Resellers Expect Strong Shift To Widescreen Projectors

Pacific Media Associates annual survey reveals strong interest in 1080p models

November 17, 2006

Pacific Media Associates, the global market information experts on large-screen displays, has completed its 2006 North American Reseller/Retailer Survey, recording a projected 24% increase in front projector sales for 2006 over 2005. Now in its 11th year, the survey gives a unique window onto the state of the professional front projector market in the United States. The survey results reveal many interesting and useful insights, but one in particular was striking. Confirming Pacific Media’s early 2006 predictions, survey respondents see a strong shift from standard 4:3 aspect ratio projectors to the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio models. Widescreen models accounted for 21% of sales in 2005 and are expected to climb to 33% in 2007. Within the widescreen front projectors, the most growth is expected in the 1080p resolution segment. The 720p segment is expected to remain dominant, but dealers expect its share of the total widescreen market to decline from 73% in 2005 to 63% in 2007. Nearly all of that loss will be picked up by the 1080p segment, projected to climb from 4% in 2005 to 11% in 2007. (New 1080p front projectors from Sony and Mitsubishi priced under $5,000 came out after the survey period, and are likely to acceletate this shift.) Another surprising result is that the dealers indicated that more than 25% of their sales in 2005 were to consumers, and the remainder was to organizations. For professional resellers, this is a large percentage of sales to consumers. Many factors play a part in this shift, but one of the prime causes is likely to be the result of efforts by professional resellers to expand their business and gain from the rapidly growing consumer front projector market. About Pacific Media Associates Pacific Media specializes in global display market information, covering all large-screen display categories: front projectors, plasma and LCD TVs, and rear-projection displays. Their Large-Screen Displays Industry Service family of publications provides detailed worldwide quarterly updates (sell-in data and forecasts) on large-screen display markets, newsletters on new products and other key industry developments, monthly advertised price tracking, ad hoc analyses, and annual Web surveys of North American end users (including organizations and individual consumers) and both North American and EMEA resellers/retailers. Their Large-Screen Displays Tracking Service family of monthly reports offers timely sell-through data and analysis on unit sales, true volume-weighted street prices, and inventories of large-screen displays sold by leading North American retailers, resellers, and distributors. Pacific Media Associates was established by Dr. William Coggshall, who was previously a co-founder of Dataquest and helped start the syndicated high-tech market information business.

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