Sales of slim liquid-crystal-display (LCD) computer monitors in Asia could outpace those of bulky cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors by as early as the first quarter of next year as consumers gradually replace older monitors, market researcher International Data Corp (IDC) said yesterday.
Nonetheless, IDC predicted lukewarm growth for LCD monitors next year, as most nations in the region complete their computer-replacement cycles.
"Overall, sales for LCD computer monitors are expected to overtake CRTs as early as the first quarter of 2006," said Reuben Tan, a senior analyst with IDC's Asia-Pacific Personal Systems Research, in a statement released yesterday.
After growing demand for the mainstream 17-inch LCD monitors caused a shortage of LCD panels, Tan expects manufacturers to ramp up LCD-panel supplies to match or even exceed demand in the current quarter.
In the first half of the year, sales of computer monitors in the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan increased by about 14 percent from the same period last year to 18.4 million units, IDC said.
Sales of LCD monitors rose to make up nearly half of the total sales during the period, IDC said.
In the next few years to 2009, Tan predicted that the annual growth rate for monitors would slow to around 6.4 percent as a result of declining demand for CRT monitors.
Demand for LCD monitors should be healthy, offsetting the expected 4.3-percent annual decline in sales of CRT monitors during the period, he said.
Samsung Electronics Co held on to the top place among computer-monitor vendors in the region, according to the statement.
Royal Philips Electronics NV managed to hang on to the second spot, with an aggressive LG Electronics Co tracking close behind, IDC said.
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