Skip to main content

LCD TVs to Take Lead by 2007

If you were to look around a major consumer electronics retailer today, you might think CRT televisions had already gone the way of the dinosaur, with most sellers offering only one or two models amid a throng of wider, thinner, and (of course) younger flat-panel models.

And you’d be right: consumers today are increasingly fixated on flat-panel televisions, so much so that market research firm iSuppli is forecasting that 2007 will mark the first year sales of LCD television sets outpace the traditional CRT in the United States. iSuppli predicts sales of LCD TVs will jump from 10.9 million units this year to 17.8 million units in 2007, while CRT sales will languish from 14.4 million units this year to just 10.4 million units next year. By 2010, iSuppli predicts only 2.1 million CRT televisions will be sold, accounting for less than five percent of the total television market.

Recommended Videos

This summer, research firm DisplaySearch predicted the CRT wouldn’t be displaced by LCD panels as top dog in the global television market until 2009. On a revenue basis, worldwide sales of LCDs overtook CRTs back in 2005.

Some of you, Gentle Readers, may be wondering who would still be buying CRT televisions? Although prices for large-screen CRTs are relatively comparable to large screen LCDs, the CRT still satisfies a market niche for consumers who don’t want to spend $1,500, $1,000, or even $500 on a new television: according to recent figures from DisplaySearch, the average price of a CRT-based television is an affordable $223, compared to just over $1,000 for an LCD-based television and over $2,300 for a plasma-based set. However, the price gap between LCDs and CRTs is narrowing in the middle and lower ranges in the market, both because the costs of LCD panels have fallen, and the cost of CRT sets has actually risen somewhat due to digital tuner mandates. Sales of LCD televisions should be further fueled by the FCC’s mandated conversion to digital broadcasts in February of 2009: many consumers will opt to purchase new digital televisions rather than converters which enable older CRT sets to display digital broadcasts.

Although the picture quality of LCD and plasma technologies is improving, CRT technology has its fans. Digital CRT sets available today handle high-def just fine, and offer better contrast ratios and color than any LCD set. Even if it’s far more awkward to hang them on your wall.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
LG TVs are about to lose access to Google Assistant
lg thinq remote

Owners of LG smart TVs made since 2018 are waking up to an unexpected message on their screens notifying them that, as of May 1, Google Assistant will no longer be supported. The change follows a similar moves by Samsung, and Panasonic.

According to 9to5Google, the full message reads:

Read more
Netflix on Samsung TVs just got a whole lot better, thanks to HDR10+
The Netflix app being displayed on a Samsung S90C OLED TV.

Samsung is finally clearing the way for a major upgrade to a better Netflix streaming experience on your smart TVs and monitors. The prodigious Korean display maker has confirmed HDR10+ codec support for Netflix streaming is coming to its large screens after the streaming giant added support last week.

In a newsroom post, Samsung confirmed HDR10+ content on Netflix will now be accessible on 2025 Samsung Neo QLED, OLED, and Lifestyle TV models. It added support for PC monitors from 2024 and 2025 as well, which should include the Smart Monitor M7, M8, and M9 series at the very least. While the announcement means Samsung has updated the Netflix app for its Tizen OS running on the TVs, supported models should also be able to make use of the recently added support with external streaming devices, such as an Apple TV or an Android TV streaming box, so long as they are also certified for HDR10+.

Read more
You Asked: Humidity hazards, too-close TVs, washed-out watching
You Asked Ep. 85: OLED's Mortal Enemy

On today’s You Asked: Can you have an OLED if you live in a high-humidity environment?
Too steamy for my TV?
LG G4 OLED Zeke Jones / Digital Trends

Sean, our island nit nerd ohana, writes: I recently purchased a G4, but I didn’t consider humidity. Like a lot of older homes on O’ahu, my house doesn’t have A/C. Should I be very concerned about the humid air in my house for my OLED’s longevity and would it be worth buying a dehumidifier for it?

Read more