I bought a 55" LED HDTV 3 years ago. Paid close to $1700-1800.
The same TV sells for $500-600 (new) now but I still have to consider that I've had 3 years use of mine.
Early adopters always pay a higher cost in any industry, for research & development costs, for patents, for bug fixes, etc.
Comparable, competitive products in a competitive marketplace are typically the main factors determining a product's price.
My .02.