The term “full HD” for 1080p is basically a clever marketing term that may seem to suggest, erroneously, that 720p and 1080i somehow are not “full” HD, but the term is proving to be successful in moving 1080p products off the shelf, according to market analyst iSuppli.
The analyst’s latest research finds that 1080p “is no longer just an empty buzzword and has become one of the major selling points for televisions.” The market findings were detailed last week at iSuppli’s annual conference, Flat Information Displays 2007.
“The dramatic increase in availability of full-HD products is spurring impressive growth for LCD-TV sales—mostly due to consumer demand,” said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. “For television brands, full HD is also a way for them to differentiate themselves from their competition, as well as to charge more for the displays they sell.”
As a result, iSuppli predicts global revenue for 1080p LCD sets will grow to $75.4 billion by 2011 (rising from about $3.8 billion in 2006). In 2007, it’s predicting that revenue will grow more than five-fold (to about $21.3 billion)
On the plasma side, iSuppli said the Plasma Display Coalition pinpoints 1080p as the key reason for driving the plasma market in the last several months, with the coalition citing a jump of better than 20 percent in overall plasma sales in the third quarter.
