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According to a new report from market research firm iSuppli, more than one out of every five TV purchases in the U.S. during the first quarter had screens 50 inches or larger, an all-time high for bigger-screen TV purchases.
Helping to fuel the big-screen buys are lower prices for larger sets and a heightened promotional emphasis by major brands on sets with larger screen sizes, which offer higher margins and profits.
Here is iSuppli's TV purchasing breakdown by screen size.
First Quarter 2011
Based on iSuppli's data, more than 62 percent of all TV purchases during this time were sets with screens of 40 inches or larger. TV sets with 40- to 49-inch screens were the most preferred size by consumers, representing almost 40 percent of TV sales. But the 50-inch-and-larger category's share of the market grew the most, from the fourth quarter of last year to the first quarter of 2011.
The California-based research firm also said that the average price for 50-inch-and-larger flat-panel televisions in the U.S. fell from $1,723 in the fourth quarter of last year to $1,582 in the first quarter of 2011, an 8 percent drop.
Although there was some initial concern that the earthquake and tsunami in Japan earlier this year would disrupt LCD TV manufacturing, there has only been minimal impact, iSuppli said. While there were some early component shortages, "the relatively weak overall demand has meant that the TV markets suffered only very minimal impacts in the quake's aftermath," the firm reported.
iSuppli: "New 2011 Prices Reflect Demand for Larger-Sized TVs"
—James K. Willcox
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