Television, Digital Goes Ahead of Analogue

The turnover of digital electrical home appliance got ahead of that of analogue electrical home appliance from the first half of this year. If the tendency maintains, digital electrical home appliance will be superior in annual records.

According to electrical home appliance industry at 15th, the turnover of digital television got ahead of analogue television in the first half of this year. LG Electronics recorded 340 billion Won of revenue in television. Digital television shares 55.9%(190 billion Won) and analogue television shares 44.1%(150 billion Won).

In case of Samsung Electronics, the statistics for the first 4 months of this year shows that digital television shares 58.0% of total sale of television. Statistics for the first half of this year hasn’t yet completed, but the tendency will not change.

Total estimated number of television sale by Samsung and LG Electronics 2.7 million units. The number of digital television is 700 thousand units (25.9%) of total units.

Even if digital television is behind of analogue television in number of sale, but ahead of it in monetary term, because the price of digital television is more than twice of analogue television. In case of Plasma Display Panel Television with function of digital receiver, the price comes close to 10 million Won.

DVD player is estimated to get ahead of VCR. The market of smart player ‘combo’ combining DVD, CD and video functions has grown as well. Recently, Samsung Electronics launched DVD player that installs of the next generation memory storage of Sony and supports digital camcorder, digital camera, PC, etc.

Shin Young-man, Vice President of Digital Video Business of Samsung Electronics says, “The domestic market volume for DVD player will be 600 thousand units and bigger than last year by three times.” And added “on the other side, VCR market will be only 550 thousands units. So DVD will get ahead of video in this year.”

LG Electronics estimates more optimistically than Samsung Electronics. LG Electronics expects that the DVD player market will be 850 t0 900 thousands units including 500 units of combo, and VCR market will be only 600 thousands units.

Im-Sook Ha artemes@donga.com