Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
george said 11:47PM on 4-11-2008
Jossy, are you sure you din't have anything to add to your post? lol Take it easy on the red bull and caffeine. it makes you a little chatty !!!
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quinnp12 said 8:05PM on 8-23-2008
all I'm gonna say is this: Clinton and a mixed Congress, NOT BUSH, passed the bill that allows for this to happen. Don't be blaming this administration for this screw up--they are trying to make it easier to swallow during a recession. By the way, if you doubt that Clinton is the one who signed it, look up the Telecommunications act of 1996.
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E.R. Jensen said 3:53PM on 8-23-2008
Move to the UK/England where every household pays $275 for an Annual TV License in addition to the digital switchover.
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H. Lerner said 5:23PM on 8-23-2008
Please tell me when and where I can obtain the coupon for my old
TV set?
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john said 5:28PM on 8-23-2008
seems to me the government ,should pick up the whole tab for these boxes , not a discount,not us consumers, they're the ones changing the signals, not us
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Lorena said 5:55PM on 8-23-2008
Next, we will be forced to pay in order to listen to our radios. All well and good for those who like to pay for satellite broadcasts for your radios and televisions, but for those of us scraping by on fixed or low incomes, we again have to make more difficult choices...hmm...food, or medicine, t.v. or gas for the car. Ok. The kids can go read some books and the poor can eat cake, right?
Our right to the pursuit of happiness is eroding. I am happy listening to talk radio, but I won't pay for it (and believe me, radio is going to be targeted next). I am happy adjusting my crappy "rabbit ears" on my t.v. to get my local programming (and I won't pay for it either). I was happy driving until red light and speed cameras invaded my city's intersections. I didn't even mind putting gas in my older car to get to my minimum wage job either, until I saw how gas speculators, big oil and oh yes, our wonderful government enjoys profiting from proletariat pain.
Wake me when this need for greed is over, because I'll probably be nearly dead from boredom since I won't have a t.v., radio, car, job or medical insurance, which my minimum wage job won't cover. But again, why should any of you care. The middle class is overburdened and nursing their own wounds. The corporate rich live in another world that is not mine, but they are continuing to ruin the little slice of earth I try to hold on to. Is this still my beloved America, or some third-world country, run by a few handfulls of wealthy, con-men who enjoy squeezing the last penny from our already empty pockets?
Melodramatic, yes, I am. Concerned, very. Stupid no. And to those of you who tell us oh so kindly "well, t.v. is not a right" or "just don't have one" are the same type of people who would probably tell the starving, "well, eating is not a right" or "you don't have to eat." Not that the right to watch free t.v. is even close to the subject of starvation, not anything like that. It is the principle--the fact that those who "have" in this country, seem more amiable to change (control?) than perhaps others to whom, changes involving higher prices, or in this case, charges for analoged air waves, borders on infringement of our basic rights to the pursuit of happiness.
America, the rebel child of England, fought hard for her independence and freedom, against the over-zealous tax collectors of the crown. We fought against the arguments and lies that England knew what was best for us. Now, we let our senators and congresspeople, along with self-seeking interest groups control our lives. The middle class, always the backbone of our country, have been sold a load of lies. Taxing the airwaves, then saying that it is for our good or the good of our televisions, is just another lie. Maybe we should gather all our sets together and throw them into the boston harbor for effect. Or we can protest and refuse to pay for the "upgrade". I doubt that will happen because our t.v.'s, just like our cars, are a symbol of happiness and represent a certain sense of American freedom to most Americans. Why shouldn't we all be allowed to be happy? Oh right. This is the new America, the land where people roll over and take it you know where. Maybe it's better that I'm poor so my choices are limited and less complicated. Of course I don't need t.v. and of course, I can read more books, teaching my children to do the same.
But something is dying here, America the beautiful is fighting for her life. Our freedoms to be free of over-taxation is only a mirage and just a notion uttered by our founding fathers. Gone are the days of rebellion, and in its place, complacency and compliance. Control, once relegated to the borders of communism, is alive and well in our beautiful land, yet, that control is directed at the average citizen and not the criminal. Charging money to control the airwaves is criminal and is just another process by which citizens can be monitored and controlled. With this technology, what we watch can be scrutinized, analyzed and examined. With this technology, when we watch can be monitored. Worst of all, payment is demanded for what was previously free. This is an abomination and as unpatriotic as charging a fee to breathe, for the airwaves that cross your television sets are also composed of the same elements and molecules that bring us life--both should be free. But that was in the old America.
Guess I better go to the library and start on those books.
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Gump228 said 6:50PM on 8-23-2008
FACT TV WHEN ORIGINATED WAS FREE PAID FOR BY COMERCIALS REMEMBER VITA-VETA-VEGI-MIN >??? LOL THE SPONSORS PAID TO HAVE THERE SHOWS ON TELEVISION FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE NOW WE PAY TO SEE THERE ADVERTISMENTS. NOW WITH THIS THERE MORE ER LESS CHARGING US EVEN THE ONES THAT GET TV BY ANTENAE A COST TO SEE THERE ADVERTISMENTS LOL AND IF YOU READ WHY ITS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CHARGE FOR THE SPACE THAT WAS FREE TO MAKE MONEY ON SOMETHING ELSE. THE OHHH MIGHTY DOLLAR THAT AINT WORTH A CRAP SHOT ANOTHER BULLET AT THE AMERICA THAT ONCE WAS.
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John said 5:15AM on 9-13-2008
This site has a listing of the best converters as rated by Consumer Reports.
http://www.digitalhdreceiver.com
Anyone know of any other good sites? Thanks in advance.
