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Japan: Things are not good
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The flat panel TV screen industry dropped 70% in Japan during the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2011 due to a lack of demand from local consumers, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA).

    JEITA reported that a total of 3.5 million flat screen TV units were shipped in Japan during the period, and that in June TVs saw an 80.3% decrease at 557,000 units, marking the eleventh consecutive month of decreases.

    Overall, 29-inch and below sized TVs dropped 71.8% with 30-36-inch and 37-inch and above ones at around the same rate, said JEITA. The association also reported similar results for 3D TVs.

    Sources said the main reason is because consumers in Japan have recently switched out old TVs for new ones and are not on the market for newer or upgraded models. Due consumer behavior patterns in Japan, industry supply chains have begun to shift their focus more towards emerging markets and maintain an overall negative view for growth in Japan.

    Meanwhile, industry sources are holding conservative views for TV growth in the second half of 2012, aside from China, which may reach 20 million in sales solely for 3D TVs.

    Via: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120724PD210.html

  • 23 Replies sorted by
  • brianlucebrianluce

    Maybe it just means that the market is saturated. How many flat screens does a family need? And the damn things last longer than most marriages.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Maybe it just means that the market is saturated.

    Yet on other markets it is not so saturated :-) Of course, Japan makers are loosing TV share, but it is not the cause. Economic is. I think one of the reasons is worse situation with electricity and, especially, recently accounced big price hikes.

  • DazzaDazza

    Well one of the reasons that wasn't mentioned in that article is that everyone has just finished switching over from the analog transmission network which just got switched off, which would have prompted larger sales in the previous year. Despite what some people might think, Japanese people in general don't upgrade their gadgets that much, I know some many people that still had an old <25" CRT tube before they upgraded

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Well one of the reasons that wasn't mentioned in that article is that everyone has just finished switching over from the analog transmission network which just got switched off, which would have prompted larger sales in the previous year.

    I am sure that you could get box instead that can decode digital channels, plus many use cable already for long time. Also I am not sure about so large sales before. May be I am not right.

  • DazzaDazza

    Yes you can get a digital decoder box, but for slight price difference you can just get a new TV, so guess what option most people picked? Also cable doesn't have all the free to air channels on it, Japanese still like their national stations unlike some other countries

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Also cable doesn't have all the free to air channels on it, Japanese still like their national stations unlike some other countries

    Interesting. Here air usage is almost extinct (it is present, but almost no one is using it), only many cable operators (translating analog and digital) and some use satellites.

  • sakattaq76sakattaq76

    I've got something new to consider. Korean brands (Samsung, LG) have overtake the market, especially on big multinational stores. In Greece you rarely see Japanese TVs on shelves anymore (just some Sony). I own a great last year's series of Panasonic plasma and it was difficult to find available!

  • DrDaveDrDave

    I don't have cable so I use an OTA antenna. Bit of course you have to have a big screen TV to preview your videos.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Korean brands (Samsung, LG) have overtake the market, especially on big multinational stores. In Greece you rarely see Japanese TVs on shelves anymore (just some Sony).

    True. Here they also have local factories (so they supply only LCD panels and small electronic components and do everything else locally). Japanese can't compete with them in prices and features.

  • APXmusicAPXmusic

    I have been here for over eight years and I can definitely say that Japan has lost its market share. Korea puts out better and cheaper tvs and pc monitors. I can get a Samsung or LG 27" monitor for half the price of a similar spec'd Japanese model. Large screen Korean plasma/LCD televisions are still quite difficult to find in Japan but I suspect they will be imported more as the market continues to change. Blame it on the shitty economy here I guess.

  • ghkqnghkqn

    Japanese dearly love new technology and new gadgets, so they all switched within just a few short years whenever the latest and biggest tech comes out. I have seen that time and time again. I say the severe drop on LCD TV sales in Japan is not surprising. Unlike a lot of Americans, most Japanese do not need 5 LCD TVs in their small homes. Besides, with their 3 hour daily commute, Japanese comes home very late.

  • bkmcwdbkmcwd

    We shifted to digital TV compulsorily from analog TV in July, last year. Great campaign is performed, many people were panicked and the mass media and the government were made to buy new TV just before that. And in Japan, the cable has not yet spread because the mass media has big rights and is stopping it. Although there is a factor economical, of course, I have a feeling of the maker having been made to dance more than it by the mass media.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @bkmcwd

    How much HD channels do you have in Japan? I mean accessible to normal user.

  • bkmcwdbkmcwd

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Although it changes also with areas, we have about five to seven Air stations. In addition to them, there are also some charged BS channels. Although there are some cable TVs, of course, the main contents are charged BS channels. However, "TV" for us means the Air stations overwhelmingly.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Although it changes also with areas, we have about five to seven Air stations.

    All in HD?

    Here most people have access to about 60-120 channels. Depend on cable operator (I mean basic package). Free air, I do not know really, something about 20, I think.

  • bkmcwdbkmcwd

    Since I hardly look at TV, I am not detailed, but many contents must be HD. It can be viewing satisfactorily on the 47-inch display of my home. The preconceived idea that TV is free and it is the Air station with our feeling is strong. I think that it is the imprinting by the mass media also including it.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Since I hardly look at TV,

    Same here, I watch some news and also Olympics :-)

  • bkmcwdbkmcwd

    Yes, same. I abhor PROPAGANDA.

  • disneytoydisneytoy

    My viewing is primarily "on demand" via the net. I'm in the US and like a lot of the UK shows and some New Zealand programs. So the means OTA or Cable is less of a factor.

  • ManceMance

    It's also affected by local development. Now many countries have their own electronic technology and industry. And some are in good developping. Some years ago, Japan's Tv held nearly all the high level markets of China. But these years, the most parts of consumption is to local Tv products made by China.

  • stoneystoney

    I stopped watching TV for the last couple of years. Recently I began watching it again on iPad while running on a treadmill. I wanna sell my 50" HDTV along with 5.1 speakers and a power hungry receiver. Then place a big mirror on the wall and complete my home gym. I have 32" 720p in living room. It's good enough for playing console games and watching Netflix streaming. The bottleneck is the quality of contents. No compelling reason to upgrade HDTV.

  • exilenorthexilenorth

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev, so Vitaliy what can we do as a forward thinking group. How can we make a difference, or do we wait out the next financial collapse of a foreign country? Stop buying Televisions etc. Mankind are comfort junkies, smart phones, 60 inch plasma Televisions, start our cars using our phone, Blah,Blah,Blah...... Yeah its bad in Japan, but it is bad everywhere, including Eastern Europe..... any Ideas?

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