Sleek LCD to overtake CRT monitors

The days of the cathode ray tube are numbered as soon the liquid crystal display monitors will be flooding the market in a big way.

For the first time, LCD shipments are expected to overtake CRT monitors this year, according to a study by IDC, a global market intelligence and advisory firm in Information Technology and Telecom industry.

The battle for sleek, flat-panel LCD PC monitors has officially begun, thus forcing the continued erosion of traditional cathode-ray tube shipments.

The IDC study, 'Worldwide PC Monitor Forecast and Analysis, 2003-2007: It's a Flat-Out Success,' suggests that in three years, CRT displays will be hard to find in the US.

However, gamers are likely to hang on to the tube screens, because LCDs are not as crisp in displaying quick motions.

This market is being fuelled by a surplus of LCD monitors from a number of suppliers in Asia, and these space-saving displays will surpass worldwide CRT shipments in 2004, approaching 119 million units by 2007, study says.

"There's a universal attraction to these thinner, lighter, less cumbersome displays," said Jennifer Gallo, analyst for IDC's displays and projectors service.

"Throw out an appealing price point to the masses and you've got a formula for shaking up the marketplace."

IDC points out that the CRTs won't completely disappear and should ship around 30 million units in 2007. Though these shipments would be to less developed countries, as more advanced markets will almost completely switch over to LCD monitors by the end of the forecast period.

On a regional basis, the monitor market will closely mirror that of PCs, with the US dominating through 2006.

But by 2007 this will change with the rapidly growing Asia/Pacific region edging past the US with 28.9 per cent of the global shipments and be coming the largest market for PC monitors.

The study concludes that 17-inch LCDs will become the dominant category in 2005 while LCD monitor average selling prices will consistently decline over next few years.

According to the study the monitor market is dominated by large Korean monitor makers and major US PC vendors and sub-$400 (and, in some cases, sub-$300) 17-inch LCD monitors have driven many mainstream PC owners into LCD displays.