LCD TV market share: Samsung leads, but Vizio closes the gap

Aug 19, 2010 11:48 AM

Samsung remains the leading U.S. LCD TV brand but Vizio is closing the gap, says iSuppli, a market research firm in El Segundo, Calif. According to the latest data from iSuppli, for the six months ending in June Samsung's market share in LCD shipments was 19.7, while Vizio's was 18.9 percent, a less than one-percent difference.

The research firm says that over the past few years, the companies have actually flip-flopped positions during certain quarters, and they're now basically tied for the LCD TV leadership position in the U.S. Analyst Riddhi Patel says that in the past, Samsung focused on launching pricier TVs with new technologies while Vizio emphasized lower-cost TVs. But more recently, Vizio has shifted its strategy to offer more products with step-up features, such as LED backlights and Internet connectivity.

According to iSuppli's research, almost one-third of the surveyed consumers who bought LCD TVs in the second quarter bought Internet-connected models, while more than 60 percent chose a set 40 inches or larger. More than 17 percent opted for LCD TVs with LED backlights.

Based on iSuppli's data, the top five U.S. LCD brands (by market share) are:

Samsung, 19.7 percent
Vizio, 18.9 percent
Sony, 10.9 percent
LG Electronics, 8.8 percent
Sanyo, 6.9 percent

Toshiba, Panasonic, and Sharp trail the five leaders. The appearance of Sanyo, primarily available at Walmart and walmart.com, as a top-five LCD TV brand in the U.S. is a testament to the strength of the retailer in electronic goods. Walmart sells both LCD and plasma TVs carrying the Sanyo brand.

—James K. Willcox