เช้านี้ ใน Bangkok Post เจอข่าวนี้ น่าจะเป็นข่าวดี สำหรับ คอ Hi-Def. ปลายปีคงมี เฮ.
New LCD lines to lower prices
PITSINEE JITPLEECHEEP
Competition in the liquid crystal display (LCD) TV market is intensifying as the year end's festive season is drawing near, given the offers late this month by big players
Toshiba and Panasonic.
Toshiba will launch new LCD TV models this year to capture market demand, which is expected to double to 100,000 sets next year, according to Hidenori Matsui, president of Toshiba (Thailand) Co, the marketer of Toshiba electrical products.
One of its flagship products is the WL68T series, which features high-resolution 100-hertz, 1,080-pixel displays, the first of its kind for LCD TVs.
''Despite the negative factors affecting consumer sentiment including floods, we are confident of selling more LCD products this year, as LCD TVs have already become common
conventional TVs,'' he said.
As more players enter the market, the product prices continue to fall to spur consumer demand. Over the past 18 months, the average price of LCD TVs dropped by 60% to around 50,000 baht for 32-inch models.
Several LCD brands have already moved their production bases to Thailand, including Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.
''We will fully compete in Thailand's LCD market this year. After producing some models of our LCD products here, our prices are about 20% lower than in the past,'' said Daizo Ito, president of Panasonic (Thailand).
Mr Ito expects to increase Panasonic's market share in LCD products to 30% next year, up from the estimated 20% by the end of this year.
Mr Matsui said Toshiba wants to increase its current ranking in the LCD TV market from among the top five to the top three, with a 15% share in the next two years.
It will spend about 100 million baht, or 25% of its total advertising and promotional budget, to promote LCD TVs this year.
''Apart from the picture and sound quality, our LCD products consume 25% less energy than those of our rivals. People are more enthusiastic than ever about energy saving amid the rising trend of oil prices,'' said Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Toshiba's chairwoman.
Mr Matsui said Toshiba's advertising campaign would focus on the energy-saving qualities of Toshiba LCD products.
Sales of Toshiba Thailand in fiscal 2006, which ended March 2007, are expected to be 4.4 billion baht, up 10% from the previous fiscal year.