In 2012, LCD TVs will still account for 67% of the leading TV technology LED backlights.

According to DisplaySearch, TV market demand in 2011 was lower than expected, but it began to improve somewhat in the later period. However, due to the impact of early inventory pressure, retail shipments have declined significantly, which has led to an increase in global TV shipments of only 0.1% in 2011. According to the latest quarterly TV shipment and forecast report released by NPD DisplaySearch, TV shipments in 2012 are expected to increase by 2% to 254 million units.

“The global economic environment began to improve in 2011, but it is slower than expected. Mature markets, especially in Europe, still face uncertainties. Consumers are also relatively cautious about spending.” said Paul Gagnon, director of North American television research at NPD DisplaySearch. The TV supply chain is becoming more and more sophisticated. In addition, brand manufacturers have added LED backlighting and high-end performance such as 3D to increase the value of their products. The current TV prices are not as large as in previous years, and many consumers are increasingly inclined to wait until the promotion period to purchase TVs. With flat-panel TVs replacing CRT TVs gradually drawing to a close, despite the continued growth of flat-panel TVs, the growth rate has been relatively slow, with an annual increase of 2-4%. Regardless of shipments or revenue performance, LCD TVs are the mainstream technology type. Coupled with the fact that LCD TVs have reduced in size and the price difference of plasma TVs, the market demand for plasma TVs has further declined. NPD DisplaySearch predicts that the plasma TV market will continue to decline while reducing market forecasts.

Large-size TVs continue to grow strongly. In 2012, 40-inch and larger TVs are expected to grow by 12%, while TVs under 40 inches will drop by 3%. The price is an important reason for the rapid development of large-size TVs, and it is also an important factor in the increase in shipments of 50-inch TVs by up to 18%. In 2012, the average selling price of 50-inch or higher TVs was less than 1,000 US dollars. Even the average selling price of TVs with 60-inch or more was lower than 2,000 US dollars for the first time. During the United States Black Friday, the average price of 40-inch to 47-inch TVs is less than 500 US dollars, and the average price of 60-inch TVs is even lower than 1,000 US dollars. Such a low price forcefully attracted consumers and drove the fiery sales of the TV market. Within the established budget, many consumers are more inclined to purchase large-size TVs that are cost-effective and discard some high-end TV performance. In China, the growth of 50-inch and larger TVs is very strong. China is expected to become the only market in the world with a growth rate of 10% for 50-inch and larger TVs, except North America.

LCD TV will still be the leading TV technology in 2012, and the market share of LED backlight will reach 67%

In 2012, LCD TV shipments will increase from 200 million to 6 million in 2011 to 225 million, with an annual growth rate of 9%. In 2011, LCD TVs accounted for more than 82% of global television shipments. With the decline in demand for plasma TVs and a small amount of OLED TVs entering the market in the latter part of the year, the LCD TV shipments accounted for over 88% of the total shipments in 2012. LCD TVs are very competitive in all sizes. In 2014, as CRT TVs basically withdrew from the market and OLED TVs developed slowly, the proportion of LCD TVs market will climb to more than 95%.

LCD TVs with LED backlighting and 3D performance continue to grow and stabilize the average selling price of LCD TVs. In 2011, the weighted average price fell by only 6% compared with last year, becoming the slowest year for LCD TV prices. It is expected that the price reduction will remain unchanged in 2012 and the decline will increase slightly to 7-8% by 2015, but it is still far below the 24% drop in 2009. However, with the decrease in the average selling price, the overall revenue of LCD TVs will maintain an average annual increase of 1-3% by 2013. LED backlighting will account for 46% of shipments of LCD TVs in 2011 and will rise to nearly 68% in 2012; 3D shipments will account for about 3% in 2011.

In 2010, due to price advantage over LCD TVs, plasma TV shipments grew by 30%. However, as the price advantage weakened in 2011, the annual decline in plasma TV shipments reached 11%, with shipments at 16.3 million units. The decline in shipments and profit margins have caused manufacturers to shift their focus to higher profit segments. By 2015, shipments of plasma TVs are expected to drop below 10 million units.

The first batch of OLED TVs is expected to ship in the second half of 2012, but due to the initial selling price of more than 4,000 US dollars, much higher than the mainstream high-end LCD TVs, it is expected that by 2015, the market share of OLED TVs with 40-inch or more will be higher. Only 2.5%.

In 2011, shipments of 3D TVs in emerging markets and Europe were higher than expected. As a result, global 3D TV shipments rose slightly, with shipments exceeding 23 million units. On the contrary, in the North American market, 3D TV shipments were only 3.6 million units in 2011, as consumers are still very cost-effective and demand for 3D TVs is far below expectations. However, as consumers are more interested in 40-inch and larger TVs, and 3D is also commonly used in TVs of these sizes, and as TV prices drop, the proportion of 3D in the North American market will increase. Globally, 3D TV shipments are expected to exceed 100 million units by 2015.

Emerging markets in China, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will become the main areas for the growth of flat-panel TVs in the next four years, with an average annual growth rate of 11%, while developed regions will decline by an average of 1% annually. In fact, China has become the largest flat-panel TV market and will maintain its leading position during the forecast period. With the rise of the Indian market, the Asia Pacific region will become the strongest market.

DisplaySearch recently published quarterly TV shipments and forecast reports. The report analyzed the panel and TV shipments, television costs, price forecasts and designs for 60 brands for 16 consecutive quarters by region, brand, and size.