LCDs to overtake tube TVs in 2009

LCD TVs will be the most popular kind of TVs in the world by 2009, according to a new analyst report, meaning they will reach that status much faster than anticipated, thanks to rising sales and better manufacturing.

Consumers are picking up LCD TVs, which are based on the same technology found in notebook screens, at a faster rate than expected, according to iSuppli. This year, shipments of these TVs will rise by 74 percent to 46.7 million units, iSuppli said. A few months ago, iSuppli expected only 41.9 million units to ship this year.

If the trend continues, LCDs will account for 48 percent of TVs shipped in 2009, while CRTs will account for only 42 percent. By 2010, LCDs will account for 56 percent of TVs shipped. Meanwhile, sales of projection TVs and plasmas will remain a somewhat small part of the overall market. Projection TVs will account for 3 percent of the market by 2009, the same as they do now, while plasma will climb from 3 percent to 7 percent.

Ironically, traditional, bulky CRT TVs still continue to provide better picture quality, according to many. They also cost less. Back in 2004, iSuppli predicted that CRTs would account for 70 percent of TVs shipped in 2008.

In the first quarter, LCD shipments accounted for 17 percent of TVs shipped.

LCD TVs will be one of the hot topics at the Society for Information Display conference taking place in San Francisco this week. Researchers from Philips, Liquavista, Samsung and others will gather to discuss the latest trends coming out of their labs. The marketing folks will be there too. One hot trend: A wide variety of companies will discuss 3D TVs and screens.

The rise in LCD shipments directly relates to declining prices, and that decline can be largely traced to improvements in manufacturing. Samsung, LG. Philips and others have aggressively poured billions into building cutting-edge factories. In these factories, large sheets of glass are spun at high speeds while liquid crystal is poured on them, sort of like spin art in a tightly controlled environment.

Prices are coming down because the sheets of glass (from which LCD panels are eventually cut) are getting larger and larger: Some now measure nearly 6 feet per side. The larger the mother glass, the more TV panels can be made simultaneously.

Manufacturers also engage in price wars when sales don't meet inflated expectations. Whatever the cause, the prices tend to go inexorably down. From January to May, the average price of 32-inch and 40- and 42-inch LCD TVs fell by 17 percent and 14 percent respectively.

LG.Philips remains the world's biggest LCD TV manufacturer, followed by Samsung, Taiwan's Chi Mei and AU Optoelectronics, spun out of the Acer family. South Korea produced 44.8 percent of the world's LCD TVs in the fourth quarter, followed by Taiwan at 40.1 percent.

[just_some_guy]

Flying Cars to overtake Ground Cars in 2010

Wouldn't that be a cool headline?

I want my flying car. Sci-fi predicted they'd be here by now. :(

[volterwd]

they are here

but would you want the morons that drive right now flying overhead?

and people are complaining about gas now? damn it would be substantially more money to move it the same distance

[just_some_guy]

Flying Cars to overtake Ground Cars in 2010

Wouldn't that be a cool headline?

I want my flying car. Sci-fi predicted they'd be here by now. :(

[volterwd]

they are here

but would you want the morons that drive right now flying overhead?

and people are complaining about gas now? damn it would be substantially more money to move it the same distance

[kamwmail-cnet1]

I prefer LCD Projection TV's.

Tried plasma - burnt out after 1 year.

Tried LCD panels - dead pixels after a party or two.

LCD projection TV - bought 2 and have no problems. Doesn't burn in like plasma so I can watch 4:3 instead of stretching it to fill up the sides to avoid burn-in. And it's not as delicate as LCD panels.

[just_some_guy]

dead pixels

Are you saying that dead pixels appear after use? I thought they were a manufacturing defect, but I haven't read much about it. I'm still using a rear-projection HDTV.

I have a couple of LCD monitors which haven't had problems with dead pixels popping up. I had hoped this meant the problem was solved.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

I prefer LCD Projection TV's.

Tried plasma - burnt out after 1 year.

Tried LCD panels - dead pixels after a party or two.

LCD projection TV - bought 2 and have no problems. Doesn't burn in like plasma so I can watch 4:3 instead of stretching it to fill up the sides to avoid burn-in. And it's not as delicate as LCD panels.

[just_some_guy]

dead pixels

Are you saying that dead pixels appear after use? I thought they were a manufacturing defect, but I haven't read much about it. I'm still using a rear-projection HDTV.

