Flat-panel TV sales jump 23% over last year, Vizio leads the way
by Donald Melanson 
posted May 11th 2009 at 5:38PM
We'd already heard that Vizio has vaulted back into first place among LCD TV manufacturers, but a new series of numbers compiled by the folks at DisplaySearch is now shedding a bit more light onto how much the flat-panel TV market as a whole has surged over the past year. Apparently, about 7.2 million flat-panel sets were moved during the first quarter of 2009 alone, which represents a sizable 23% increase over the numbers from the first quarter of 2008. DisplaySearch also expectedly reconfirms Vizio's number one status, although its figures are a tad more conservative and peg Vizio's market share at a still impressive 18.9% (as opposed to the 21.6% found by iSupply), which is well above the 8.5% earned by the likes of rival Funai (producer of TVs for Sylvania, Emerson and other low-cost brands). As you might expect, higher-end brands like Sony and Samsung weren't as able to buck the economic downturn quite so easily, and they actually saw their sales decrease compared to the same period last year.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stan @ May 11th 2009 6:04PM
Vizio's Suck!...but better then black and white I guess!
Fred @ May 11th 2009 7:39PM
I'm waiting for the my Vizio is great comment. Its like saying my Ford mustang is better than my 325i BMW.
Vizio sucks, even in my opinion for the price, but thats just me.
Stan @ May 11th 2009 7:46PM
more like my hyundai is better then my BMW........just the new Yugo is all it is!
Glenn @ May 12th 2009 2:09PM
I'd take a fully loaded Hyundai Genesis over a base 325i any day of the week.
Stan @ May 12th 2009 7:11PM
couldn't pay me to drive a Hyundai no matter what model...they're all pieces of CRAP....you can keep them all...
dpacino @ May 12th 2009 10:07PM
no stan I got a kdl40v3000 1080p and by all means Its looks better than than a vizio but I wont knock the tv in terms of pic quality they look better than westinghouse..
minimalist @ May 11th 2009 7:59PM
I never understood the appeal of bargain flat panels. Sure you can save a few hundred bucks but, like all flat panels, they are still pretty expensive compared to what we used to spend on Tube TV's just 10 years ago.
TV's, after all, are something you keep for a fairly long time. Spending 800 dollars on a placeholder you'll just want to upgrade in 2 years does not seem as wise as doing without for a few months and saving up for a quality 1100 dollar TV that you'll be happy to keep around for a decade.
lakersin2025 @ May 11th 2009 7:59PM
My Vizio is great
Andy Sullivan @ May 11th 2009 8:05PM
I'd like to see how Vizio's over 40" LCD sales compared to their plasma sales for last year. Vizio's don't suck, they just lack snob appeal for some I guess.
Jeff N. @ May 11th 2009 8:44PM
How many homes have HDTV now ? Does anyone know?
crawdad62 @ May 11th 2009 10:50PM
So higher-end panels aren't selling as well? Good. Maybe the prices will fall a bit. Although I'm not sure how much more. I bought mine last February and it's already $500 cheaper now.
Andy Sullivan @ May 11th 2009 11:25PM
Not sure how many house holds have HDTV but a research firm called In-Stat estimates that as of December 2008, 40% of HDTV owners do not have HD subscriptions and that 18% think that they do. That's just sad sad sad.
dpacino @ May 12th 2009 11:53AM
not all vizio's suck I dont own one I have a sony..but my cuz has one and it looks pretty damn good to me....and to the other one I know a few mustangs that will blow the doors off a bmw 325i
Stan @ May 12th 2009 9:25PM
you must have a pretty damn old sony for a vizio to look good...whats ya got?..a old black and white model?
Steve @ Jul 1st 2009 7:29PM
I bought a vizio 32"lcd, and I have black lines running down the screen, the tech support told me i should just buy a new TV... hahaha great, wish I had that type of money.