Vizio Now #1 in LCD TV and Overall Flat Panel TV Segment

We salute Vizio's success as top LCD seller in April - July, 2007!

Read the press release below.

Display Search: VIZIO Now # 1
Press Releases Aug 21, 2007 Sunday, August 19, 2007

North American TV Market Brand Rankings Shaken Up in Q2'07 According to DisplaySearch: Vizio Now #1 in LCD TV and Overall Flat Panel TV Segment, Samsung #1 in Projection TVs


AUSTIN, TEXAS, August 20, 200--DisplaySearch, the worldwide leader in display market research and consulting, has released Q2'07 TV shipments and revenues by technology, brand, region, size and resolution for 56 different TV brands as part of its Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

One of the biggest surprises was the shake-up in North America TV brand rankings in Q2'07. Vizio, which has only been in the TV market since mid-2003, became the #1 LCD TV brand for the first time, rising from #4 in Q1'07 to #1 in Q2'07, with more than 70% Q/Q and 400% Y/Y unit growth and overtaking Samsung as shown in Table 1. While Sharp remained #3, Funai jumped from #6 to #4, and Polaroid rose from #11 to #5 on new distribution at Wal-Mart.

Table 1 Q1'07 - Q2'07 North American LCD TV Unit Share and Growth
Q1'07
Q2'07
Y/Y Growth

Vizio
9.1%
12.1%
433%

Samsung
13.7%
10.7%
90%

Sharp
12.1%
9.1%
53%

In addition, due to Vizio's #4 position in plasma TVs in Q2'07, up from #5, the company was #1 in the North American flat panel TV (LCD + Plasma) market on a unit basis with an 11.9% to 11.3% advantage over Samsung, as shown in Table 2. Moreover, Samsung overtook Sony in microdisplay rear projection (MD-RPTVs), as shown in Table 3, after trailing Sony for the past 10 consecutive quarters as both Sony's 3LCD and SXRD product lines experienced Y/Y and Q/Q declines.

Table 2 Q1'07 - Q2'07 North American Flat Panel TV Unit Share and Growth


Q1'07
Q2'07
Y/Y Growth

Vizio
8.8%
11.9%
340%

Samsung
14.4%
11.3%
67%

Sharp
9.9%
7.9%
53%

Philips
8.0%
7.2%
-19%

Table 3 Q1'07 - Q2'07 North American MD-RPTV Unit Share and Growth

Q1'07
Q2'07
Y/Y Growth

Samsung
26.7%
37.7%
-4%

Sony
34.1%
26.6%
-53%

Toshiba
10.2%
17.3%
-8%

Mitsubishi
16.0%
10.7%
-22%

Hitachi
2.6%
2.8%
-24%

According to DisplaySearch founder and president Ross Young, "Vizio's rise from the #15 flat panel TV brand in Q2'05 to #1 in Q2'07 is quite remarkable given the intense competition in this market. Its warehouse club channel focus and lack of channel conflicts enabled the company achieve disruptive price points: Shipments surged and fueled the rapid rise of the warehouse club channel in the US TV market. In addition, Vizio's successful expansion outside of the club channel to Circuit City, Sears and Wal-Mart, while maintaining its attractive price points, further boosted its growth and enabled the company to earn the #1 ranking in the North American flat panel TV market."

Another big story in the North American TV market was the 5% Y/Y unit decline and flat revenue results. Only LCD TVs enjoyed unit and revenue growth, but it was not sufficient to offset weakness in all other technologies. There was also weakness in the 50"+ category, which was down 24% Q/Q and 7% Y/Y, as consumers become more seasonal in their big screen TV purchases, trade larger sizes for smaller sizes, thinner form factors and higher resolutions and wait for 50"+ flat panel TV prices to fall. While 50"+ declined, 40-49" surged with shipments up 8% Q/Q and 49% Y/Y. 1080p units in this category jumped 32% Q/Q and 139% Y/Y, and the flat panel TV share at 40-49" surged from 85% in Q2'06 to 98% in Q2'07. At 50"+, the flat panel TV share exceeded 50% for the first time at 58%, up from 32% one year ago, on weakness in 3LCD, LCOS and CRT RPTVs.

While units and revenues were disappointing, the flat panel TV unit share surged to 77%, up from 44% a year ago. The HDTV unit share of TVs shipped in Q2'07 reached 79% in Q2'07, up from 47% in Q2'06.

While Samsung didn't earn the #1 position in LCD TVs, it was #1 overall in North America on a unit as shown in Table 4 as well as on a revenue basis due to its #2 position in LCD and plasma TVs and #1 position in MD RPTVs. Due to weakness in CRTs, only Vizio and Sharp enjoyed Y/Y unit and revenue growth.

Table 4 Q1'07 - Q2'07 North American TV Unit Share and Growth


Q1'07
Q2'07
Y/Y Growth

Samsung
12.9%
11.3%
-6%

Funai
9.8%
9.4%
-33%

Vizio
5.7%
9.2%
340%

Toshiba
6.7%
7.0%
-27%

Sharp
7.0%
6.5%
26%

Other
57.9%
56.6%
-10%

For more information on the dynamic HDTV market, as well as HD content, register for DisplaySearch's 5th Annual HDTV Conference on October 10-11, which will feature speakers from leading TV brands, DVD brands, retailers, movie studios, HD gaming manufacturers, HD broadcasters, HD content distributors, audio manufacturers and semiconductor manufacturers. More information can be found at www.displaysearch.com/hdtv2007.

DisplaySearch's TV market intelligence including panel and TV shipments, TV shipments by region by brand by size, rolling 16-quarter forecasts, TV cost/price forecasts and design wins can be found in its Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report. For more information on this report, please contact Arie Braun at (512) 687-1505 or arie@displaysearch.com.

About DisplaySearch
DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, has a core team of 46 employees located in Europe, North America and Asia who produce a valued suite of FPD-related market forecasts, technology assessments, surveys, studies and analyses. The company also organizes influential events worldwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DisplaySearch has regional operations in Chicago, Houston, Kyoto, London, San Diego, San Jose, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo, and the company is on the web at www.displaysearch.com.

About The NPD Group Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, visit www.npd.com.

Company Contact:
Arie Braun
DisplaySearch
512-687-1505 (ph)
512-459-3127 (fax)
E-mail: arie@displaysearch.com

Media Contact:
Stacey Voorhees
925-336-9592
E-mail: stacey@savvypublicrelations.net

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