EL SEGUNDO, USA: While Vizio Inc. maintained its leadership in the US LCD-TV market in the second quarter, No.-2 ranked Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. closed the gap significantly as buyers gravitated toward its LED-backlit sets, according to iSuppli Corp.
Samsung’s share of US LCD-TV unit shipments rose to 21.3 percent in the second quarter, up 3.5 points from 17.8 percent in the second quarter. The gain represented the largest increase of any LCD-TV brand in the United States in the second quarter. With its strong rise, Samsung of South Korea in second quarter cut Vizio’s lead to only 0.4 percentage points, down from 3.6 points in the first quarter.
“Samsung in the second quarter was very aggressive in introducing and marketing its LED-backlit LCD-TVs, allowing it to boost sales of these sets,” said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst, television systems, for iSuppli.
“US consumers increasingly are warming up to higher-specification LCD-TV models, including those using new LED-backlighting technology,” Patel added. “iSuppli estimates 2.2 percent of LCD-TVs shipped in the US in the second quarter used LED backlights, up from zero during the same quarter a year earlier.
“In mature markets like the United States, while many consumers are moving up from their CRT or rear-projection televisions, an increasing number of LCD-TV purchases are replacements of first-generation flat-panel sets. In these cases, consumers are gravitating toward higher-specification televisions, such as those with LED backlights.”
Unlike traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions that generate their own light, LCD-TVs require an additional illumination source—or backlight—in order to present a visible image. LCDs historically have employed Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) as backlights. However, due to price reductions, LEDs in recent years have become a viable alternative to CCFLs.
“LEDs deliver multiple advantages compared to CCFLs,” Patel said. “These include achieving greater power savings and thinner form factors for LCD-TV sets and the elimination of toxic materials employed in CCFL manufacturing.”
Global penetration of the LED-backlight technology for LCD-TV panels will increase to 37 percent of all shipments in 2013, up from 3 percent in 2009, iSuppli predicts.
Vizio retains market lead
Despite Samsung’s surge, Vizio retained leadership in the US LCD-TV market for the second consecutive quarter.”
“US-based Vizio continues to benefit from its combination of low-cost and full-featured sets, combined with its high-volume retail channels, including Wal-Mart,” Patel said. “The company seems to have found the right balance between price and features that appeals to many consumers.”
US LCD-TV market rebounds in Q2
The overall US LCD-TV market posted a strong performance in the second quarter, with shipments rising by 8.7 percent to 6.9 million units, up from 6.3 million in the first quarter. This represents a major turnaround from the first quarter, when shipments plunged by 15.3 percent.
“While sales of consumer electronics often decline in the first quarter compared to the hot holiday season in the fourth quarter, LCD-TVs have been so popular that they have defied this trend in recent years,” Patel said.
“For example, US television shipments rose by 5 percent sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2008. And even though the economic downturn clearly had a major impact on sales in the first quarter, the rebound in the second quarter shows the market has entered a recovery.”
Beyond demand for LED-backlit sets, second-quarter demand was stimulated by declining prices for older models.
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