3D TV commoditises, LED and smart TVs are the new must haves, says IC Insights

3D TV is not the ‘must-have’ TV, says IC Insights, the must-haves which are driving the market are LED TVs and smart TVs which get content from the internet.

In 2011, 87m LED-backlit TVs, representing 37% of all TV shipments, are expected to ship. That’s up from 35m units representing 15% of the market in 2010.

132m LED TVs LED TVs representing 53% of all DTV shipments are expected to ship in 2012.

Of the other major TV types, 24m CRT TVs are expected to ship this year and 15m plasma TVs.

Besides being thinner and lighter, LED-backlit TVs have a broader colour range, improved contrast ratios, and use less power.

They are also said to be more reliable delivering 100,000 hours of life compared to traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) LCD TVs, which are often rated at 20,000 hours.

In general, DTV growth rates are expected to remain fairly flat in developed markets (e.g., North America, Europe, and Japan) through to 2012, since the big digital upgrade cycle in these regions has mostly already occurred.

However, India, China and other countries throughout Asia-Pacific, and Latin America are forecast to enjoy strong DTV growth. Fast-growth economies, increased disposable incomes, and large populations will drive this expansion. Asia-Pacific is undergoing a digital TV boom that some believe will result in 70% of homes having a DTV in 2015, up from approximately 35% in 2010.

IC Insights says that smart TVs are bringing internet and Web 2.0 features to television sets and offering access to TV broadcasts, videos, movies, photos, and other content via the web. An estimated 20% of television shipments in 2011 were Smart TVs, but this is expected to increase to nearly 40% of in 2012.

Consumers can watch almost anything found on a website on their television, and that is partly why so-called “cord cutting,” where consumers drop cable to watch videos or TV shows on Hulu, Roku, or their Xbox 360, is accelerating. 

Meanwhile, 3D TV has gone from cutting-edge television technology in 2010 to commodity-like status in 2011, says IC Insights.

 Manufacturers, who in 2010 pulled out the stops to convince users to upgrade to 3D TV, now promote it as a nice-to-have feature. In fact, TV manufacturers are slowly adding 3D technology into all of their newest products, so new buyers are getting 3D technology whether they want it or not.