Samsung's 3D TV sales plunge in China

SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean electronics behemoth Samsung Electronics Co. is suffering a decline in sales of its 3D TVs in China due to increased competition, an industry report showed Tuesday. According to the report by market research firm DisplaySearch, Samsung Electronics accounted for 9.3 percent of the 3D TV market in China in the second quarter of the year, compared with 18.3 percent the previous quarter. Both numbers were drastic drops from the 33 percent stake that Samsung claimed in the Chinese 3D TV market in the fourth quarter of last year, the research firm said. Sony Corp. of Japan also saw its share in the Chinese 3D TV market drop to 8.5 percent in the second quarter from 46.6 percent seen during the fourth quarter of last year. In contrast, Chinese television firms such as Hisense, Skyworth, and Konka saw their market shares rise sharply in the second quarter on rising demand for low-priced 3D TVs in China that use so-called film patterned retarder (FPR) technology. Samsung Electronics led the global 3D TV market in the second quarter with a 33.4 percent market share in terms of units sold, followed by Sony with 22.5 percent and LG Electronics with 12.1 percent, according to DisplaySearch.