TrendForce: 2014 LCD TV Evolution Continues, 4K2K and Cured TVs in Focus

According to WitsView, the display division of the global intelligence provider TrendForce, the 2013 global LCD TV shipment declines 1.7% to 203.1 million units due to the sluggish global economic recovery and China’s ending subsidy policy. The 2014 worldwide LCD TV shipment is likely to reach 209.1 million units, rising 3% YoY (table 1). WitsView points out five bright spots in the 2014 LCD TV market, including 1.Contineously growing TV sizes; 2.Penetration rates as high as 99-100% for LED LCD TVs and 65-70% for D-LED TVs; 3. Ultra high-resolution 4K2K TVs strongly promoted by brands; 4.Curve TVs targeting at top-class consumers; 5. Integration of smart-family system centered on smart TVs lifting the 2014 smart LCD TV penetration rate to 36%.

Table 1: 2014 LCD TV Brands' BP ( million units)

Based on WitsView’s estimation, the penetration rate will rise to 15-17% in 2014 from 12% in 2013 for the 50”-and-above LCD TVs, and from 18.5% this year to 23% for the sizes from 40” to 49”. The mainstream 32”-and-under TVs see a market share dropping from 48% to 42%, and 4K2K LCD TVs hold a penetration rate rising from 1% this year(2.1-2.2 million units) to 8.1% in 2014(16-18 million units) on Chinese brands’ promotion. As for the curve TV products launched by panel makers next year, main makers will start mass-production in Feb and March. The end demands will be firstly dominated by Korean brands, SONY, and some Chinese brands, expecting a penetration rate only at 1-1.4% for next year.

WitsView indicates the 4K2K targeting at the upgraded display technology to lift the resolution and color saturation and the curve TV that is crucial to the next deployment of flexible OLED and QLED technologies both are developing in an attempt to boost display technologies and applications to revive the sales in the market.

WitsView’s research director Burrell Liu indicates that the 2014 smart TV shipment growth will rise from 28% in 2013(56.9 million units) to 36% in 2014(76 million units). Although global brands devote significant resources to the smart TV, the product is still at the integration stage of software and hardware between brands and telecom companies and sees fierce competition between platforms. In view of 2014 TV brands’ shipments by countries, Chinese brands’ shipment growth is 7-8% with a market share rising to 27-28%, Japanese brands’ growth momentum remains weak, seeing a 3% yearly growth and an 18-19% market share, while two leading Korean makers dominate the market, controlling a 36% market share and an 5-6% annual growth (table 2).

Table 2: Grwoth and Market Shares