SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – Global TV shipments declined for the second straight quarter, falling 8% since last year, but demand for larger sets continues to grow. This according to the latest NPD DisplaySearch Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.
The decline in TV shipments started in Q4’11 and has continued in 2012, reflecting worsening economic conditions worldwide and slower price erosion, which both affect consumer demand said NPD in a release.
Japan has been the hardest hit, with Q2’12 shipments plunging 77 percent year over year to less than 1.4 million. In developed markets, TV shipments were down 23% year over year, while emerging market growth slowed to 3 percent from double-digit growth at the end of 2011. China, a strong driver of emerging market growth, rebounded from a Q1’12 decrease, growing 6 percent in the second quarter. Eastern Europe continued double-digit demand growth, but all the other emerging markets saw shipment levels fall from a year earlier.
“A sharp decline of demand in Japan and a correction in Europe following the analog broadcast shut-offs in 2010 and 2011 have significantly impacted the TV market and contributed to a decline in shipments,” noted Paul Gagnon, director, North American TV Research for NPD DisplaySearch. “Emerging markets have also been affected by softer shipment growth recently, related to a rapid decline in demand for CRT TVs and to less price erosion in flat panels. Despite this, the growth in demand for larger screen sizes and the increasing feature mix is cause for optimism.”
LCD TV shipments were down year over year for the second quarter in a row, falling 2 percent, but demand for LCD TVs of 40” and larger is strong, with second quarter shipments rising more than 15 percent year over year. Advanced features within the LCD TV market also showed improvement, as LED, high frame rate, and 3D all increased in share during Q2’12. Meanwhile, plasma TV shipments fell for the sixth straight quarter, down by more than 20 percent.
