.jpg) Models pose by a Samsung Electronics full high-definition (HD) TV set. Samsung leads the U.S. digital TV market by using aggressive marketing through larger number of outlets and an increased brand image. / Korea Times File |
By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
Samsung Electronics is widening its lead over Sony in the battle for leadership in the U.S. digital television market, industry sources said.
According to an estimate by NPD, a market research firm, Samsung has widened the market gap with Sony by 11.9 percentage points as of the end of November, last year.
In 2007, the gap was 6.3 percentage points, up from 2.8 percentage points in 2006.
"By steadily releasing design- and tech-featured television sets, more general consumers in the world's biggest consumer electronics market were buying Samsung TVs," Samsung spokesman Kim Se-hun said.
Samsung is expected to top the U.S. digital TV set market for three straight years, showing its continuous leadership, Samsung officials said.
The U.S. market was considered a "brutal battle field" for television makers before the economy turned south, and industry watchers expected increased demand from viewers looking to switch their analog television sets.
Although many households are taking the low-cost approach and looking to buy converter boxes instead of digital televisions, top-tier brands Samsung, Sony, LG and Pioneer are looking to keep sales strong through aggressive marketing.
Samsung is confident it will retain its leadership.
"Over the next few years, time is not on Sony's side, considering its deteriorating balance sheet. In contrast, Samsung has more room for further marketing for the design-focused 'Touch of Color' series, positioning the company to get a bigger share," local brokerage Daishin Securities said.
In line with the strategy, Samsung's head of digital media division Park Jong-woo will attend the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January, to develop a more detailed TV strategy for the U.S. market, while Sony Chairman Howard Stringer will give a presentation on TV trends on the continent at a press conference, Samsung sources said.
NPD said Samsung accounted for 26.7 percent of the U.S. digital TV market for the first eleven months of last year, followed by Sony (14.8), Panasonic (7.2), Toshiba (6.8) and LG Electronics (6.7).
This was the first time for Samsung to surpass 20 percent.
The U.S. digital TV market recorded sales of 13.4 million sets during the period, an increase of 100,000 from a year earlier, the research firm added.
In a separate study, Samsung was found to have a 25.6 percent share by output in the U.S. market for 10-inch or bigger liquid crystal display (LCD) TV sets, while Sony accounted for 16.9 percent and LG, 6.8 percent.
yckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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