Flat-panel HD Prices Drop 27 Percent Year-to-Year

Unit sales for flat-panel consumer TV monitors and business displays in North America rose 19 percent in August compared with July, according to Pacific Media Associates. The industry analyst also found the typical street price of flat-panel displays fell 6 percent in August over the previous month--and 27 percent since August 2005. According to PMA, the increase in late summer sales has been par for the course in the last few years.

Sixty percent of all sizes of flat-panel sales were for LCD models (although in the 40- to 44-inch category, LCD's share was just under 50 percent.) The average street price for the 35- to 39-inch 1080p LCD segment dropped just under 20 percent in August, with some price points below $2,000.

In the overall flatscreen consumer segment, Sony barely edged out Panasonic with 21.2 percent to 20.9 percent. The best-selling consumer model in August was Panasonic's 42-inch plasma TH-42PX60U.