The global Q1 2012 LCD TV market remains virtually flat with a -0.4% Y-o-Y decline as only Samsung and LG shipments manage to grow despite weak market conditions, IHS iSuppli reports.
Total Q1 2012 shipments total 44.4 million units-- a -35% Q-o-Q decline from 68.7m in Q1 2011, an unusually sharp post-holiday season drop. The analyst attributes such a decline to a number of factors, chiefly weak consumer demand, oversupply going into the end of 2011 and a few major brands repositioning loss-making TV divisions.
LCD TV revenue decline for the period is equally sharp-- -32% Q-o-Q, due to heavy discounts in the face of "tentative" consumer spending. LCD revenues account for 87% of the total TV revenues according to iSuppli.
Samsung is the top Q1 2012 vendor (19% market share), with shipments reaching 8.2m units with 6% Y-o-Y growth through competitive pricing, global reach and internal supply chain control.
LG comes 2nd, with 2% Y-o-Y growth. Shipments total 5.8m with 11% market share. Following are Sony, Toshiba and Sharp-- 3 companies trying to hold back further fallout from money-losing TV divisions.
