Flat-panel sales rebound after first-quarter nosedive

Global flat-panel TV shipments rebounded to grow by 3.6% in the second quarter to 48.9 million units, following an unusually weak first quarter, according to figures compiled by IHS Displaybank.

Worldwide LCD TV shipments grew by 3.4% in the second quarter after a 29.3% drop in the first quarter. Samsung retained the number one slot, accounting for 19.2% of LCD screen shipments. Korea’s LG, Japan’s Sony, China’s TCL and Japan’s Toshiba made up the remainder of the top five vendors, together accounting for over 50% of global sales.

“After an unusually weak start to 2012, global television shipments showed some signs of life in the second quarter,” said Tom Morrod, senior analyst and head of TV technology at IHS. “While television shipments typically decline in the first quarter following the peak Christmas selling season, the drop this year was unusually sharp because of tentative consumer spending. The return to growth in the second quarter follows normal seasonal patterns for television shipment growth, and likely signals further growth ahead in the third quarter.”