LED: TV and lighting overview

LED production value is projected to reach US$8.25 billion in 2010, up 55.6% from a year ago on the rapid growth of the LED TV segment. LED TV shipments in 2010 are estimated to increase 10-fold on year from 2009 to 37.20 million units.

From 2011 to 2013, global LED production value will rise by at least 25% every year. In addition to the rise of LED TV applications, LED lighting will begin to replace conventional lighting technology in the market.

However, while LED lighting's luminous efficiency is currently comparable to that of fluorescent lamps, LED lamps remain unpopular mainly because of their high costs. Obviously, high costs make it difficult to adopt LED lighting unless governments offer subsidies or consumers realize that total costs for LED lighting may not be higher if its power savings, longer service life, lower carbon emissions and other advantages are taken into consideration.

This DIGITIMES Research Special Report provides an extensive overview of the high-brightness LED market, including a breakdown of the LED TV supply chain in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China, an overview of government LED lighting policies by region, and a timeline for the transition to LEDs in the global lighting market.