News

30 December 2009

 

LED-backlit LCD-TV shipments to rise eight-fold in 2010

LED-backlit liquid crystal display televisions (LCD-TVs) will gain considerable momentum in 2010 and beyond because of the increasing commitments from various parts of the TV supply chain, consumer demand and a higher focus on green technologies, according to the report ‘LED-backlit LCD-TVs Pave the Way for a Green Future’ from market research firm iSuppli Corp. Global shipments of LED-backlit LCD-TV 40-inches and larger in size will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 405% from a mere 34,000 units in 2008 to 112.1 million by 2013, forecasts iSuppli. In 2010 alone, shipments will rise by a factor of nearly eight, from 2.5 million in 2009 to 18.8 million units.

By 2013, 83.2% of 40-inch and larger LCD TVs shipped will use LED backlights, up from just 0.1% in 2008 and 6% in 2009, iSuppli says.

Chart: Shipments of 40-inch and larger LCD-TVs for CCFL and LED backlights (2009–2013).

“Panel makers have been investing heavily in LED chipset makers or have been developing their own internal technologies in order to take advantage of what they believe LED-backlit LCD-TVs bring to the table: differentiation, innovation, low power consumption and, of course, the potential to reap the benefits of higher revenue,” says Riddhi Patel, principal analyst for TV systems at iSuppli.

“For brands, LED backlighting represents a huge opportunity in a market segment already brimming with potential,” Patel adds. “LEDs also help to differentiate products from others on store shelves. This will be even more important as the LCD-TV market begins to saturate and the replacement cycle occurring in the USA and elsewhere nears its conclusion.”

Beyond differentiation and environmental considerations, perhaps the greatest driving force for LED-backlit LCD-TVs is coming from the consumer. Consumers are attracted to LED-backlit LCD-TVs by attributes such as thinner form factors, improved picture quality (including better color saturation), and power savings and other green attributes, says iSuppli.

While the benefits of LED-backlit LCD-TVs are apparent, the challenges are as well, the firm cautions. The cost of LED backlights remains too high for mass-consumer adoption at this point: TV sets that use LEDs now are priced far higher than standard LCD-TVs based on cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). Other challenges include an inadequate component supply, a fragmented supply chain, short LED lifetimes, and thermal issues.

However, increasingly stringent government policies are forcing TV makers to shift their backlighting to environmentally friendly technologies that consume less electricity, especially at the larger TV sizes where power is a major concern.

See related items:

LED TV backlighting market to grow at 148% to $7.5bn in 2013

LED market to nearly double to $14.3bn by 2013

Search: LED LCD-TVs LEDs

Visit: www.isuppli.com