Why are TV Prices the Highest They Have Been in the Last 9 Years

It’s shopping season soon all over the world with the biggest of sales and festivities starting in November and continuing through mid-January. As such, it is the best time of the year to think about getting a high-quality TV for your home. Whether you are looking for a TV to upgrade your gaming zone in your bachelor pad or you’re looking for a home theater to enjoy online streaming with your family, we’d recommend you do your research and start looking for the right fit to buy during a major holiday sale. 

Why are we emphasizing that you buy a TV in the holiday season or during a sale? It’s because TV prices have hiked up considerably during the last decade or so. There are many reasons for this hike including the cost of parts shipping and the average prices of the units going up because the larger ones sell more than the medium and smaller ones, generally. The holiday season may or may not end up decreasing the prices as we’ve seen in some cases that the TV prices actually go up during the holiday season. It is definitely a miracle if you can find cheap TVs under $100 during any season of the year. 

While you are in the market for a new TV, and if this is a smart TV that you want to get, your aim might be to connect it to an online source so you can stream some content online. You should keep in mind that there are several streaming services that often geo-restrict content and not everything available in the US version might be available in your country. For this, you need to go now and purchase a robust VPN for streaming. This can be the VeePN VPN with its great features and a free trial that you can check out for compatibility. Enjoy an unlimited connection and great streaming all over with a good VPN. 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is an overall global shortage of chips and other parts that is causing frustration all over the world in different industries. Major companies like Samsung and other giants have estimated a further hike in TV prices due to this shortage. 

However, display producers have also seen an increase in the cost of large-area flat panel displays due to shortages. The current display driver chip drought will endure until at least the end of 2021, according to the research group OMDIA. Prices for TFT panels have already increased by 50% in 2020. A glass substrate, which is utilized to make display panels because of the scarcity of other materials, has risen to unprecedented levels for manufacturers.

An increasing backlog of chip orders has forced some foundries, such as TSMC, to employ their full capacity in order to keep up, with each of the top five continuing to launch over 1.5 million wafers per month. A variety of factors have combined despite these efforts to choke many industries, and this isn’t only the case for graphics cards and consoles. And as a result, we see no relief in TV prices globally and VPN TV streaming. 

Micron has warned that DRAM costs would rise as supply decreases, and laptop manufacturers have been forced to burn through their inventories because they can’t create new ones quickly enough to meet demand. Apple has had to delay iPad and MacBook production. There’s a 60-week delay between placing a new order and receiving your router.

As well as failing to forecast and prepare for the rapid increase in demand from those who want to avoid crowded public transportation, automakers played a significant role. This has given Intel, led by Pat Gelsinger, a new opportunity to begin manufacturing car chips before the end of the year.

The unprecedented chip drought is the result of a number of interrelated circumstances. When the pandemic hit, demand for home gadgets and cloud services exploded, and the economy slowed, some industries misjudged how much demand would fall as a result.

Other than traditional consumer technology, the effects might be felt in other areas as well. Automobile manufacturers in particular were taken by surprise because they had expected lower sales. Many automakers have been forced to halt production while they await supply reinforcements after canceling orders for semiconductor components in advance. In addition, there have been more widespread interruptions in the supply chain, such as a fire in March that shut down a Japanese company producing various semiconductor components, including display integrated circuits (DICs).

The United States-China geopolitical rivalry has also played a role. Sanctions levied by the US government against key Chinese consumer technology firms, including Huawei and ZTE, have prevented them from accessing the most cutting-edge processors, leading them to hoard them. And this is why TV prices have seen such a rise during the pandemic. 

Many analysts predict that the semiconductor bottleneck will endure for several months or maybe a year, which might lead to a reorganization of the worldwide chip industry. There is a shortage of advanced processors that will be necessary for advancement in important fields including artificial intelligence, 5G, and military technology as a result of the deficit.

As a result of the recent decline in Intel’s share in the US semiconductor market, the company promises to invest extensively to try and reclaim its former position as the market leader. As part of its endeavor to improve the country’s chip-making capacity, the US government has also proposed a $50 billion stimulus for the US chip sector. This might relieve some of the pressure and some high-quality TVs will be more affordable in the upcoming year. 

When buying a new TV, we would suggest, you get it either from a sale or hold off on the heavy investment till the global situation settles and you can get one for a more fair price. You need to consider factors like the screen size and the features and then decide whether it is worth the money to buy the model in this environment of hiked prices? You will also have to do a lot of comparisons to ensure you get the best option with the best price and features in the market. 

Do your research and go for a model that will last you a few good years and will be compatible with a VPN for streaming. Happy shopping.