Santa Clara, Calif. – Total worldwide TV market shipments rose
3.7 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2011 to 62 million units,
representing a 12 percent increase from the previous quarter, according to
research just released by The NPD Group’s
unit.
The increase marked a healthy rebound from the 1 percent
year-to-year shipment decline in Q2 2011 and weak 1 percent year-to-year gain in
Q1, the DisplaySearch “Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast
Report” stated.
However, orders for LCD and plasma panels used in the production
of TV sets were both down in the period, resulting in a somewhat lean inventory
situation toward the end of the quarter.
With supply-chain inventory problems persisting well into midyear,
many TV brands cut back on their shipment plans for 2011 and reduced panel
orders in Q3, which resulted in larger price declines for those core panels,
DisplaySearch said.
The positive for consumers is that there will be even more
attractive retail set pricing during the upcoming holiday season, particularly
during Black Friday in the United States, DisplaySearch predicted.
“End-market demand has been weak in North America during most of
2011, with unit shipments falling around 4 percent year to year through the
first three quarters of the year,” said Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch North
America TV market research director. “However, consumers, still quite sensitive
to pricing, may be delaying purchases until the holidays when they expect to
see the best deals. Consumers have learned this practice from observing
previous holiday selling periods.”
Many suppliers have taken a conservative approach to inventory
for the holidays. Therefore, if demand is better than expected, there may not
be much slack in the supply chain to fulfill restocking orders. This could
potentially lead to some product shortages.
LCD TV shipments worldwide were about 1 percent better than forecasted,
rising 12.9 percent year to year to 51.5 million units, compared with
single-digit annual growth during Q1 and Q2 2011.
This is a good indication of improving demand in end markets.
Retail prices for some LCD sizes are falling below key price levels, like $300
for 32-inch and $500 for 40- to 42-inch.
The transition to LED backlights continues, but the rate of
adoption has been slower than expected. LED-backlit models have not been able
to pass the 50 percent level, accounting for 48 percent of total LCD TV shipments,
with the vast majority of those being edge-lit models.
Similarly, higher-frame-rate models (120Hz or higher) have been
mostly unchanged through 2011, representing about 22 percent of LCD shipments
in the quarter. 3D grew to about 11 percent of LCD TVs, up from 9 percent in
Q2.
The slower growth of these two advanced features is indicative of
a continuation of conservative consumer spending and reluctance to pay
significant premiums.
Plasma TV shipments had shown increasing softness in recent quarters,
declining 6 percent year to year in Q2 2011 and falling 14 percent year to year
in Q3 2011 to 4.1 million units.
The decline in plasma TV shipments is the result of closer price
competition with LCD models, leading to a transfer of market share at key sizes
like 42-inch and 50-inch.
In addition, poor profitability at plasma TV heavyweight
Panasonic has led to a shift in focus to larger models and more richly featured
sets with less emphasis on price competition.
Within plasma, 720p models account for about two thirds of unit
shipments, but DisplaySearch forecasts a bigger shift to 1080p in the near
future.
Finally, 3D rose to about 27 percent of plasma TV shipments in
Q3.
The study show 3D representing 11 percent of total worldwide TV unit
shipments and 27 percent of revenue.
3D continued to see solid gains in shipment and revenue
penetration worldwide, DisplaySearch said, with Western Europe and China
representing the greatest demand of 3D, at 13 percent and 11 percent of total
TV unit shipments, respectively.
North America was initially forecast to be the leading market for
3DTV, but 3D accounted for only about 8.5 percent of total unit shipments. An
unwillingness to pay much of a premium for 3D, and lower availability of
low-cost 3D sets, compared with regions like China, have impacted uptake of 3D,
DisplaySearch reasoned.
During the upcoming holiday selling season in the U.S., 3D is not
expected to be highly promoted. Instead, retailers will focus on large sizes
with strong value pricing, but with lighter feature content, according to the
report.
For brand share, DisplaySearch said Samsung help onto its No. 1
ranking as a global TV brand, leading in LCD and plasma TV, according to
DisplaySearch.
Samsung’s global flat-panel TV revenue share rose slightly in the
third quarter to 22.8 percent, taking a large lead over No. 1 ranked LG.
Samsung was the No. 1 brand on a revenue basis in every region, with the
exception of Japan, where it does not sell TVs, and led LG (a strong emerging
market brand) in Asia Pacific and Latin America, DisplaySearch said.
Samsung was No. 1 in LCD and plasma TV revenue, No. 2 in CRT TV
revenue, and was the only top five brand to post year-to-year revenue growth in
the period.
LG was the No. 2 brand worldwide, at 13.1 percent with small quarter-to-quarter
and year-to-year revenue declines. It ranked second in LCD TV and third in
plasma TV, but continued to lead in CRT TV with more than double the revenue
share of any other brand.
Sony remained the No. 3 brand, worldwide, in global flat-panel TV
revenue during the third quarter, but saw a significant decrease in market
share, posting a 13 percent year-to-year decline in total revenue.
Panasonic and Sharp rounded out the top five, with Sharp gaining
revenue share on increased shipments of large sizes, like 60 inches.
Samsung was the No. 1 global brand of 3DTV overall, accounting
for all technologies, with 31 percent of revenue. Within the 3D LCD TV
category, Samsung was No. 1 while Panasonic claimed the top 3D plasma TV
revenue share.
