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Sales of curved TV to peak out in 2017

Posted January. 13, 2017 07:11,   

Updated January. 13, 2017 07:32

한국어
Manufacturers of home appliances are proposing polarizing points of view on the prospect of curved TVs, which was hyped as “symbol of innovation” when first unveiled in 2013.

Global players of home appliances such as Samsung Electronics and China’s Haier are confident that the demand for curved televisions will show a steep growth in the premium market. Indeed, curved TVs are already considering as the core element among the lineup of premium electronic products in Europe and China. The manufacturers cite “immersiveness” as the forte of curved televisions. They say the four corners of the screen curved inward significantly enhance the levels of viewers’ immersive experience. They anticipate that the growth will keep trending up.

In August last year, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display joined forces with 10 Chinese TV and monitor companies, which include Hisense and TCL, to establish a “curved alliance.” The consensus was that curved technology will be a new engine to rekindle the display market that largely remains stagnated. The members of the alliance pledged to work together on various areas such as development of new products, market expansion, and R&D. Currently, approximately 160 varieties of electronic products with a curved screen are available from about 20 brands.

“Differentiated from flat screens, curved TVs will be a very important weapon to make inroads into premium markets,” said an official from Samsung Electronics.

By contrast, LG Electronics, South Korea home appliance giant who rolled out curved TVs along with Samsung for the first time in the world, is somewhat skeptical about market expansion. While LG showcased five new varieties in 2015, the company unveiled only one model last year. The company does not have any plan to launch a new curved TV this year either.

Unlike Samsung, LG views a curved screen as a drawback. The logic is that TVs are set up usually in a spacious place, such as the living room where the angles from which the multiple viewers watch TV. The Trusted Reviews, a British technology website, said that to fully enjoy the benefits of a curved TV, one should watch TV within the viewing angle of 25 degrees, but the scope is too narrow.”

The share of curved varieties in the global sales of televisions will peak this year at 4.9 percent to fall down onward to 3 percent by 2020, market research firm IHS projected on Wednesday. Cited as reason was the viewing experience from far side angles, which leads to distracting reflections or a dramatic drop in contrast range and chroma.



Dong-Il Seo dong@donga.com