LCD TV Center

In the fall of 2008, the expectation was that consumers would be able to buy 52-inch LCD TV sets at the price of 40-inch LCD TVs 9 ,months previously, based on industry trends and price projections.

According to the market researcher DisplaySearch, the price of 52-inch LCD TVs was expected to fall to $2,300 by the third quarter of 2008. However, the economic downturn means that prices have further further and faster than expected.

Home appliance makers have targetted 52-inch LCD TV as the major item for the flat-panel TV market for the next year and they are competing to get their share of the market.

Samsung this year sold around 790,000 52-inch LCD TVs, but expects the sales to grow to 1.95 million units next year aided by new products based on 120Hz technology and equipped with LED backlights.

LG Electronics has added wireless transmission and PC connectivity features to its lineup of 52-inch LCD TVs

Samsung’s LE52F96BD’s 52-inch LCD TVs is a leading example of the category. It uses Samsung’s Digital Natural Image engine to improve colour saturations/tones and fine detailing, as well as providing further boosts to black levels and motion control.

The most interesting capability of the TV though is LED backlighting using an array of LED backlights, which are all individually controllable.

The advantages of this approach are much deeper black levels and a jaw-dropping contrast ratio of 500,000:1.

With HD DVDs dark scenes like the opening shots of Ocean’s Thirteen on Blu-ray look spectacular and dynamic because the range between the screen’s peak whites and deepest blacks is huge and because the darkness contains more subtle detailing helping the picture look more full of depth.

DisplaySearch produce a report called the “LCD TV Value Chain Report”, as a research tool for the TFT LCD industry.

The report analyses the supply chain relationships between LCD TV module makers, LCD TV manufacturers and LCD TV brands.

According to the Q3 2006 report, 10.8 million LCD TV units were shipped.

77 percent of the LCD TVs were produced by LCD TV brands’ (e.g. Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Philips etc) in-house production lines.

The remaining 23 percent of the were made by external OEMs i.e. produced for “house brands” and the like.

Highlights of the Q3 2006 Report:

Note that the following LCD TV brands outsourced 100% of their LCD TV set manufacturing:
- Dell
- Grundig
- HP
- Polaroid
- Relysis
- Syntax-Brillian
- Vizio
- ViewSonic
- Westinghouse

Of 23% LCD TVs that were outsourced, the major subcontracted manufacturers were TPV, Jabil, AmTRAN, Quanta and Vestel. Jabil was the only manufacturer in the top 10 that was not also a TV brand.

Samsung was the leading LCD TV set manufacturer with 13.2% share in Q3 2006, closely followed by Sharp. Philips, Samsung, Sharp and Sony were the top customers for 6 of the top 7 suppliers.

Top LCD TV OEMs by size:
- Samsung LCD TVs led at 26”-27” and 32” and was #2 at 40”. These three sizes accounted for a 55% share of Q3’06 shipments.

- Philips was in the top 3 at each of the sizes it participated in.

- Funai led the 20”-21” segment with a 16% share.

- Sharp LCD TV had a high share at 37” at 21%.

- Sony and LGE dominated the 40” and 42” segments with 40% and 25% shares respectively.