Menlo Park, CAAccording to new data from Pacific Media Associates (PMA), microdisplay-based models (those using DLP, 3LCD (i.e., polysilicon LCD), or D-ILA/LCOS) accounted for over 75 percent of the total units and over 85 percent of the total revenues in the rear-projection market during January 2005. Among microdisplay sets, DLP ones currently are selling more despite the higher price of DLP-technology sets than 3LCD-technology sets.
These findings come from the January 2005 issue of PMA’s new RPTV Tracking Service, which reports and analyzes unit shipments, average street prices, and inventory data provided by North American TV retailers. PMAs new service becomes the sixth in a family of monthly sell-through measurement services.
The January 2005 data showed that 85 percent of all RPTVs were accounted for by the top three brands–Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Sony, said Rosemary Abowd, the PMA vice president who directs PMAs research on rear projection. For the market as a whole, including traditional CRT-based models as well as newer microdisplay-based ones, Mitsubishi, and Sony each garnered 30 percent shares and Samsung 25 percent.
Large-screen TV buyers continue to get more for their money, as the average price paid declined slightly, to $2,755, in January. Clearly, microdisplay-based products have substantially shrunk their price premium over CRT-based ones during the last two years, and the difference continues to decrease. The average price of a set using DLP technology was $3,136, while one using 3LCD technology was $2,861, compared to the average price of the CRT-based set of $1.737.
PMAs premier issue of their new tracking service also found that four of 21 combinations of screen size and technology accounted for over 55 percent of the sales volume. The most popular combinations were, in order of volume:
50- to 54-inch DLP
40- to 44-inch 3LCD
60- to 69-inch DLP
45- to 49-inch DLP
