LCD TVs May Drop in Sales for the First Time Ever in 2011

Even with new display sizes being developed and marketed, there are high chances that 2011 will become the first year when LCD TVs sell less than in the previous one.

It appears that oversupply concerns are great enough that some people, market watchers as Digitmes calls them, aren't very optimistic about 2011.

Certainly, sales of liquid crystal display TVs will be high, in the hundreds of millions range, but they might exhibit a decrease compared to 2010.

Normally, this would not be such a noteworthy fact, not with so many segments of the IT industry declining, including PCs.

What makes the situation of the LCD TV market somewhat more relevant than that of others is its history.

So far, there hasn't been a year when global shipments failed to exceed the ones of the previous year.

Granted, analysts will, ultimately determine whether or not this has happened, once 2012 comes around and they have had time to tally the results from all companies.

There are some estimates already, though, even if they do only take into account the shipments on the part of firms from China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Together, they will attain a figure of 207.8 million units, 6% lower than the 220 million achieved in 2010.

At least the projection for 2012 is a bit more optimistic, of 247.3 million, which is better than both 2010 and 2011.

30-inch, 43-inch, 48-inch, 50-inch and 72-inch are among the newest screen sizes that LCD makers have invented.

There also seems to be a tendency to strike lower production costs, since cheaper products obviously imply better sales.

It is the continuing trend of better LCD affordability that, market watchers believe, will actually let companies sell that number of models in 2012.

The report is in line with another prediction that says LCD TVs will sell 10% better next year.