Just under half of flat-screen LCD TV and monitor panels shipped worldwide this year will be illuminated by LED (light-emitting diodes) backlight, a recent research has estimated. This figure represents a sizable increase from 2010, when LED penetration among these display devices stood at only 20 percent.
LED-backlit LCD television – or “LED TV” if TV manufacturers were to have their way – has enjoyed a surge of popularity among consumers over the past few years. While this is partly down to those with vested interests in the HDTV industry working hard to convince the public that LED LCD TVs deliver superior picture quality, it cannot be denied that LCD televisions equipped with edge LED backlight usually look aesthetically stunning because of their slimmer form factor, and consume less energy compared to their CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) counterparts.
The rise in LED backlighting ratio for LCD TVs and monitors is only part of a larger picture however, according to the report published by market research and consulting company iSuppli. The firm boldly predicted that LED backlight will absolutely dominate the netbook and laptop screen landscape in 2011, with a penetration rate of 100% (up from 91% last year).
Overall, more than two-thirds of large-sized (defined by the researchers as being at least 10 inches in diagnonal measurement) LCD panels sold globally this year will feature LED backlight. iSuppli forecast that LEDs will be employed in 67% of large-screen flat-panel LCDs in 2011, which is up from 44% last year. In terms of LED-backlit LCD shipments, the analyst expects a near 75% increase from 283.3 million units in 2010 to 495.6 million units this year.
Commenting on their findings, iSuppli’s senior LCD research director Sweta Dash said that apart from being the fastest-growing segment of the LCD TV market, LED-lit panels will eventually account for the majority of large-sized LCD displays in the near future, as more and more consumers are enticed by price drops, not to mention the LED TVs’ thinner design and reduced power consumption.