Market Watch - Televisions (12th Nov 2011)

The television product categories is one of the most active markets and the reason behind it is a number of things. Those with CRT TVs want to buy them and as prices have dropped over the years, people have started making the move. Those who bought LCD TVs when they were introduced are now also upgrading to newer, better models. With prices of full HD, 42-inch LCD TVs starting at under Rs. 45,000, they’ve become way more affordable than they were some two years ago. In our Market Watch features, we speak to vendors and shop keepers who give us a better idea of how the market evolves through the years, which models sell well and what kind of products customers are looking for.

Note: Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the price list

Like with other consumer electronics such as mobile phones and cameras, customers have their favorite brands. In the case of TVs, it’s Samsung and LG. With an abundance of models on offer, there seems to be something for everyone. For example, LG and Samsung both have TVs starting from 19-inch models priced at around Rs. 10,000 to models that cost multiple lakhs. So, there’s something for everyone whereas some of the other brands for various reasons have chosen to be more conservative with the models they sell in India. Samsung and LG aren’t the only two popular brands around. The other popular brand is Sony, whose users tend to stick with brand when it comes to TVs.

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Then, there are not-so-popular brands. Amongst TVs, it seems Mitashi and AOC aren’t very popular. When people spend large sums of money on products, they are looking for well established brand names. Technology products like in the case of automobiles, are bought based on brands too. Philips too happens to figure in that list, according to the vendor.

A few years back when LED-backlit TVs first appeared, the technology hadn’t matured and high prices meant the demand was average at best. Now, prices have dropped and LED TVs are slowly becoming the norm. Manufacturers are offering LED TVs at marginally higher rates and the number of LED backlit TVs is quickly increasing. Customers are noticing this change and there’s a clear increase in interest for the new technology. There are a bunch of benefits - compact design, lower power consumption and very sleek looking TVs. There’s no talk about 3D TVs yet.

There are a few models that tend to do really well. Samsung’s 32-inch model, the LN32D450 was the most sold TV in the months of September and October. The LN32D450 is a 32-inch LCD TV that uses a 1366x768 panel, has the standard set of input connections and also features USB media playback support. Lots of customers are still cost conscious, which means 32-inch models still are the sweet spot for many of them. The LN32D450 sells for under Rs. 30,000 for example.

A promising sign that televisions are one of the most happening sections of the market came from the vendor, who said that TVs sold way more than DVD players, Home Theatre systems, air conditioners and washing machines.