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Thin is in as flat TV sales soar
By CNN Technology Correspondent Kristie Lu Stout
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Tech giants Sony, Sharp, and Samsung are posting flat screen TV sales that are outpacing forecasts. So is this the killer appliance the industry has been waiting for? Back in the 1970s, consumers snapped up color TVs to replace those old black and white sets, but today, thin is in as consumers trade up to flat screen technology. A sleek screen you can hang on the wall has become the latest must-have gadget, giving a new boost to TV sales worldwide. Industry watchers say what started out as a product for the luxury market is now seeing sales increasing every month. By 2006 chic geeks will snap up 19 million flat TVs, according to research firm displaysearch. That's up from just 1.4 million sets last year. Sony is one of several manufacturers hoping flat screen sales will set spur its U.S. growth this year and to meet demand both Sony and Pioneer are expanding their range of models. But the market leader remains South Korea's Samsung. The company expects sales of both plasma and LCD screens surpass those of bulky tube sets in the next 5 years. Samsung Projects Director Mike McCabe says in the case of LCD sets consumers initially saw these sets as a secondary TV. Price factor"Maybe people had it in the office, or in a secondary bedroom," he says. "But now we're seeing a great move into it as a primary viewing panel." For most consumers price remains the deciding factor remains price and flat screen TVs are still much more expensive. But prices are coming down. Manufacturers such as Samsung say a 40 inch LCS TV selling today for just over $7,000 should come down to around $3000 in about two and half years. Falling prices may drive sales up, but it's not the only factor. Analysts say consumers must have a reason to replace their old sets like the ability to watch TV and surf the Net on one screen. Samsung's Mike McCabe says already the race is on to develop the next generation of flat screens. "Ourselves and other vendors are working on technology where we can have not only transparent but flexible screens which will be very much the future," he says.
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