Fast-paced innovations are fueling continued enhancements in the growing line.
Rapid breakthroughs in the A/V industry are keeping LCD TV suppliers in China on a constant R&D buzz, particularly this year as LED backlight technologies achieve global popularity.
Fueled by increased demand for energy-efficient products, models adopting such features are expected to grab 20 percent of overall LCD TV shipments by end-2010. They will have a 72 percent share by 2015, according to DisplaySearch.
Makers were quick to respond to rising orders and have been releasing more units employing the technology since last year.
Major player Sichuan Changhong, for instance, nearly doubled its LED TV output from 2009, and aims a more than 20 percent yield share for the type by year-end. The company’s catalog includes 18.5 to 55in models.
Hong Kong THTF Co. Ltd, meanwhile, is raising LED-backlit LCD TV’s production ratio to 40 percent from 5 percent last year. It offers 15.6 to 42in units, and plans to expand to 46 and 55in displays within 2H10.
The increased adoption of LED backlight is not limited to tier 1 players. It cuts across the supplier base, including tier 2 makers that offer mainly smaller models. Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development Co. Ltd, for example, started releasing LED types this year. Its catalog covers 15.6 to 42in TVs but exports consist mostly of 15.6 to 24in variants. The manufacturer plans to ship 26 to 42in units to North America and Australia within 2H10.
Makena Electronic (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, which has diversified into the segment in 2H09, also emphasizes sets measuring 13.3in to 32in. Its LED line now accounts for 50 to 60 percent of total LCD TV orders.
Exporters’ predisposition toward small and midsize LED TVs is attributed to the product’s narrow price gap with traditional CCFL-backlit models. The difference ranges from $5 to $15 for 15.6 to 21.5in units, and $10 to $20 for 23.6in.
For sets belonging to the 32 and 42in categories, the discrepancy is much more significant at 20 to 40 percent. Industry sources, however, said the gap is closing rapidly even in the large-screen segment. From 50 percent in end-2009, the difference is projected to shrink to 15 to 30 percent by the end of the year. “The fast price decrease among LED models is speeding up market penetration,” said Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronic Co. Ltd representative Rongfeng Lee. Further, with energy consumption lower by 20 to 40 percent than their CCFL counterparts, the former meets strict requirements such as MEPS and Energy Star of Australia and North America.
Products & prices
Prices of LCD TVs from China are mainly influenced by the display type and size, panel source and distinguishing add-ons.Quoted from $100 to $250, 15.6 to 23.6in models have white-edge LED-backlit displays, 1366×768-pixel resolution, greater than 250cd/sqm brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time and 16.7 million colors.
Standard connections support S-Video, composite, HDMI, PC, SCART and USB.For $380 to $450, more upscale 32in units deliver 1920×1080-pixel resolution and more than 300cd/sqm brightness. The refresh rate can reach 100/120Hz.
Units measuring 42in belong to the $680 to $780 range, while 46in and larger TVs go for $800 to $1,000 or higher.
Quotes for 32in LED-backlit models fell by 15 percent in 1H10, whereas CCFL units remained stable or decreased by as much as 5 percent. The downward trend, especially for large-screen LED TVs, is expected to reach 20 to 30 percent by the end of the year. Possible component supply constraints, however, could push up LED costs slightly, which might impact prices.
As for HD-ready and full-HD units, the gap is currently 5 percent or about $20 for 31.5in LED types.Refresh rates, varying between 60 and 120Hz in mainstream models, are also a factor in determining product quotes.
Releases supporting 120Hz, for instance, are about 15 percent more expensive than 60Hz sets in the 32in category. The price includes the cost of the signal conversion circuit and panel. For more on LED-backlit models on the rise.