Rear-projection sets lead HDTV market

Accounting for over 57% of the product placement in retail stores, rear-projection televisions lead the demand for HDTV sets over 30-inches. Flat-panel televisions contrast with 47% of product placement. The flat-panel breakdown is roughly 33% for Plasma Display Panel (PDP) sets and a lowly 14 % for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) sets.

Prices have continued to drop for all digital television technologies; some by as much as 40% since the 2004 holiday season. Consumers seem to be opting for the bulkier, yet less expensive rear-projection sets. Until the price of plasma and LCD screens can rival rear-projection sets, this trend is likely to continue.

Sure, hanging your television on the wall adds to the "cool" factor, but are you willing to pay a double digit premium for it? Regardless of the reported numbers, I still see a good amount of flat-panel sets getting loaded into vehicles. Not that I hang out at my local Best Buy or anything. Really, I don't. Much. Anyway, let us know what extra premium you would pay for a flat-panel over a rear-projection so you can save some floor space for that Xbox 360 purchase you're planning.