LCD Monitor Market Reaches $35B in 2005

Industry Leaders to Discuss Upward Momentum at DisplaySearch US FPD Conference

DisplaySearch, an NPD Group Company and the worldwide leader in display market research and consulting, recently revealed data showing worldwide LCD desktop monitor shipments grew more than expected in Q3’05, rising 20% Q/Q and 68% Y/Y to 28.4M units. As Q4’05 final worldwide numbers are tallied from all channels and regions, an additional 11% growth in worldwide branded volume shipments is expected resulting in annual unit shipments of 106.2M with revenues reaching $35B. 2005 LCD monitor shipments are expected to rise 54% for 2005, the highest yearly growth rate since 2003 when the market was less than half its current size.

With this high unit volume growth, LCD monitors are expected to account for 74.1% of the total desktop monitors shipped in Q4’05, as shown in Table 1, leading many to question whether the world’s largest outlet for larger-size LCD technology is becoming saturated. With top producers indicating increased multiple monitor use for standard office applications as well as the growing acceptance of wide aspect ratios for office and home use, the desktop monitor market could be on the verge of its next replacement cycle. -0-

Table 1: Market Share for LCD and CRT Monitors

	Q3’04	Q4’04	Q1’05	Q2’05	Q3’05	Q4’05(F)
LCD Monitors	50.3%	56.2%	62.6%	64.8%	70.8%	74.1%
LCD PCs	0.8%	1.3%	1.1%	1.3%	1.1%	1.2%
CRT Monitors	48.9%	42.5%	36.4%	33.9%	28.1%	24.7%
Total Desktop Monitors	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

Such topics will be discussed at the 8th Annual DisplaySearch US FPD Conference to be held March 21-23 in San Diego California. In the Desktop Monitor session, executives from two of the world’s top five LCD monitor companies, HP and Acer, will present with one of the top five producers of panels for LCD monitor applications, Taiwan-based Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO). Microsoft will present their view on the potential impact of Vista on desktop monitors. In addition, Dell Displays VP Gerry Smith will participate in the Display Executive Roundtable on March 21. -0-

Table 2: Q3’05 WW and NA Top 5 LCD Monitor Vendors by Brand

Q3’05	Q2/Q3	Q3’05	Q2/Q3	Q2/Q3	Q2/Q3
Rank Brand	WW Share	Growth	Rank Brand	NA Share	Growth
1 Dell	17.1%	1.4%	1 Dell	35.4%	2.7%
2 Samsung	11.5%	26.6%	2 HP	11.3%	21.2%
3 HP	8.6%	10.2%	3 Acer	5.2%	25.0%
4 Acer	7.0%	20.8%	4 Samsung	5.1%	-23.5%
5 LGE	5.9%	24.7%	5 ViewSonic	3.9%	12.0%
	Market Total	20.2%		Market Total	8.8%

“With industry leaders from all facets of the LCD monitor mix presenting their outlooks and strategies, this session will provide an insightful look into the future of this exciting market,” notes Chris Connery, VP of Desktop Monitor Market Research and moderator of the March 23rd Desktop Monitor session. “Additionally, while the consumer market continues to be the most visible market, analysis shows that the B2B market still represents 61.4% of the worldwide shipment of LCD monitors. Hearing additional insight into the new technologies such as LED backlighting for LCDs and smart displays, as well as other trends to help improve worker productivity, will help put the B2B and B2C market differences into perspective for the audience,” states Connery.

Register by February 1 and save $100! For more info about the 8th Annual DisplaySearch US FPD Conference, or to register online as an attendee, sponsor or exhibitor, visit http://www.DisplaySearch.com/usfpd2006 or contact Kendra Smith at kendra@displaysearch.com or 512-459-3126 x107.

About DisplaySearch
DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, has a core team of 34 employees located in North America and Asia who produce a valued suite of market forecasts, technology assessments, surveys, studies and analyses. The company also organizes influential events worldwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DisplaySearch has regional operations in Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, Kyoto, San Diego, San Jose, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo, and the company is on the web at http://www.displaysearch.com.

About The NPD Group Inc.
Since 1967, The NPD Group has provided reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today more than 1,400 manufacturers and retailers rely on NPD to help them better understand their customers, product categories, distribution channels and competition in order to help guide their business. Information from The NPD Group is available for the following major vertical sectors: apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, food and beverage, foodservice, footwear, home improvement, housewares, imaging, information technology, music, software, travel, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information, visit http://www.npd.com.