One of the most frustrating parts about being a fan of Sony products (and somebody who covers the company) is their convoluted pricing strategy. Unlike PlayStation announcing the price for a new model or accessory which is then replicated by retailers, a majority of Sony products come with an MSRP. The problem with the structure is that Sony is truly emphasizing the suggest part of MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price).

Besides being confusing, this also can help garner bad PR for Sony and play into the “too expensive” narrative that’s been haunting them the past few years. Take the newly released Xperia X which was announced with a £549 MSRP. The kicker is that most retailers will instead be selling the device for £499 which sounds a hell of a lot better. The MSRP instead simply acts as a cap and in such a competitive market, be it TV or mobile, you can rest assured that nobody will be trying to sell them for more.

With the company’s 2016 fleet of 4K HDR TVs now widely available, it’s time to take a look at the pricing Sony introduced and the price you’ll actually pay. The difference? Quite dramatic, actually.

Sony X930D:

• 75-inch (XBR-75X940D)
  • $7,999.99 – $6,499.99

• 65-inch (XBR-65X930D)
  • $4,999.99 – $2,999.99

• 55-inch (XBR-55X930D)
  • $3,299.99 – $1,999.99

Sony X850D:

• 85-inch (XBR-85X850D)
  • $9,999.99 – $7,999.99

• 75-inch (XBR-75X850D)
  • $4,999.99 – $3,499.99

• 65-inch (XBR-65X850D)
  • $3,499.99 – $2,199.99

• 55-inch (XBR-55X850D)
  • $2,499.99 – $1,399.99

As someone who has been eyeing the X940D, the $1,500 price discrepancy between what Sony announced and what I would actually pay is the difference between me also walking out with their top-of-the-line sound bar or not. For many others, it might be the barrier between affordability or not.

When shopping at Best Buy or perusing Amazon for instance, $1,399 for a 55-inch X850D sure sounds and looks a lot better than $2,499 and I’m not sure why Sony doesn’t see this as something that’s negatively impacting them. After all, it’s not as if any of their retail partners are opting to sell at MSRP.

Discuss:

What do you think about the actual pricing on Sony’s 2016 TV lineup?