Europeans sniff at anything under 37 inches
Telly visual
WE ARE ALL a bunch of couch potatoes, according to a new consumer electronics industry report, which reckons that last year alone, global TV shipments rose by four per cent to about 200 million units.
The report drawn up by Understanding & Solutions says it expects sales to continue to rise even more, estimating they could reach 280 million units, worth $160bn, by 2012.
The sharp rise in laziness is the fault of flat panel TVs, which are replacing the CRT sets. Emerging markets are also to blame for global sloth, with over 50 per cent of global TV shipments going south in 2007. The report notes that this number is more than likely to rise to more than 65 per cent by 2012.
LCD screen tellies accounted for 40 per cent of shipments and 64 per cent of market value in 2007, but that number is slated to rise to over 80 per cent By 2012.
The report also implies that if it isn't at least 37 inches, it won't satisfy most Europeans. Confirming that size definitely does matter, shipments of TVs with screens larger than 37 inches have risen from just four per cent to 23 per cent in the last three years. That number is predicted to grow even more by 2012 to 40 per cent.
The report also notes that the larger our screens, the more we will all crave High Definition TV, meaning that Blu-Ray will probably see a boost in uptake.
Major upcoming sporting events like the Olympics, the Football World Cup and the UEFA championships, will apparently entrench us into our sofas even more with predicted TV market growth spikes based around those events. µ
Comments
Watch out for Closing hdmi 1.3 models, everywhere
Just read 20 ads in V tech & all models, 1080P, thou for ~42" lcd, with one clinker, they all are hdmi 1.3, which is inherrent defective standard, it plays, however it has RUMBLE. At least Advanced tuning is sure thing for next year. BTW Pioneer is quiting Plasma, too many returns.Next question, How good looking could Neon colors be?drashek
Please elaborate drashek
Titillating comments drashek. Can you tell more about HDMI 1.3 Rumble? with link? I thought clearouts were related to the new 1.3a standard. As for Pioneer, I also thought their getting out was due to the market's unwillingness to swallow their premium pricing, not to manufacturing defects (too many returns?) More details as well as link(s) about this would be welcomed. ThanksAT adds: For God's sake, don't encourage him.
TFT is crap.
try watching sport on a TFT, it looks crap.Manufacturers want to make TFT as it's cheaper to make, but Plasma is clearly far better technology.
Consumer choice?
Yeah right, totally misses the point that it is IMPOSSIBLE to find anything that could replace my dying 32" CRT (situation as of month ago). Had to take a plunge and go for a fresher second-hand telly that will last a year or two.32" LCDs? Picture quality is awful - all the nice circuitry that makes it at least remotely bearable is reserved for 40"+ premium models. CRTs? Non existent anymore.
It has nothing to do with consumer "choice" - just pure basic fact that merchants make far more profit from flogging shitty overpriced LCDs/plasmas - they take up less warehouse area, you know.