LCD-TV shipments to nearly double by 2012

Worldwide shipments will rise to 193.9 million units by 2012, increasing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 67% from 100.1 million units in 2008. This growth is being driven by widespread acceptance in worldwide markets. “Consumers no longer want bulky, heavy CRT-TVs that have inferior resolution,” said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. “Instead, they want space-efficient sets that can support the full-HD 1080p pixel format. Furthermore, declining prices are enabling more consumers to adopt the technology. LCD-TVs in the 42-inch size range in the first quarter of 2006 were priced at $2,000 and above, but now can be purchased for less than $1,000, making them affordable for a wider range of consumers.” Another factor promoting greater consumer acceptance is aggressive promotion of LCD-TV technology by the leading brands. Regionally, Europe and North America continue to be the largest markets for LCD-TVs. Shipments in those regions will grow at 13% and 10% CAGRs between 2008 and 2012, respectively. Japanese shipments will remain flat, but sales in China will rise due to the huge interest spurred by the Olympic Games in 2008. Furthermore, increasing availability of content is increasing consumer incentives to buy a full-HD set. Shipments of full-HD sets will grow at a 45% CAGR between 2008 and 2012 to reach 104 million units (54% of the market) by 2012. In 2007, these sets accounted for a mere 14% of LCD-TV shipments, but will grow to 23% of the 100-million-unit market in 2008. This chart has been produced by iSuppli.