LG set to lead LCD monitor segment

The latest line up includes the 55-inch and 42- inch LCD monitor with a built-in PC.

LG's 55-inch LCD monitor is the world's largest LCD monitor and is equipped with a large XGA screen to enable wide viewing angles. It has a brightness of 600 cd/m2 (candelas per meter squared), with a contrast ratio is 600:1 and a variety of features for multimedia use. The maximum resolution of 1366x768 WXGA makes it ideal for public displays.

"The demand for (LCD) monitors is growing exponentially in the Middle East. Industry analysts credit LCD monitors' improved performance and sharper brightness and contrast levels as the key reasons for their strong performance. According to IDC reports, in the Middle East, LCD monitors passed a watershed stage in February 2003, when sales surpassed those of traditional CRT monitors that previously dominated the market. LG is the world's largest producer of LCD panels, manufacturing around ten million LCD panel units annually. We aim to reach the global top spot in the LCD TV and monitor segment by 2008,"

said C H Lee, President, LG Electronics Gulf FZE.

Globally, LG took the second place in the monitor market with a 15 per cent market share last year. Out of the estimated market size of 1.08 million sets for LCD monitors in the Middle East, LG aims to capture 54 per cent market share and sell 586,000 units in the region in 2005. LG sold 212,000 units in the region in 2004 with Iran accounting for sales of 87,000 units. The company also registered turnover of 31,000 units in UAE, 20,000 units in Saudi Arabia and 29,000 units in Jordan.

Prices for liquid crystal display monitors have fallen substantially due to oversupply and, according to IDC Asia Pacific, further price drops are possible. IDC also predicts that demand for LCD monitors is likely to surpass traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors by 2008. As the new generation of slim, stylish space-saving LCD monitors hit the market, and the average price stabilises, LG anticipates rapidly accelerating sales for LCD monitors.

LG's product portfolio consists of an unmatched LCD range in terms of depth and functionality. LG's large screen monitors come in sizes ranging from 32-inches to 55-inches, and all materials used in its manufacturing and development are eco-friendly. The 42-inch LCD monitor comes with a built-in PC with an Intel Pentium- M 1.8 Ghz CPU, 256 MB memory and an 80 GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD). The monitor is also equipped with a wireless LAN card. The monitor is coated with an anti-glare panel and offers up to 50,000 hours of viewing time. LG's LCD monitors are thin, sleek and low in power consumption.

"Our strategy for monitors is to have the widest range across a number of screen sizes of any brand in the market. Our range gives customers the chance to choose a monitor they need, depending on what exactly they want the screen to achieve,"

Lee added.