• HomeTheaterMag.com, Wednesday, March 5, 2008 11:15 AM

While the trend toward flat-panel has eroded the market share of some of the best-known brands in the TV set market, that seems to have begun to reverse as 2007 figures show some of the traditional marques back in the lead. In the fourth quarter of lat year, for instance, Samsung was No. 1 in LCD sales in North America, with a share of 14.2%, up from 12.8% the previous quarter. Sony was second at 12.5% (up from 10.8%) while former No. 1 Vizio fell to third place with 12.4%, down from 13%. And Panasonic continued to top the plasma market, according to market research firm iSuppli.

The new winners used aggressive pricing and promotion to best their rivals, along with the lasting power of their brand names. "Consumers in the television industry are not as brand conscious as they once were, as evidenced by the popularity of Vizio," says analyst Riddhi Patel. "However, when the difference in pricing between a value-brand television and a premium-brand set is within the 10 percent range, consumers often will go for the premium brand."

Read the whole story at HomeTheaterMag.com »