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LCD TV Shipments forecast to double in four years

InformationWeek: Shipments of LCD TVs, the most popular selling flat-panel television, are expected to nearly double over the next four years, driven primarily by falling prices and consumer demand, a market research firm said Tuesday.
Worldwide shipments will rise to 193.9 million units by 2012, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 67% from 100.1 million units this year, iSuppli predicted.

“Consumers no longer want bulky, heavy CRT-TVs that have inferior resolution,” iSuppli analyst Riddhi Patel said in a statement. Instead, they’re buying slimmer liquid-crystal display sets, which are available for less than $1,000 (640 euro)in the 42-inch size. In the first quarter of 2006, such sets went for $2,000 (1280 euro)?or more.

Another factor in booming LCD sales is aggressive promotions by leading brands, Patel said. This is attracting consumers who may not be familiar with the technology, but have an interest in high-definition television after reading or hearing about it.

While cheaper, non-high definition LCD TVs are available, shipments of HD sets are expected to grow at a faster rate over the four-year period, reaching 104 million units, or 54% of the market by 2012, iSuppli said. In 2007, these sets accounted for only 14% of shipments.

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