Active 3D Sets Lift U.S. Flat-Panel TV Prices in June: IHS

Taipei, July 22, 2011 (CENS)--For the third month in a row, U.S. pricing for flat-panel TVs increased in June, fueled by the increasing availability of high-priced active three-dimension (3D) liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs, according to IHS.

The major information and analysis provider said that the average pricing in June for flat-panel TVs reached US$1,133, up US$10 or 0.9% from US$1,123 in May. Overall average prices for LCD TVs increased US$5 to US$1,050, while those for plasma display panel (PDP) stabilized last month at US$1,590. The price rise in June—albeit slight—marked the third consecutive month of increase since April after four straight months of decline.

Riddhi Patel, director for television systems and retail services at HIS, pointed out that the biggest pricing increases for flat-panel TVs last month were among the new 3D models employing active shutter glasses, the most popular type of 3D set on the market today.

The price gap between active and passive 3D LCD TVs became more apparent in June as the premium for active sets compared to passive grew to 9% for the 40- to 49-inch range, and to 14% for 50-inch sizes; the price difference in May for the two size groups against their passive 3D counterparts sat at just 7%, IHS analyzed. The widening price gap between active and passive 3D LCD sets was also due to a drop in pricing for passive 3D sets, falling 3% in the 40- to 49-inch range and sliding 8% in the 50-inch-and-larger group.

Among LCD TVs featuring the advanced light-emitting diode (LED) backlight technology, pricing in June fell for every size category by 1% to 5%, with the biggest declines occurring in the 20-inch-and-smaller group as well as in the 30- to 39-inch range. For the popular 32-inch LED model, pricing fell 7% from May and retreated a sizable 23% compared to June 2010. Meanwhile, U.S. LED shipments this year for the 30- to 34-inch range are expected to jump 96%.

Pricing for Internet-enabled LCD TVs rose 2% in the 21- to 29-inch group—considered a premium feature in this size range—but fell 4% in the 30- to 39-inch segment. For plasma sets, clear-outs of older models as well as new-model introductions served to keep June prices in equilibrium. The 50-inch-and-larger group saw a price decline of 1%, but pricing rose 3% in the 40- to 49-inch category.