Plasma TV shipments climb 87% in Q1

Global plasma TV shipments continue to grow quickly in all geographic regions, according to a report published by Displaysearch. According to the market research firm, shipments increased 87% in the first quarter of this year to 1.7 million units year-over-year. Revenues came in at $4.0 billion, up 41% over last year. Compared to Q4 2005, shipments were down about 26% ; revenues fell 25%, Displaysearch said.

North America currently holds a 32% in the plasma TV market, with shipments having increased 85% over Q1 2005. The most popular segment was the 50" high-definition market, which account for 64% of all plasma TV sold. The European region continues to lead the global plasma TV market with a 35% share, followed by China with 9% and Japan with 6%.

Panasonic was the most successful plasma TV maker in Q1, accounting for 21.6% of all units shipped. LG ended the quarter in second place with 17.8% share, followed by Samsung with 14.0%.