TOKYO: Shipments of flat-panel television sets in Japan in January fell 11.2 percent from a year before to 348,000 units, down for the third month in a row, industry data showed Tuesday.
The drop came after demand for small-screen models surged a year before ahead of the end of a cable TV service that allowed analog TVs to show digital terrestrial broadcasting, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association said.
In value, however, shipments grew for the fourth consecutive month, reflecting robust demand for large-screen and 4K ultrahigh-resolution TVs. A JEITA official said shipments were weaker than a year earlier, but not bad, compared with the average year.
Shipments of TVs with screen sizes of 29-inch or smaller slid 15.1 percent, those of 30- to 36-inch TVs plunged 21.1 percent and those of 37-49 inch TVs decreased 15.0 percent. Shipments of TVs with screens of at least 50 inches jumped 43.7 percent and those of 4K TVs soared 108.4 percent.
