Large flat TV screens are still selling, even in the ailing US economy, says researcher DisplaySearch, with shipments up 28% over this time last year to more than 9.3 million units last quarter. But then again pricing will have come down, so perhaps that’s not an increase in revenues.
LCD TV shipments rose by 52% over last year to 7.5 million units, much of it in the small to mid-range screen sizes, such as 19′, 22′ and 32.’ Plasma panels also grew by 34% and a new start up HD entrant Vizio, came into the US market, taking a 13% market share overnight. But it was LCD TVs which took an almost 80% unit share on the flat TV screen market there.
Samsung was the leading brand with total TV shipment share surging to a record 19.1% of all TV unit shipments in North America during the quarter and 18.3% of the LCD TVs. Samsung overtook Sony in 40 inch LCD TVs, the prime shipment size.
Sony held onto the number 2 spot in total in LCD TV shipments but its share dropped from 13.4% to 11.7%.
Panasonic remained the top North American Plasma TV supplier with a 31.2% market share, down by around 4%, and it easily held the major market share in 1080p plasma TV shipments.