Shipments of TVs worldwide rebounded in the fourth quarter of 2010 from a sharp decline the previous quarter, according to the latest tally from display market authority DisplaySearch.
In its “Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report,” DisplaySearch reports for Q4 2010 global TV shipments grew 15 percent to a record 77.6 million units.
The improvement in annual growth rate, which had fallen 9 percent year over year in Q3 2010, can be attributed to growth in developed markets, particularly North America, which experienced a substantial slowdown during the first half of the year.
China was the only region to decline in Q4 2010, falling 2 percent Y/Y as a significant decline in CRT TV shipments more than offset growth of LCD and plasma.
For the first time since Q1 2010, LCD TVs had stronger Y/Y growth than plasma TVs as prices for LED-backlit LCD TV models fell a little faster, increasing LED share to 30 percent for the first time. Prices for standard CCFL-backlit LCD TVs also fell a little more quickly because panel price declines upstream in the supply chain trickled down to retail prices.
Plasma TV shipments grew 20 percent year over year; although, there are signs that the growth rate is starting to slow as LCD TV prices have become competitive at several key sizes, particularly 42in. Global CRT TV shipments continue to contract at a rate of about 30 percent Y/Y each quarter.
New DisplaySearch research also found that 3-D TVs accounted for about 9 percent of total TV revenues worldwide in Q4 2010. LED-backlit LCD TVs also continued to grow in share, rising to 30 percent of total LCD TV unit shipments for the first time, while 120Hz and higher frame rates accounted for just less than a quarter of LCD units.
