Time is running out if you want to join the high-definition TV bandwagon before the Bears take the field for the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.
Retailers and service providers are putting on an HD sales blitz to get those big flat screens into living rooms across the Chicago area before the big game.
Salespeople and technicians say consumers lusting for a crisp, detailed view of Brian Urlacher smashing into Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts still have time to buy a set and get it installed–as long as they have reasonable expectations. It may not be possible to have the home theater of your dreams purchased, delivered and installed in the 10 days before kickoff.
When it comes to selling big and bold TVs, nothing draws buyers like the Super Bowl. According to a recent survey from the Consumer Electronics Association, 48 percent of HDTV owners who love sports bought their set to watch a specific sporting event, with the Super Bowl leading the pack at 13 percent. The Daytona 500 was next, at 7 percent.
The timing couldn’t be better for Bears fans: post-holiday sales are kicking in, and prices for the TVs have been steadily dropping.
“There’s a lot of promotional activity hitting now,” said Brian Lucas, a Best Buy spokesman. “There are very few events that lend themselves to parties around the television. This is one, and you want to make sure you’re catering to the interest.”
The HD trend is in full swing. This year will probably mark the first time more HD sets will be sold than traditional TVs.
In 2006, about 13.5 million HDTVs were shipped to retailers, according to the CEA, with that number expected to jump to 16 million in 2007. That would represent about 57 percent of all TVs sold for the year. Already, about 30 percent of U.S. households have a high-definition TV, said Sean Wargo, senior industry analyst for the CEA.
And now that the Bears are in the Super Bowl for the first time in 21 years, HD providers are preparing for a crush of activity to get new customers ready in time for the game.
At Best Buy in Geneva, activity in the TV department is “really hectic,” said Brad Granquist, who sells HDTVs and audio systems. “The bigger screens are selling well, as I guess people really want to impress their friends. The Bears are providing the motivation.”
At Comcast, “our expectation is that sales will go up 10 percent, thanks to the Super Bowl,” said Eric Schaefer, vice president of sales for the Chicago region. The cable provider is adding crews to handle a rush of installations, as well as diverting more self-install HD kits from Michigan and Minnesota to the Chicago and Indianapolis areas.
Over the past year, Comcast has been encouraging customers to install their own HD cable box, a process that Schaefer said can be done in 10 to 15 minutes and is no more difficult than adding a DVD player to a TV.
Purchasing an HDTV, though, is not as simple as walking into a store, buying a 50-inch screen and plugging it in. Planning is required, and if you want to watch the game in HD, start hustling.
A self-install kit from Comcast should be at your house, via mail, between 72 hours and 96 hours after placing an order. For a technician, if the order is placed before Saturday, you should be able to schedule an appointment, Schaefer said.
Satellite provider DirecTV also said new orders have increased across the country in recent days, and is adding crews to accommodate installations for new customers in the Chicago area within two to four days after placing an order.
If you’re an existing cable or satellite TV customer, you will need a new cable box or satellite dish and receiver for HD service.
But when it comes to hanging a 50-inch TV on the wall in time for the Super Bowl, customers could be out of luck.
“It only takes a day to do an installation, and there may still be some slots open,” said Brian Gunnarson, a specialist at the Bose store on Grand Avenue in Chicago, “but we won’t guarantee it can be done for the Super Bowl.”
