Judging from a smattering of Web sites and industry observers dedicated to ferreting out Black Friday sales the day after Thanksgiving on HD and other CE products, some bargains are already looming at the retail level—including a few deals that apparently could end before Back Friday even rolls around this week. (Unless those deals are extended, of course, as often happens.)
As of Tuesday (Nov. 20), Sears was touting a 42-inch Hitachi 1080p plasma set for under $780, although that appeared to be a one-day event, according to the Web site TGI BlackFriday.com.
That’s nearly half Sears’ previous price points for the same plasma unit. (The Sears deal necessitated in-store pick-up to avoid delivery and other charges.)
Other deals early this week include a Sharp 42-inch LCD for $800 at Circuit City, a 42-inch Panasonic plasma at Best Buy for $900, and smaller 32- and 26-inch LCD sets going for $399–$699 at various locations. Costco is offering a Magnavox 42-inch 1080p LCD for $1,000, as well as “$300 off” some of its other HD-centric price points.
Some analysts are predicting especially good prices on large-screen plasma units due to an over-supply of product in some regions of North America. Still, good deals on LCD, rear-projection and other technologies are expected, but ever-changing sales prices may not be posted online until hours prior to Black Friday—with published reports saying some specials may start on Turkey Day itself for in-store transactions only.
