NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Prices for big-screen televisions have been steadily dropping by about 25 percent a year in the United States.
Electronics analysts say they expect the price of big-screen TVs to fall even more sharply this autumn, the New York Times reported Saturday.
"Prices are pretty much in a free fall," said David Naranjo, who monitors the television industry for market research firm DisplaySearch.
Panasonic officials refused to confirm or deny the speculation that it is expected to announce it is dropping prices by almost $500 on plasma-screen TV's that retail for around $3,500, the Times said.
"If they go to $3,000, I will go to $2,999," said chief executive of the Syntax Groups, James Li, maker of the Olevia brand of flat-panel TVs.
Meanwhile, plasma TVs with 50-inch screens that sold for $20,000 five years ago could drop to about $4,000 later this season -- while a liquid-crystal-display version and a rear-projection TV with a digital light-processing chip could drop to $1,800.
