The global economic recession is getting severe that also brings people back to several tragic downturn crises in the previous time. TV industry, however, stands firm in such a disappointed moment due to some major reasons. According to researcher Maxwell Chang at Topology Research Institute (TRI), the global total LCD TV shipment is expected to reach a 25% growth rate with 12.6 million units by 2009. While Taiwan may enjoy a positive shipping volume, the YoY may probably reduce to 27%. Companies include TPV Technology, Wistron, and Compal will lead the Taiwan market with at least 50% growth forecast. Key features such as super slim, networkable, wireless transmission, high dynamic and energy saving are playing significant position for future LCD TV trend development in 2009.

International Brands to Take up the Market

TRI also points that the penetration rate of LCD TV in China, Mid-east and Latin-America countries is only 30% now. The relavant low deployment rate has also indicated strong future demand to replace CRT TV by LCD. Especially when the total LCD shipping demand comes from newly emerging markets in 2009 is expected to reach a 42% height. These new markets are also the driving force to accelerate the global LCD TV industry. In addition, 30-/34-inch and 40-/42-inch LCD TV will still dominate the market in 2009. The overall cost is also going to reduce due to a large surplus of LCD panels as well as cutting-throat price competition. The total cost of LCD TV panel is forecasted a 17% fall which will also bring down the retail sales price by 15% to 20% in average next year. With the strong supports from the new markets and lower ASP to encourage the future development, the total 2009 LCD TV shipping volume will increase 25%. Compared to 10.1 million sets of LCD TV in 2008, somewhat 12.6 million sets of LCD TV is forecasted with at least 3% shipping revenue growth rate in 2009 as well.

Taking a further observation of those major international LCD TV brands, TRI also considers three suppliers Samsung, Sony and LGE who has strongly dominated in many newly emerging markets such as China will move LCD industry forward with a full consistant range of marketing strategies and plans. The overall LCD TV shipping volume growth rate of these three companies in 2009 will reach to 30%. Meanwhile, Philips who has withdrawn from the market and Sharp who has stepped into panel field are still taking time to panetrate the market share. Mid-range or second-line LCD TV brands may be even more struggling while international suppliers are taking up the share.

Second-line Suppliers to Face Bottleneck

Taiwan LCD TV assemble factories, however, are suffering due to decreasing demands from second-line LCD TV brands as well as Korean product lines OEM. Although the overall Taiwan LCD TV shipping volume will increase from 20.44 million units (2008) to 25.9 million units by 2009, figures according to TRI have indicated the YoY ratio will decrease from 36% 2008 to 27% 2009. The majority of LCD TV suppliers are facing limited growth next year, especially to second-line market players. Among the top five product suppliers in the market, only Wistron (94%), TPV Technology (64%) and Compal（58%）claim positive performance. In addition, the less capability of chipset integration as well as pressure of patent infringement from international leaders has forced Taiwan control IC suppliers to stay back for a long while. MStar Semiconductor and MediaTek are two companies who still have competitiveness in 2009.

Value-added Super Slim LCD TV

TRI also foresees super slim-type LCD TV as the most attractive new product design in 2009. For instance, the newly launched 9.9mm thickness SONY LCD TV at 2008 IFA has further taken LCD TV into a new generation. The breaking through edge-type LED backlight technology is also vital. Moreover, SONY has introduced low power consumption LCD TV in July 2008 which is able to reduce two-third power usage than tradition CRT TV. Sharp also soon announced new “Green LCD TV” range in the market later. Energy saving thus is one of the red-hot feature designs for next generation LCD TV.

Internet and on-line community platforms are taking a significant position in curret modern life. From photo album sharing, video shooting or blogging, large-screen LCD TV monitor is getting popular too. Suppliers include Panasoic and Samsung have cooperated with Google, Yahoo and other Internet content suppliers to introduce “Internet on TV” service platform to provide update information such as stock market, breaking news, weather forecast, online photo album or video watching. According to TRI, 100/120 Hz dynamic video technology adoption will replace Full HD to dominate the LCD TV market in 2009. WHDI (Wireless High Definition Interface) transmission function, meanwhile, will combine into LCD TV as a standard feature that further chanllenges the market price soon.