(27 August 2007 3:15 pm)

MUMBAI: The total size of the television market in Asia is estimated to hit $22 billion for the full year 2007.

In the first half of the year, LCD televisions comprised the largest television category in terms of value, capturing 60 per cent of total consumer spend. This compares with conventional televisions which had a 22 per cent share while plasma televisions took away 16 per cent and rear projection televisions one per cent.

On a volume basis, LCD televisions are out-selling plasma televisions in retail channels at rates of six-to-one in Asia and 13-to-one in China.

GfK Asia has released its 2007 Half Year Pan Asian Consumer Electronics Data Summary, highlighting the trends in the region's consumer electronics sector.

Gfk Asia notes that LCD TVs are literally flying off the shelves in China and all across Asia. "In Asia, it measures year-on-year growth rates 115 per cent on a volume basis for LCD TVs. In the first half of the year, China registers LCD TV year-on-year growth above 100 per cent on a value basis, with the market now forecast to be above $7 billion in 2007. Overall, it is a remarkable trend for LCD TV manufacturers and consumers alike," states the firm.

Sales of DVD portable players (battery-powered devices) are on the upswing across Asia. This is the only segment of the DVD player market that is on a growth trend, recording a 34 per cent gain on a volume basis against the same time frame in 2006.

The market value of DVD portable player sales across 12 countries in the Asian Region is forecast to reach nearly $200 million in 2007, representing around 12 per cent of the overall DVD player market demand.

On aggregate, the forecast is for almost 24 million DVD players to be sold in 2007 in the Asian Region.

Portable video playback is on the rise across Asia. The firm expects more than 10 million portable video players to be purchased in 2007, covering both DVD portables and MP4 portables. Combine this with the growth in mobile phones, the feature video playback and you have strong evidence that Asian consumers truly want to experience video on the move.

At the same time, on-demand portable video content is still quite limited. Several broadcast technologies suitable for mobile and portable video, for example DVB-H and DMB, will vie for widespread adoption. These technologies will put television in the palm of your hand. The current growth in portable video playback suggests that Asian consumers are ready for this future 'mobile TV' reality. In fact, that future has already arrived in South Korea.

Audio: The total consumer spend on audio home systems and home theatre systems is forecast to reach nearly $1 billion in 2007 with just under four million units sold across the 12 Asian countries measured.

Southeast Asia is proving a robust market for home theatre systems; consumer demand is rising across the region. For the first half of the year, Philippines measures up 237 per cent on value basis, followed by Malaysia (49 per cent), Thailand (43 per cent), Vietnam ( 37 per cent), and Indonesia (32 per cent) when measured against results from the same period last year.

The digital camcorder market value is forecast to be $ 1.5 billion in 2007 with an estimated 2 million plus units sold across 12 countries in the Asian Region. In the first half of 2007, several countries are registering higher retail sales compared to a year ago, including Singapore, Indonesia, and China.

Digital camcorders have changed dramatically in the last several years as they face competition from digital still cameras that feature ever-better video recording capabilities. Consumers have responded well to advanced digital camcorder storage technologies, such as DVD and hard disk drive. Recently, several manufacturers have launched hi- definition digital camcorders into the market. With these developments, the camcorder segment looks fit to enter a new era.

Sales of MP4 digital portable video players are continuing to surge, growing by more than 40 per cent year-on-year on a volume basis. MP4 digital portable video player sales are forecast to approach 10 million units. Overall, the digital portable player category is forecast to exceed 22 million units in 2007 and reach $2.3 billion in total demand.

Asian consumers are certainly enjoying digital music more than ever. Not surprisingly, they are spoilt for choice with many intriguing devices available that are capable of digital music playback, including mobile phones and digital still cameras. As a result, the firm reports that retail sales of MP3 players are now in decline. This is especially true of the lower priced models. The heir apparent to the music-only MP3 player is proving to be MP4 devices that feature both music and video playback.