Once unheard-of LCD-TV maker Vizio held on to its title as North American market leader in the third quarter, fending off a strong market-share advance by one-time leader Samsung Electronics, a market research firm said Tuesday.
California-based Vizio accounted for 13% of LCD-TV shipments, down slightly from 13.7% in the second quarter, iSuppli said. Despite the drop, Vizio managed to stay a 0.2 percentage point ahead of Samsung of South Korea. Vizio had led Samsung by 2.9 percentage points in the second quarter.
Samsung came on strong in the third quarter, increasing its share to 12.8% from 10.8% in the previous quarter. But the comeback through new model introductions for the holiday season wasn't enough to beat Vizio's success through a combination of low-cost products and high-profile sales channels, iSuppli analyst Riddhi Patel said.
"The addition of a prominent sales campaign has helped Vizio to establish itself firmly in the awareness of North American consumers," Patel said in a statement.
Vizio surged to the top of the North American market in the second quarter, toppling Samsung and passing by other well-known brand names including Philips, Sharp and Sony. Competitors, however, are striking back, with all the top six brands increasing market share in the third quarter while Vizio's declined.
Other brands have increased promotions in answer to Vizio's charge. To support anticipated sales over the holiday season, most major manufacturers have increased inventories to the five- to seven-week level, thus the boost in shipments in the third quarter. Vizio still maintains three to four weeks of inventory at its retail channels.
Rounding out the top six LCD TV vendors are Sharp, with 12% of the market; Sony, 10.1%; Polaroid, 9.1%; and Philips, 9%, iSuppli said.
Competition is expected to intensify as major brands battle for control in the marquee North American LCD-TV market, iSuppli said. Sales are expected to be strong in the fourth quarter. Besides being the peak shopping time, the holiday season traditionally offers consumers the best deals.
In addition, the softness in the U.S. economy is expected to motivate manufacturers to offer additional discounts to promote their brands.
Sales trends indicate LCD TVs are the future champions of the worldwide television market, gradually pushing other technologies to the sidelines, according to iSuppli. While CRT TVs are still the market leaders today, their dominance is expected to slip to declining prices for large-screen LCD TVs, which also surpass other flat-screen technologies in sales. Those include plasma screens.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