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Daphne said 6:22PM on 1-14-2008
What a fine example of the bang up job congress is doing under the Bush administration. Damn all those homeless people living on the streets and parentless children of America. Lets just hand out 900 MILLION DOLLARS in coupons for people to be able to keep watching television. By all means, I’m sure everyone thinks its just lovely that there are 10 year olds calling each other b*tch and wh*re thinking its cute---just because they saw it on tv. Thank you to the FCC and poor parenting around the nation. If someone can’t afford $50-70 dollars for a converter box then I’m sorry but I’m sure they’re not doing a very good job at paying their bills either and really need to prioritize. I can think of so many more useful things to spend that kind of money on right here in the US. If being able to watch television is at the top of this governments priority list that’s a huge shame. This administration has in every way been a complete disappointment. If they really find it necessary to provide entertainment to this nation it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to hand out $5 off vouchers for people to go buy a cheapie radio while stating ‘turn on talk radio and use your imagination.’ At least then it wouldn’t be as much of a waste. After all, if you can’t afford to spend your own money on a converter then how in the world do you manage to pay your cable/satellite bill each month much less own a television to begin with!
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JM said 2:53PM on 8-23-2008
I love your very intelligent comment! Rare are the people thinking like you.
Have you tried living without TV? It makes your house peaceful and willing to wander into your library where a realm of beautiful books open your imagination to universes you might not even conceive....
Bravo for voicing such interesting ideas!
SS79 said 8:30PM on 1-14-2008
The website I went to for my coupons said that it will not even issue the coupons until the end of February/beginning of March--about the time that the converter boxes are due to arrive in the stores. There should not be an issue of the coupon expiring before the boxes are in the stores if the coupons on not issued until the boxes are available.
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ascatal said 12:52AM on 1-15-2008
okay this is bungled the coupons should either have no expiration date or be held and not sent out til thereis an adequate supply of the boxes on hand in stores so the coupons can be used before they would be come useless
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Marie said 6:18AM on 1-15-2008
And why is the government regulating how we watch tv? What is going to be next? geez
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Encanta said 8:33AM on 1-17-2008
There are a lot of elderly people and other housebound people who can't afford new tvs or maybe even converter boxes. I think they should be the coupon priority if this has to happen. (No I'm not one of them.)
I don't know why though, this has to happen so soon. Why they can't wait until most analog TVs "die a natural death" before going to strictly digital?
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Ibis1996 said 6:56AM on 1-15-2008
Daphne says "After all, if you can’t afford to spend your own money on a converter then how in the world do you manage to pay your cable/satellite bill each month much less own a television to begin with!"
First of all, I am being forced to get a convertor box because I DON'T have cable/satellite service. Why pay upwards of $50 a month when I don't feel the need to have dozens of channels of television? I think that's being responsible with finances.
However, I do like to have a half-dozen broadcast networks available to me. If the government is telling me that I have to buy something so I can see the over-the-air networks, and that they're giving out coupons to facilitate that, you bet I'm going to apply for one!
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Elaine said 6:54AM on 1-15-2008
To Daphne,
Such "holier than thou" attitude, you must be a really special person.
It would help if you realized that there are still people who only get "free" television reception, hence the reference to rabbit ear antennas. Those are the folks who only watch what they can afford, and now they will either need new digital televisions, or a converter, both of which will require a hookup that costs money as well. Keep in mind that not everyone, even if they are hard working, frugal people, can afford to pay anything at all for television and are making use of the antenna for that reason.
Stop judging people, and try checking out how the other half lives before you shoot your mouth off. And as for radio, most of those lovely words kids are spouting are also found on talk radio and in music as well.
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laura said 7:17AM on 1-15-2008
Daphne has a point. Don't you think that the millions of dollars that the government spent on coupons for televisions is ridiculous? There are so many better ways to spend that money. Donate it to St. Judes Hospital to help sick children.
And for you, Ibis......you're just plain cheap!
You say "Why pay upwards of $50 a month when I don't feel the need to have dozens of channels of television? I think that's being responsible with finances."
WHY SPEND MONEY ON YOU SO YOU CAN GET A BOX JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE CHEAP?
SPEND THE MONEY ON WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST.....NOT ON SOME CHEAPSKATE!
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Doctor Bob said 7:47AM on 1-15-2008
Daphne, that's a slick trick, trying to blame George Bush for CONGRESS'S actions. However, here's a red-hot news flash for you: CONGRESS is run by DEMOCRATS! Ever hear of Nancy Pelosi (Nut-Case Democrat), or Harry Reid (Corrupt Democrat)? Those are the people you want to be blaming. George Bush had nothing whatsoever to do with it. But, you DUMBocrats keep trying to blame Bush for everything, so why not shift Congress's blame off onto him as well? Yeah, right.
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deidra said 8:04AM on 1-15-2008
This conversion has been in the works for years. It is not something brand new.
When I was in undergrad I took a Digital Video class (2003) and we were told the conversion was supposed to be final in 2006. The deadline has gotten extended by 3 years!
I can understand the problems facing the older/poorer communities who do not already have subscriber service and that is who the coupons are for. There are already so many people who've gone out and bought new HDTVs not understanding the technology and not understanding that they do NOT need the converters.
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Kay said 8:06AM on 1-15-2008
I think its absolutly crazy to expect everyone to PAY to be able to watch tv that is not cable...there are elderly people out there on fixed income that cannot afford this, even with the "coupon"! its nuts!!!!!just another way for someone to take your money!
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