Global LCD television sales jump 135%

Global sales of liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions jumped 135 per cent in the April-June quarter from a year earlier to…

Global sales of liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions jumped 135 per cent in the April-June quarter from a year earlier to a record 9.4 million units, a research firm said.

Philips Electronics is leading the market with a 13.5 per cent share, US-based DisplaySearch said.

LCD TVs accounted for 22 per cent of the world's TV market in the second quarter of 2006 in unit terms, up from 17 per cent in the first quarter.

Flat-panel televisions such as LCD TVs and plasma TVs have seen explosive demand growth in recent years, driven by people trading in bulky cathode ray tube sets for sleek big-screen models, as well as sharp price declines.

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Behind Philips, Samsung Electronics came in second with a 13.1 per cent share, bumping Sharp, which held a 11.8 per cent share, down to third place from second in January-March.

In revenue terms, LCD TVs posted even sharper growth as manufacturers shift their focus to larger-sized models, which carry higher margins.

Global LCD TV revenues rose 138 per cent on the year to a record $11.3 billion in the second quarter, representing 47 per cent of the worldwide TV market.

Sony maintained its position as the world's top LCD TV supplier in value terms with a 16 per cent share, closely followed by Samsung with 15.4 per cent and Philips with 11 per cent.

Sony swung to a quarterly profit in April-June, helped by robust sales of its Bravia brand LCD TVs.