How hot is the LCD-TV market?

So hot that lcd-tv sales in the first quarter actually rose in the first quarter of 2004 compared to the fourth quarter of 2003, defying the seasonal sales slowdown that tvs typically suffer at the start of each yearIn the first quarter, total worldwide shipments of tv sets totaled 38.5 million units, 12 percent lower than in the previous quarter, according to iSuppli/Stanford Resources (www.isuppli.com). Slowing sales of crt, plasma and projection televisions all contributed to the decline.

However, lcd-tv shipments in the first quarter of 2004 grew to 1.6 million units, up 31 percent from 1.3 million in the fourth quarter. Lcd-tv revenue reached $2.7 billion, rising 27 percent compared to the prior quarter.

iSuppli expects demand for lcd-tvs to accelerate dramatically in 2004 and beyond due to the start of full-scale production of sets measuring 30-inches or more at new production facilities.

Sales in the first quarter were propelled by declines in product pricing, as the tvs became available in greater numbers and as oems gave price breaks and discounts to attract consumers to lcd-tv technology.