I have a couple of LCD monitors which haven't had problems with dead pixels popping up. I had hoped this meant the problem was solved.

Microdisplays should fare better

Odd they don't sell more LCD and DLP projectors. Best bang for the buck by far if you want a big screen. And fabulous picture quality, if you can live with the viewing angle limitations. I assume most of these folks buying LCDs are buying small sets, since big LCDs are more expensive than plasma.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

There're no viewing angle limits on LCD projections.

Both of my 50" LCD projections can be viewed from any angle. It's the old CRT projection TV's that have a problem with dimming out at angles.

Microdisplays should fare better

Odd they don't sell more LCD and DLP projectors. Best bang for the buck by far if you want a big screen. And fabulous picture quality, if you can live with the viewing angle limitations. I assume most of these folks buying LCDs are buying small sets, since big LCDs are more expensive than plasma.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

There're no viewing angle limits on LCD projections.

Both of my 50" LCD projections can be viewed from any angle. It's the old CRT projection TV's that have a problem with dimming out at angles.

[rcrusoe]

Great, as long as the price drops

Sounds good, as long as I can get a set in the 30 in range for the
same $400 - 450 as current tvs. Otherwise they can keep them.

After looking at a computer screen for 10 hours a day, watching
television isn't a high priority in my house.

[rcrusoe]

Great, as long as the price drops

Sounds good, as long as I can get a set in the 30 in range for the
same $400 - 450 as current tvs. Otherwise they can keep them.

After looking at a computer screen for 10 hours a day, watching
television isn't a high priority in my house.

LCD Screens

This is business talk. Which public company is favored to come out on top as far as sales??... (if one were to want to buy stock in the company )

[kamwmail-cnet1]

No one will come out ahead in this business.

The Chinese will come out with cut rate LCD screens (i.e. BenQ) and there'll be a general stampede to the bottom.

LCD Screens

This is business talk. Which public company is favored to come out on top as far as sales??... (if one were to want to buy stock in the company )

[kamwmail-cnet1]

No one will come out ahead in this business.

The Chinese will come out with cut rate LCD screens (i.e. BenQ) and there'll be a general stampede to the bottom.

[Des Alba]

Need HD signal for good picture

Without an HD signal the picture quality of my 32" LCD widescreen is actually worse than my 36" CRT TV picture. LCD and Plasma screens may overtake the old CRTs in 2009 but without an HD signal picture quality may not be as good as on the old CRTs.

[nightveil]

At about that time...

Over-the-air broadcasters are supposed to have moved to HD
signals, if I recall. As it is, most folks can't really tell the difference
since the amount of information between the two is the same. The
only real difference is that some of the older LCD sets have distinct
smearing problems due to high pixel latency. The newest
generation of sets doesn't seem to have that problem and the sets
that will be out in '09 will probably have even less of a problem
with fast moving objects on screen.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

I'm already getting HD from cable.

for years now at 480p. 720p will come soon.

[Zymurgist]

Even with HD, picture not as good...

Not that I wouldn't like a nice LCD panel
display for the living room, but CRT still has
an edge in picture quality, even with HD.

HD has several different resolutions and the
highest resolution still isn't widely used (it
takes a lot of bandwidth). However, on
pixel-addressable displays, the artifacts of the
video compression are MUCH more evident and, to
me anyway, far more annoying. If you are
unfortunate enough to get your HD through cable,
that may be further compounded by the cable
company down-sampling the original HD signal to
reduce bandwidth consumption.

CRTs also have a better color (gamut and
fidelity) and typically better blacks.

LCDs selling points are low energy consumption
and size, not picture quality.

[Des Alba]

Need HD signal for good picture

Without an HD signal the picture quality of my 32" LCD widescreen is actually worse than my 36" CRT TV picture. LCD and Plasma screens may overtake the old CRTs in 2009 but without an HD signal picture quality may not be as good as on the old CRTs.

[nightveil]

At about that time...

Over-the-air broadcasters are supposed to have moved to HD
signals, if I recall. As it is, most folks can't really tell the difference
since the amount of information between the two is the same. The
only real difference is that some of the older LCD sets have distinct
smearing problems due to high pixel latency. The newest
generation of sets doesn't seem to have that problem and the sets
that will be out in '09 will probably have even less of a problem
with fast moving objects on screen.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

I'm already getting HD from cable.

for years now at 480p. 720p will come soon.

[Zymurgist]

Even with HD, picture not as good...

