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CRT TVs not going away just yet

Erica Ogg Former Staff writer, CNET News
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur.
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Erica Ogg
2 min read

Despite all the talk of the of flat-panel TVs these days, cathode-ray tube (CRT) TVs were the sales winners the week of the Super Bowl, according to point-of-sale data released Tuesday by The NPD Group.

Unit sales of direct-view sets grew 61 percent the week before the big game, compared to the week prior ending January 27, and revenue from those sales increased 46 percent. LCD TVs did well also--jumping 40 percent in unit sales and 37 percent in revenue.

So does this mean we're just not ready to let go of the old tube-style TV just yet? Perhaps, but it might have more to do with a good bargain than nostalgia. LCD prices are very attractive at large-sizes, but aren't yet competitive enough with the smaller direct-view screen sizes, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group.

"Direct view is going to be a factor for the next several years, although during the holiday season, for example, we started to see LCD cross over direct-view pricing at the 32-inch screen size, which is still a large screen size for direct view," said Rubin. This is particularly true for a significant number of consumers that have not made the jump to HD yet, he said.

The average price of an LCD TV cost $1,072 the week leading up to the Super Bowl, while the average direct-view TV cost $183. Even if you're not going to watch football on it, that's pretty much a "Hey, why not?" price as you're shuffling through the aisles of Costco on a Sunday morning.