Local companies beating out Japanese TV makers with brisk 3-D TV sales


Samsung and LG led the global television market during the second quarter of this year on the back of brisk sales of 3-D TVs and other high-end sets, research institute data showed on Monday.

Samsung Electronics stood at No. 1 in the market with a share of 22.6 percent in terms of revenue, followed by LG Electronics with a 14.4 percent share, according to a report by U.S.-based market research firm DisplaySearch.

The two stayed at the top in terms of units of TVs sold, with Samsung holding an 18.7 percent stake in the market and LG following with 13.9 percent.

After the two local electronics makers came Japan’s Sony with an 11.7 percent market share in terms of revenue, followed by Panasonic and Sharp, which each had a market share of 9.4 percent and 7 percent, DisplaySearch said.

Particularly in 3-D flat TVs, the two firms showed stellar performance, with Samsung taking the lead with 34.4 percent market share, while LG was at third place with 12.4 percent.

Sony was ahead of LG with a 17.5 percent stake, but the figures reflected a near 10-percentage point decline compared to the first quarter of this year.

LG Electronics, on the other hand, rose above 10 percent for the first time.

“3-D TVs are definitely picking up in regions all over the world, including in North America where there is a huge demand for local electronics goods,” said Kim Kyung-hwan, a spokesman for LG Electronics.

Even when compared in terms of 3-D LCD TVs ― Sony does not do PDP ― Samsung was at the top, with Sony and LG in second and third place.

Japanese electronics makers are reportedly pondering over their marketing strategies as the two local players continue to gain more ground.

“It’s going to be a fight between the Korean and Japanese makers now,” said one industry watcher.

The two South Korean brands had been at the top for some time ― Samsung has taken the lead in the global TV market for a sixth consecutive year ― but it marked the first time that the two swept the light-emitting diode TV market.

Samsung was at first place with a 19.9 percent stake in LED TVs, while LG stood at second with 11.6 percent after beating out Japan’s Sharp.

DisplaySearch said the global market for 3-D TVs expanded 136 percent on-quarter to 4.91 million sets in the second quarter, up from 2.08 million units in the January to March period. Among flat TVs, indicating both LCD and PDP sets, 3-D TVs accounted for more than 10 percent.

The global market for flat TVs saw 5-percent on-year growth in second quarter sales.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)