Not that I wouldn't like a nice LCD panel
display for the living room, but CRT still has
an edge in picture quality, even with HD.

HD has several different resolutions and the
highest resolution still isn't widely used (it
takes a lot of bandwidth). However, on
pixel-addressable displays, the artifacts of the
video compression are MUCH more evident and, to
me anyway, far more annoying. If you are
unfortunate enough to get your HD through cable,
that may be further compounded by the cable
company down-sampling the original HD signal to
reduce bandwidth consumption.

CRTs also have a better color (gamut and
fidelity) and typically better blacks.

LCDs selling points are low energy consumption
and size, not picture quality.

[Jamie_Foster]

Hi Def Future is SED

All these people that pay top dollar for an LCD or Plasma HDTV don't even know that CRT stills delivers the best picture quality. I'm waiting for SED a display technology from Toshiba and Epson that blows LCD and Plasma out of the water. It was demostrated at CES back in January. It delivers a thin light flat panel in tandem with a brilliantly bright picture and very wide viewing angle. An SED TV can have a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 or more. It hits the market in 2007. IGN decribed it as 'Toshiba's Plasma/Killer see uk.gear.ign.com/articles/679/679235p1.html
Don't be a sucker and pay a pretty price for LCD/Plasma. Wait for SED.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

When SED comes out, I'll have another toy to the LCD

so I'm supposed to wait with my 486PC until the great 64 bit, not the great 128 bit processor comes out? Yeah right.

People with no jobs trying to sound "hautier than thou" to those who actually buy things. And by buying, lower the production costs so that people with no jobs can finally afford them.

[aemarques]

Wait until...

... late 2007! Actually, the technology is from Canon (no Epson) who made a deal with Toshiba to actually make the sets.

But the first screens that should come out this Spring were postponed until the end of 2007. So, it appears to be another great technology that is DOA, over-promising and under-delivering (like LCoS).

[freemarket--2008]

And how much will it cost?

LCD and plasma displays are becoming commodities, any new technology will probably be significantly more expensive for quite some time.

[Jamie_Foster]

Hi Def Future is SED

All these people that pay top dollar for an LCD or Plasma HDTV don't even know that CRT stills delivers the best picture quality. I'm waiting for SED a display technology from Toshiba and Epson that blows LCD and Plasma out of the water. It was demostrated at CES back in January. It delivers a thin light flat panel in tandem with a brilliantly bright picture and very wide viewing angle. An SED TV can have a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 or more. It hits the market in 2007. IGN decribed it as 'Toshiba's Plasma/Killer see uk.gear.ign.com/articles/679/679235p1.html
Don't be a sucker and pay a pretty price for LCD/Plasma. Wait for SED.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

When SED comes out, I'll have another toy to the LCD

so I'm supposed to wait with my 486PC until the great 64 bit, not the great 128 bit processor comes out? Yeah right.

People with no jobs trying to sound "hautier than thou" to those who actually buy things. And by buying, lower the production costs so that people with no jobs can finally afford them.

[aemarques]

Wait until...

... late 2007! Actually, the technology is from Canon (no Epson) who made a deal with Toshiba to actually make the sets.

But the first screens that should come out this Spring were postponed until the end of 2007. So, it appears to be another great technology that is DOA, over-promising and under-delivering (like LCoS).

[freemarket--2008]

And how much will it cost?

LCD and plasma displays are becoming commodities, any new technology will probably be significantly more expensive for quite some time.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

Q. Do Any Of You Actually Have HDTV? At All?

Lots of posters. Lots of mis-information. Lots of pie-in-the-sky. Lots of comments but no substance. All you all kiddies?

[dewalt25]

Agreed

I agree...

Though, I do have a 50" LCD proj with the HD package from DirecTV. It's a curse...once you watch sports in HD, you cannot go back!

[drewbyh]

Sure do

I've got 2 with HD cable. Love 'em. Tried over the air HD first but compression too high. Lots of pixelation. Very happy with HD cable so far.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

Q. Do Any Of You Actually Have HDTV? At All?

Lots of posters. Lots of mis-information. Lots of pie-in-the-sky. Lots of comments but no substance. All you all kiddies?

[dewalt25]

Agreed

I agree...

Though, I do have a 50" LCD proj with the HD package from DirecTV. It's a curse...once you watch sports in HD, you cannot go back!

[drewbyh]

Sure do

I've got 2 with HD cable. Love 'em. Tried over the air HD first but compression too high. Lots of pixelation. Very happy with HD cable so far.