Are plasma TV brands staging a comeback?

As I was researching the best TV deals for the Black Friday shopping weekend, I came across an interesting development: There were a number of low-priced plasma TVs being offered by brands that either previously weren't selling plasma TVs, or that had exited the plasma TV business years ago.

Earlier this year, you could find plasma sets only from three major brands—LG Electronics, Panasonic and Samsung—plus a few models from Insignia, Best Buy's house brand. More recently, plasma sets from Sanyo, a brand sold through Walmart, began appearing in our TV Ratings (available to subscribers).

But in just the past month, plasma TVs from brands including Element, RCA, Viore, and Zenith have appeared in advertisements. (We're still seeing some plasma sets from Hitachi, available at Sears Outlet, but they appear to be leftovers, not new models.) All of these TVs were especially low-priced and were often used as doorbuster specials that broke price barriers for sets in their size category.

For example, Kmart and Sears had a 42-inch Zenith set (Z42PJ240) for $400 (it's now $450), while Walmart is still selling a 42-inch RCA (42PA30RQ) for $399, and a 42-inch Element (ELPCFT421) for even less at $379. A 42-inch Viore 720p  set (PD42VH80), bundled with an RCA HTIB, is $499, and its 50-inch sibling (no bundle) is $529 at the chain.

So we've been wondering: Is the jump in the number of plasma brands we're seeing a short-term phenomenon designed to attract budget-conscious shoppers this holiday season, or is part of a longer-term plasma resurgence? After all, plasma TV sales rebounded strongly this year, and they're often less expensive than comparably sized LCD sets.

My guess is that many of these brands will disappear from the plasma market after the holiday season, especially as the costs for some LCD components, such as LED backlights, continue to fall. But it will be interesting to see if any remain, and if we once again see these names resurface during Black Friday, 2011.

—James K. Willcox