This is anecdotal, I guess, but trust me, as a regular Amazon bargain hunter I have good instincts and I get the strong feeling that there is a price war heating up in the TV market. Below is just a few deals that are being promoted across the web, and easily found on Amazon.
| Product | Previous Price | Amazon Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hisense 65″ U8K MiniLED 4K TV | $1,399 | $898 |
| Roku TV 75″ Plus Series 4K QLED TV | $999 | $899 |
| Samsung 55” QN90C Neo QLED 4K TV | $2,797 | $1,197 |
| TCL QM8 85″ MiniLED TV | $2,799 | $1,698 |
| Samsung 55″ S95C 4K OLED TV | $2,499 | $1,897 |
| LG 55″ G3 OLED 4K TV | $2,999 | $1,896 |
At Display Daily, we have a thing in our editorial meetings where we decide that we are completely technology agnostic and customer focused when it comes to displays. That means that we have to look for value because that’s what sells and what sells is what drives the industry.
Right now, looking at these price drops, it looks like Samsung and LG are going to have a hard time competing the rest of the pack. OLED can’t get anywhere near the discount levels, let alone prices, of comparable TVs from TCL and Hisense, for example. The US market is turning towards these two companies and I can see a shift in online forums and on social media.
It just means that you talk about the quality of OLED but you end up buying the other technologies. It makes more sense. Maybe that is not a powerful insight, but I am not an analyst. I am just a very good shopper, and I know a deal when I see one. This is all happening in the lull between the Super Bowl and the Olympics. Maybe it is just clearing out inventory in anticipaton of bigger sales, but I doubt the North American audiences for the Olympics are going to be rushing out to buy premium TVs for the games. I doubt anyone of my generation is even going to watch the games on a big screen TV. We will be on social media and YouTube, and probably on our phones, watching highlights.
However, if price wars are happening, and I see the dropped prices go over 50% (they are around 40% right now at the high end), I am going to seriously consider a monster-sized TV. I am not sure how that works with my lifestyle or any room in my place, but at some point, you kind of have to take the deal because someone is making you an offer you can’t refuse. Bring it on TCL and Hisense! Keep driving those prices down. I will let you know when you have it right.
