Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest flat-panel television maker, has sold around half a million LED-lit Samsung TVs worldwide in the first 100 days of the mid-March launch.

In the high-end premium market, Samsung took a share of 83 per cent in May, up from just 4 per cent a year earlier, according to market researcher NPD group.

Samsung’s entirely new line-up of high-definition LED TVs features with an ultra slim design.  This new class of TVs was recognised by three 2009 CES Innovation awards, one each for the Series 6, Series 7, and Series 8 model line-ups.

Samsung began an aggressive global marketing campaign promoting the new generation of high-definition LED-lit TVs focused on three factors: its ultra slim ( thinner than three centimeters) design, its LED technology makes picture quality sharper and brighter and the new TVs cut power consumption by about 40 per cent compared with old LCD TVs.

Samsung president Yoon Boo Keun, who heads the TV business, pointed out he wanted to create a buzz in the industry to break out of a trap where revenues drop even as unit sales increase.

“We are confident the TV business will continue to be a growth engine. Samsung achieved outstanding results in the second quarter with our consumer electronics business remaining strong and a solid performance in the still challenging components market” said B J Kim, general manager of AV division at Samsung Gulf Electronics.

Samsung digital media divisions registered an operating profit of $870,100,436 up 657 per cent increase year-on-year.

Revenue reached $9,661,429,999, a 13.8 per cent increase year-on-year. The performance was driven by strong sales of flat panel TVs and premium digital appliances.

In flat panel TVs, Samsung saw unit sales increase by 10 per cent, outperforming the 6 per cent overall market growth. The company maintained market leadership in monitors, increasing its share in models larger than 20 inches.

Samsung forecast the overall demand for TVs to grow in the 10-20 per cent range but expected strong price competition as major manufacturers launched new product lineups.

The company aimed to outperform the market by offering new models and focusing on LED, full HD and premium design models. The digital appliance division will offer new eco-friendly models with energy saving features to maintain market growth.

Analysts DisplaySearch say that while the LED market is small in terms of overall sales, the high margin on each set will mean it has a relatively big impact on profits.

It expects LED-backlit TV shipments to rise nearly fivefold to 32.4 million units by 2015 with their share rising from 1.5 per cent of total LCD TV sales in 2009 to 8.3 per cent in 2011. – TradeArabia News Service