According to a recent IDC survey, this holiday’s likely TV purchasers want a 42" HD flat TV priced at less than $2,000 from a major consumer electronics (CE) vendor purchased at a familiar CE retail store - butthey could live with alternatives in several of those categories. Yet, current market realities are that consumers can purchase a 42" ED plasma from a second-tier brand atan alternative outlet for that magic sub-$2,000 price point, IDC said.

The reserach firm believes that both consumers and vendors will need to reconcile this dilemma before the flat-panenl market can reach the kind of sales success that many have predicted. Otherwise, many consumers will simply continue to delay their purchases, IDC said. (THG)