Samsung opens up lead on Sony in US TV market

by Steven Kim, posted Jan 5th 2009 at 9:24PM

Sure, this week's CES could net Samsung some bragging rights over Sony if rumors of a 6.5-mm thin LED-backlit LCD display come true, but that's just about corporate pride (and Sony's XEL-1 is a shipping product to boot). The real hurt comes in the form of new numbers from DisplaySearch that show Samsung widening its lead in US sales, moving up to 26.7-percent of the US market compared to Sony's 14.8-percent. Those figures are through November, and it's pretty amazing that more than one in four digital TVs sold in the US were Samsung.

Filed under: Industry, Displays

Tags: displaysearch, sales, samsung, sony, us

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

GundamWingEW @ Jan 5th 2009 11:19PM

It's called quality over bullshit hype and overcharging based on name...

Highly Ranked

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Jan 6th 2009 1:52AM

lol i have to admire your level of fanboy. you really do hate all things Sony dont you? it's a shame, they make great, solid products.

Neutral

coreylucas @ Jan 6th 2009 1:09PM

um, yeah- you do know for almost every samsung lcd, there's a genetically identical sony with similar performance and similar price? they use the same panels, after all... i think sony customers feel burned by their tubes and sxrds burning out so quickly. and samsung's bezels are more attractive to most people.

Neutral

Loban @ Jan 6th 2009 5:17PM

I can't believe someone used the words "quality" and "Samsung" in the same sentence. They may be leading in sales, but that's mostly due to their marketing. They are the "official HDTV of the NFL" ya know. People who don't know much of anything about HDTVs buy Samsung, they're the "every man's" brand. The "Chevy of HDTVs" if you will. The rest of us buy Sony, Panasonic, and for those with the money and the knowledge....Pioneer.

Neutral

Loban @ Jan 6th 2009 5:18PM

Haha, I just realized you didn't use "quality" and "Samsung" in the same sentence. It was implied I suppose.

Highly Ranked

kcmurphy88 @ Jan 5th 2009 11:25PM

The Samsung 650 series of LCDs was flying out of every store near me, and was a top seller at Amazon. I had a friend who wanted a plasma, and once he saw the Samsung 52" 650 in a store he completely changed his mind.

"Who ya gonna believe, me or your own two eyes?"

Highest Ranked

ChadT84 @ Jan 5th 2009 11:39PM

I'll take a plasma.

Neutral

Loban @ Jan 6th 2009 5:20PM

@ ChadT84

Ditto!! Finally someone who knows what they're talking about.

Neutral

Loban @ Jan 6th 2009 5:28PM

@ kcmurphy88

That's probably due to the fact that your friend was looking at TVs in a store where LCDs are brighter and more eye catching. Once you get them home, it's a completely different ball game. I don't care what they look like in stores, for my money I'm getting a VIERA (plasma not LCD) or a KURO.

I will give you one thing though. The 650 is the nicest LCD Samsung makes. If someone forced me to buy an LCD, it would be either a Bravia or a Samsung 650. But again, only if someone forced me.

Neutral

atmusky @ Jan 6th 2009 5:08AM

It might have something to do with the fact that Samsung makes and sells LCD, Plasma, and DLP TVs with multiple lines of each while Sony has decided to only go with LCDs. No matter what you want Samsung has it not so with Sony (and for the record I own a Panasonic Plasma).

Neutral

GhostDoggy @ Jan 6th 2009 6:08AM

When Sony CEO a year or two ago complained about the Vizios of the World, Samsung flat panels were pretty much as expensive as Sony products. Then, Samsung and several others got caught in a price-fixing scheme on the glass and now LG and Samsung can be had for less.

Still, I have to wonder about Samsung, but I have one 24" LCD 1080P LCD in my computer room and two Vizio flat panels (42" LCD 768P and 50" Plasma 1080P) elsewhere in the home. Still no Sony, though.

Low Ranked

Shoeboy @ Jan 6th 2009 8:57AM

You are all wrong. There are two reason's why more Samsungs are selling:
1. Prices are lower - consumer doesn't realize that alot of the time they're getting a 720p tv or a plasma because they are thinking $999 for a 52 inch flast screen tv!!!!
2. Samsung's TVs are sexy, sony's look like they have buck teeth

See the buck teeth?
http://www.sonystyle.ca/html/uf/bravia/v4100_images/v4100_head.jpg

Now see the sexy Tv with the spot beam light:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/07/11/samsung-ships-the-2007-models-in-its-76-87-and-89-series-dlps/

Neutral

Loban @ Jan 6th 2009 5:28PM

I would hope someone would base their purchase decision more on the quality of the picture rather than the aesthetics of the bezel, but that's just me.

Any consumer who doesn't realize they're getting a Plasma will probably be pleasantly surprised when they get it home and it looks even better than LCDs they've seen. Of course I'm talking good Plasmas here (KURO, VIERA) not a Vizio, LG or Samsung.

Microsoft exec feels parents need to recognize consoles aren't 'toys' See the (amazing) Mass Effect 2 gameplay we saw at E3 Another video game soundtrack to suffer Bear attack	Fugly Friday - Welkom to the Willy's en Marjetten nightmare Google Translate now handles uploaded documents Cameras makes managing multiple cameras a snap on your Mac
Friday Favorite: SpreadTweet Did an iPod toast a Saab? Apple proposes iPhone/iPod touch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fixes	California I.O.U.'s have hit home -- ugh! Pimco's Kiesel says: "sell your junk." Consumer sentiment down, according to everyone
Halo Wars title update 3 details revealed X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Battlefield 1943 Ghostbusters demo busts out on XBLM, PSN	Spy Shots: 2010 BMW 5 Series nearing completion REPORT: Analyst urges Mitsubishi, Suzuki to exit U.S. market Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 7.10.09
More game-related panels revealed for San Diego Comic-Con Moogles rebel in Final Fantasy XI trailer Free Street Fighter II on GameTap	Raiders Launch Unique Ticket Drive as a 'Billboard Campaign' Rookie Curtis Brinkley Stable After Being Shot in Philadelphia Steve McNair Allegedly Had 6-Year Affair With Exotic Dancer