Going back three or four years ago, Clark got calls about HDTVs every couple months. Then, around Halloween 2005, the calls became more frequent and they haven’t stopped since. Last year alone, 50 million flat panel HDTVs were sold. That’s just that model. There are tons more on the market. The Wall Street Journal did some research on this topic to see which TVs are the most popular models. By far, the 42-inch high-def plasma is on top. About two years ago, those were more than $4,000. Today, a common price point is $999 and you can find them for even less. Large-sized LCDs are also popular. Ones that cost $2,100 a year or two ago are now $1,200. In general, prices have dropped by about 40 percent and it’s only going to go lower. Looking forward, competition at the wholesale and retail level is going to drive prices down even more. This Christmas, it’s possible that an HDTV will cost $500. What you need to remember is to never buy an extended warranty on these televisions. You never want to ensure a rapidly depreciating asset and that is what these TVs are. In fact, it’s a good idea to buy the entry-level model, if you’re thinking of purchasing. The higher the price, the more it will drop in value. When the HDTV market stabilizes in three or four years, then it’s okay to overpay for a fancy brand name. But until then, just get the standard product.