News flash: There are more high-quality cheap TVs than you realize

If you pay any attention to the flat-panel TV market, you know there are a number of up-and- coming “off-brand” companies that are delivering quality sets. The story waiting to be told, however, is that there is more brand news in this end of the market.

Take a look at what Broksonic is doing. They’ve been around for some time, but we’ve started taking notice of them because their line is becoming more deep and sophisticated. They’re a heavy discounter, but they’ve got a decent 50-inch plasma screen and some very nice smaller units.

TCL is an Australian company with some decent-looking sets, particularly their cheaper liquid crystal displays.

It’s easy to think of brands like these as the bottom of the barrel. But the bottom of the barrel is getting better all the time.

Higher-end audio getting street cred in the CE industry

We touched on this a couple weeks ago during the Consumer Electronics Show, but we thought we’d mention it again because we haven’t seen much coverage anywhere. Better audio systems are getting some interest from the larger consumer electronics world. Until recently, high-performance, high-priced audio components have been the land of the walking dead. Big-box stores didn’t want to waste time catering to discriminating customers. And with so many computers, TVs and cameras to sell to the masses, why bother?

Overall sales of component audio fell in 2006. But with PC sales flattening, monitor profits thinning and margin-rich Apple being the only company that can seem to sell anything, traditional retailers are looking for new ways to make money.

Offering better audio products is one of the tactics they‘re trying. The hope is, with a little pushing consumers will take their love of the iPod and turn to high-performance audio.

It was given its own area at CES.

And Best Buy has been opening Magnolia outlets inside its stores, carrying brands like Denon, Pioneer Elite, Martin Logan and Vienna Acoustics.

Will it work? Someone should check it out and let us all know.

Cool stuff worth tracking

• New do-it-yourself video tools.
• Alienware ships another insane gaming laptop.
• More spam: Direct marketing is coming, so says study from Alterian.
• Radio tags (RFID) not selling so well.
• XM Satellite Radio/Hollywood suit goes forward.
• Really wild immersion game device.

And finally … the world in exactly seven pictures

You know what they say — a picture is worth 1,000 words