DisplaySearch reports in its latest research that global LCD TV shipments jumped 135 percent year-over-year, while falling about 15 percent quarter-over-quarter to 7.4 million units. The firm's findings indicated LCD sets had the fastest annual growth and smallest quarterly decline of any television technology in the first quarter of 2006.
LCD revenue grew nearly as fast as LCD shipments, due mostly to gains in larger-sized sets. Revenues rose about 114 percent year-to-year, while falling 12 percent quarter-to-quarter to $8.8 billion. Screen sizes 20, 21, 37, 40, 42 and 45 inches (and larger) gained marketshare -- while 22-, 23-, 26-, 27-, 30- and 32-inch sets experienced either flat sales or lost share. Marketshare for 37-inch and larger units climbed slightly to 14 percent on a unit-sold basis, and to 32 percent on a revenue basis.
LCD overtook CRT in the 30- to 34-inch size categories for the first time on a unit-sold basis in Q1 2006. According to DisplaySearch, all regions had growth of at least 116 percent year-to-year -- except Japan, which grew 35 percent. Europe and China continued taking share from North America and Japan. (In Europe, the upcoming World Cup is being credited with sales momentum in the first half of 2006, especially in countries that qualified for the soccer tourney.)
