Where TV size was once the priority, new data from DisplaySearch indicate that consumers are now looking for picture and sound quality with high-definition (HD)-ready sets. As of the middle of 2006, 70% of all plasma TVs shipped worldwide were HD-ready.
Panasonic has been the No. 1 plasma TV brand worldwide for the last eight quarters, according to DisplaySearch. During the first two quarters of 2006, its share among all vendors surged from 22% to 28%. By size, LGE remained No. 1 worldwide for 42-inch sets, while Panasonic was No. 1 for 37-inch, 42-inch and 50-inch sets. Hitachi remained No. 1 for 55-inch sets, and Samsung claimed the top position with sets that are 60 inches or larger."
Recent high demand for HD-ready sets corresponds to findings from the NPD Group. Their recent survey reported that 63% of respondents wanted their next TV to be HD-ready. However, the survey also indicated that a good percentage of TV owners are still unsure what HD is, or what the benefits are.
LCD TV sets are the competition to plasma, and according to the NPD Group are more likely to be the TV purchased over the next year among US TV owners. It is worth pointing out that LCDs are beginning to dominate the market for TV sets smaller than 43 inches while plasma concentrates on the top end in terms of size.
Owning a HD-ready TV set is one part of the puzzle; the other part is watching HD broadcasts. In the US, Screen Digest estimates that at the end of 2005 there were 19 million HDTV set owners in the country, equating to 17% of TV households, but only 11 million HDTV broadcast watchers.
Worldwide, there will be 20.3 million HDTV households in 2006, according to In-Stat, rising to 55 million by 2009.
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