Flat-Panel Pricing Hits Two-Year High

The average retail pricing for U.S. flat-panel televisions rose to the highest level in two-and-a-half years during the second quarter, driven by the growing proportion of TV sets bearing advanced features and large display sizes, according to IHS iSuppli U.S. TV Price and Specifications Market Tracker Report from information and analytics provider IHS iSuppli (NYSE: IHS).The firm said that pricing for U.S. flat-panel televisions reached $1,224 during the second quarter, up a healthy 3 percent from $1,190 in the previous quarter, and up by an even larger 9 percent from $1,124 a year ago in the second quarter of 2011. The second-quarter level represented the peak pricing point in the U.S. market for at least 10 quarters, dating to the beginning of 2010.