I spent over a year trying to find the perfect lift cabinet and ended up with this same piece. Prices are coming down and you can find some models under $2000. The problem with the cheaper units is not only the quality of the furniture, but the lift mechanisms can be cheap. The lift inside of EA's are high quality and retail for $1200 to $1500 for the Lift alone.
That being said, I recommend carefully considering why you want one of these. It is still a large piece and if you have to orient your furniture for tv viewing, you might as well save $2000 and get small thin armoire (Horchow has some nice ones). The only time I would spend the money again is if you placed the piece where no one would ever guess a tv was inside. The piece is good quality, but does have some burl veneers, and you really can't put much on top of it or it will obstruct the lift.
We have a tv in another room and it pulls out from a recessed wall niche. This works much better for us and you have the ability to move the tv from side to side. We are considering doing the same with the tv in this room and getting a wall lift that raises and lowers a mirror or painting over the tv. These are still pricey, around 2k.
Don't get me wrong, the EA piece is very cool, but the novelty has worn off and we are considering putting ours on Craigslist. Good luck!