Korean durable majors LG and Samsung have up the ante in the slim category of colour television market.
LG and Samsung have introduced ultra slim models of flat 21 inch colour televisions, both boasting of offering the 'world's slimmest television'.
While introducing high-end products like LCDs and Plasmas, companies are driving the lower end customers to upgrade to bigger screen sizes.
Positioned in the mid price segment, slim televisions are about 32-40 per cent slimmer than the flat televisions. Christened as Ultra Slim Televisions, both LG and Samsung have aggressively priced the products at Rs 12,990 and Rs 11,000 respectively. Currently the entry level flat televisions are available in the range of Rs 6,000-10,000.
The companies are trying to tap the aspirational consumer who cannot directly upgrade to a plasma or a LCD. While Sasmung's Ultra Slim model boasts of features like nano technology for sharper pictures with three separate video inputs, LG's model claims of 120 degree deflection angle with application of a shortest slim gun technology.
According to a Samsung executive, " The slim televisions with space saving designs intend to tap the customers with space constraints while providing better technological features. The company expects this segment to contribute about 50 per cent to the sales this year."
Samsung plans to push the slim television category during the promotions for the forthcoming cricket world cup. The company officials indicated that the category may not drive volume sales but could act as image drivers for aspirational customers.
An executive of another television manufacturing company that plans to enter the category said, "Though slim televisions have been introduced in the market, it is not getting favourable response as the customers are not getting value for money due to the pricing strategy. We would rather take wait and watch stance for prices to fall further and then consider entering the category."
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