Average price of flat-panel TVs rises 3% in second quarter

The average price of a flat-panel TV rose 3% to $1,224 in the second quarter from the first quarter, the highest in more than two years, as consumers opted for sets with bigger screens and advanced features such as Internet connection.

But that trend also created buying opportunities for those looking for sets with smaller screens, those in the 32- to 42-inch range.

The average price of a 32-inch flat-panel TV fell to $435 in the second quarter, down 12% from $495 in the first quarter, according to a report from market research firm IHS iSuppli. Also, the average price in June for a 42-inch LCD TV plunged to an all-time low of $761, down from $807 in May, after two consecutive months of price hikes, the report said.

The increase in the overall average price was attributed to retail stores stocking more sets “sporting advanced technologies, such as 3-D, integrated interactivity and light-emitting diode (LED) backlight technology used in LCD TV sets,” said Edward Border, a TV technology analyst at IHS.

Retailers increased their stocks of 3-D sets to 30.9% in the second quarter from 27.8% in the first quarter. Similarly, the supply of smart TVs, or those that can be connected to the Internet, went up to 44.3% from 40.9% over the same time period.

“Consumers also are buying a larger portion of sets with Web 2.0 features characteristic of smart TVs,” Border said. “Moreover, some large-sized television models in both the LCD and plasma categories increased their share, contributing to overall growth in pricing.”

william.d’urso@latimes.com