RCA Announces DTV Price Promo

As other manufacturers continue to push to get digital television set-top decoder boxes into the market, Thomson is already running a price promotion behind its RCA DTC100 to entice DTV (digital television) shoppers to pick up two of its 4:3 ""high-resolution"" monitors.Thomson recently started working with select RCA retailers to run the high-definition TV promotion through April 23, 2000. Shoppers are offered a price break on the DTC-100 with the purchase of either the RCA MM36100, a 36-inch high-resolution monitor ($2,499), or the RCA MM52100, a 52-inch rear projection model ($3,299). Both models will display the 1080i HDTV (high-definition television) format scan rate.Under the offer, the customer essentially gets a discount coupon on the DTC-100 for $499. This will enable a final package price of $2,499 for the MM36100 and set-top box, and $2,999 for the MM52100 and DTC-100 combo. The DTC-100 sells for $649, and the DIRECTVÆ-Plus dish, required to receive DIRECTV service through the decoder, sells for an additional $199.""Obviously, the program is designed to accelerate interest in DTV, in this case an affordable system that provides both HD-quality picture performance plus the home entertainment excitement of DIRECTV programming, including HDTV from DIRECTV,"" a Thomson spokesman said.