The latest TV sales figures for the North American market show Samsung and LG opening up a huge lead over their Japanese rivals in the 3D LCD market. Almost three quarters of the market is now sewn up by the two Korean companies, while the likes of Sony and Panasonic have seen their shares tumble.
In the first quarter of last year, the combined 3D market share held by LG and Samsung was 56%, but in the final three months of 2011 that rose to 73%.
Meanwhile the combined market share of the Japanese manufacturers, including Panasonic, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba fell from 43% in the first quarter of the year to just 25% in the last three months, according to market research company NPD.
In the overall flatscreen market, which also includes 2D models, the Korean companies had a 34% share in October-December last year, while the Japanese share slipped to 24%.
LG and Samsung's policy of targeting sales of more expensive LED-lit LCD TVs seems to have paid off: the two held 43% of this sector of the market, while the Japanese companies together mustered just 24%, the same as their overall LCD TV figures.
However one significant figure shows how fast LG is catching up with its Korean rival in the 3D TV market, thanks to its commitment to the less expensive 'passive glasses' film-type patterned retarder (FPR) technology.
Samsung's last-quarter 3D market share in the States was 46%, down slightly from its 48% in the first three months of last year, while LG's share of the same sector surged from 8% in January-March 2011 to 27% in the last three months of the year.
