Success In Big-Screen TVs Will Determine Fate Of Microdisplays

New Report Forecasts That Projection TVs Will Be Very Competitive With Flat-Panel Alternatives

17-Sep-02

The Microdisplay Forecast And Profile Report, now in its fifth annual edition, presents an analysis of the market opportunities and competitive issues for projection and near-eye applications of microdisplays. This year, the report takes an expanded, in-depth look at the television market and includes company profiles of all of the microdisplay players.Insight Media and McLaughlin Consulting Group have teamed up to produce the report. The 300-plus-page document provides a forecast of the TV industry, as well as the other established microdisplay industries in business projection, embedded viewfinders, and head-mounted display systems.The report comes at a particularly critical time in the big-screen TV industry. As TV transitions from analog to digital, a range of new TV technologies are being pushed into the market. Direct-view and rear-projection TV sets based on CRT technology still dominate. But that is about to change in a big way. New flat-panel plasma TVs and large-area LCD TVs are the sexiest of the new competitors. But a new generation of front- and rear-projection TVs based on microdisplays have the greatest potential to shake up the competitive balance, offering not only high-performance digital imaging capability, but also lower prices.The key questions facing the industry are: which display technologies will capture the consumerís attention, which will consumers buy, how fast will the transition to new technologies occur, and which microdisplay component technology will gain the most market share. In addition, many are asking if the total available market for big-screen TVs will increase, or if the new technologies will simply replace older CRT technologies. The Microdisplay Forecast And Profile Report answers these and many other questions facing the industry.For the big-screen (greater than 30 inches) home entertainment segment for example, the report forecasts that the market for these TVs will expand significantly, creating new opportunities for manufacturers. By 2006, the rear-projection TV market will double to 6.5 million units. Plasma TVs and LCD TVs will also grow to 2 million and 3.1 million units, respectively. In addition, new front-projection systems aimed at the consumer will finally catch on and grow to 1.9 million units by 2006. Nevertheless, the market will still remain dominated by large (greater than 30-inch) CRT sets as they nearly double in volume to 19 million units.ìThe television market holds the key for microdisplays. The microdisplay rear-projection TVs currently in retail stores offer excellent imaging,î notes analyst Chuck McLaughlin. ìBut the key to gaining share in consumer markets is price, and we see microdisplays as the best and fastest route to low-priced big-screen televisions.îìA very competitive battle is shaping up among the three microdisplay technologies: high temperature polysilicon (HTPS) LCD, Digital Light Processingô (DLPô) and Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS),î notes analyst Chris Chinnock. ìThese technologies are already supporting 40-50-inch TVs sets in the $3K to $4K range. We foresee the average selling price of microdisplay-based rear-projection TVs falling to $2,000 by 2004, with front-projection systems for the home even lower-priced. In fact, it looks like some home theatre projection systems will approach a $1,000 retail point in 2003. We think this combination will drive significant growth in microdisplay-based projection systems.îIncluded in the report are comprehensive profiles on 31 microdisplay development/production companies, including market leaders such as Texas Instruments, Sony, Seiko Epson, JVC, Hitachi, Three-Five, and Philips. These profiles include an assessment of the companyís strengths, weaknesses, and its competitive position in the marketplace. Also included are customer information, product development roadmaps, display specs, and current/planned production rates. For more information, visit www.insightmedia.info and www.mcgweb.com.

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