can sra benefit from this

Plasma TV leads electronics boom
By Stephen Dabkowski
April 13, 2004



In Australia, companies report strong sales of luxury television sets.
Picture: Supplied

The plasma TV boom is having an effect on electronic companies. The industry has upgraded sales projections of the hi-tech flat televisions for the next 12 months, suggesting world sales will almost double to 3.65 million units.

In Australia, companies report strong growth in sales of luxury televisions.

NEC Australia chief executive Isamu Shiroki said that people had embraced the latest technology.

"Plasma television has been a growing market for two years," he said. "There have been strong sales throughout the industry. This has not only demonstrated the recent technological enhancements, but also the popularity of home entertainment units."

Another Japanese-based manufacturer, Pioneer, said yesterday that as part of plans to quadruple capacity, it would accelerate the start of a production line by more than a month to meet demand.

Pioneer sold 160,000 plasma TV sets around the world under its own brand in the year to March, almost all that it could make, according to company president Kaneo Ito.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the world's second-largest maker of liquid crystal displays, plans to build a new LCD plant by 2006 to keep pace with Japanese rival Sharp Corp in meeting rising flat-screen demand.


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Retailer Gerry Harvey recently attributed the lift to his company's profit to the hi-tech boom in digital home entertainment.

"Plasma screens, digital cameras and home-theatre systems are growing fast," he said. "These are emerging-technology products that continue to drive sales growth."

The strong Australian dollar is reducing the prices of some plasma TV sets - which can cost more than $10,000 - which is fuelling demand. Retravision chief executive Keith Perkin said recently: "We're selling more widescreen TVs and plasma screen TVs than ever."