By Martin Vedris
SYDNEY, NSW: The digital TV switchover message seems to be getting through to consumers with the Q2 2009 GfK TEMAX report showing that the value of the flat panel TV market grew by 6 per cent in Q2, despite heavy discounting and promotional activity.
According to GfK, many of the flat panel TV promotions were focused around full HD TVs, with high-end LED backlighting, and 200 Hertz models also increasing in share.
At the lower end of the market, the 22-inch segment is becoming increasingly competitive, as GfK’s TEMAX report shows that consumers seem to be replacing the household’s secondary televisions with LCD models.
Interestingly, set top boxes experienced the highest growth rates within this sector at 97 per cent. GfK reported that this is largely due to the increasing popularity of personal video recorders. This trend came at the expense of the DVD player/recorder market, with a negative eight per cent growth result.
GfK reported that even the growth of Blu-ray players and recorders, at 160 per cent, was not able to balance the rapid value decline of DVD hardware.
Camcorders, audio homes systems and portable car navigation devices also experienced declines in Q2. Conversely, MP3s experienced double digit growth in June.