

[Jon Nelson @ Oct 14th 2008 10:23PM]

I agree. That's a damn good title.

[BERTRAM @ Oct 14th 2008 11:36AM]

As a salesman of HD TV service in Montana, I have to say Shush your trap Engadget

[Homer @ Oct 14th 2008 11:43AM]

I don't care about this stuff.
Just give me my new Macbook info already!

[Alex Linhares @ Oct 14th 2008 11:52AM]

APPL is doomed if today we only get expensive crap. 1000 USD laptops are 2006's prices. Go to BestBuy.com and ask the system to order laptops from low to high price... it's pages of laptops until the first macbook.

When people start on their soup diets, Apple is going to be so sad about its decision to be Armani.

But maybe, just maybe, we will have some reason out of cupertino today.

[eric f. @ Oct 14th 2008 11:54AM]

And I thought the TV weatherman was useless. I can't believe these analysts are actually paid by someone for this crap.

[Homer @ Oct 14th 2008 11:55AM]

Argh! Where's my new Macbook?
Hurry up Apple.

[psfour @ Oct 14th 2008 11:59AM]

Whats that got to do with HDTV sales.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 14th 2008 12:09PM]

A little red minus for everyone who doesn't stay on the subject of HDTV sales. :)

[Homer @ Oct 14th 2008 12:19PM]

Eat my short.

[fistpittingnork @ Oct 14th 2008 1:08PM]

@ Homer,

I'm not eating anything of yours that's short.

[Alex Linhares @ Oct 14th 2008 12:28PM]

As a friend of Al Gore, I can verify that it will not snow in Montana this year.

[kal326 @ Oct 14th 2008 12:57PM]

You forgot to add that Al Gore invented snow, Montana and quite possible even snow in Montana.

[BERTRAM @ Oct 14th 2008 8:09PM]

Umm It already has snowed in Montana this fall

[andy @ Oct 14th 2008 12:32PM]

macbook anyone?

[Technodragon @ Oct 14th 2008 12:34PM]

Analyst: My job is to not actually DO anything, but to sound important by stating the blatantly obvious as a prediction. I predict that due to economic downturn, consumers might spend less money on unnecessary expenditures, like HDTVs.

Consumers: Really!? That's SHOCKING!!! I would never have guessed that losing my job and/or house would delay buying an HDTV. Thanks Mr. Analyst!

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 14th 2008 12:34PM]

I don't think sales will drop. Mainly because it's getting difficult to buy a regular TV any more. You go to the store and most of the TVs are HDTV. And then you have the commercials telling you you have to buy a "digital TV", which some people get confused and means an HDTV. So replacement sales and regular (non-splurge) sales are likely to be HDTVs too.

So that means it be near impossible for HDTV sales to drop year over year. Sales of big-screen, big-ticket HDTVs will likely be impacted though, they could be flat or even drop from last year.

[SaltyGary @ Oct 14th 2008 12:47PM]

I went into BB this weekend seeing if I can score a deal. Had a $2100 Samsung plasma in my sights and was seeing if I could get a nice price drop or a free Blu Ray player. They were trying to take $250 off the price based on a price matching policy they have but couldn't because CC didn't carry that model. The most they would do was to take $100 off the price of the player. I got the feeling from the manager that they are waiting till crunch time before they try to make any deals. So I wait...

[Marc @ Oct 14th 2008 1:08PM]

I live in South-Western Montana. We got a foot of snow 4 days ago.

[Goatee Man @ Oct 14th 2008 2:52PM]

I'm in the southwest as well... Whereabouts are you from? The city of copper for me. :P

[Marc @ Oct 14th 2008 4:57PM]

Bozeman here.

[sedington86 @ Oct 14th 2008 1:19PM]

Yup. 6 inches of snow over there weekend here in MT. Yay us.

[sedington86 @ Oct 14th 2008 1:20PM]

And lovely english by me as well. Over "the" weekend here in MT. Yikes

[Kirby @ Oct 14th 2008 1:21PM]

Is the editor saying that it is likely or unlikely for it to snow in Montana...Sorry, I'm from California...Don't really understand the title.

[Goatee Man @ Oct 14th 2008 2:50PM]

It snows non-stop in Montana... Once we got a foot on the fourth of July.

[Brazell @ Oct 14th 2008 1:56PM]

And this contradicts the story from last week which said the exact opposite, either on Eng or Gizmodo, that HDTV/LCD/Plasma displays were selling through the roof and are continued to with the slow economy... as less people will be going out.

@kirby, the editor is saying, "HDTV sales could decline..." which is as likely as snow falling in Montana (which is very likely). Sort of like saying, "duh."

[CorgilabsG @ Oct 14th 2008 3:44PM]

HDTV sales are tied to people's ability to get credit.
I don't see HDTV sales increasing. I have seen a steep decline for power supplies, too.

[DarkLight @ Oct 14th 2008 4:54PM]

Well, I am actually buying power supplies because of the crisis (in Mexico... Yeah, if you think the US is bad, you should see how is the thing around here)

I'm taking the whole illumination of my house off-grid, and I stopped watching TV (it's all crap anyway), also using more the laptop instead of the monster PC

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 14th 2008 10:45PM]

Sales of large HDTVs are tied to the ability to get credit.

Even small TVs are now HDTVs. People don't need a loan to buy a $400 TV.

[Jason W @ Oct 15th 2008 10:47AM]

When the use of consumer credit falls for the first time since 1988 (20 years) then yea there is an issue with people spending less. This could effect people buying TVs.