Projector Shipments to Taiwan Surge 6.7% YoY in Q2: IDC

Mainly driven by the educational segment, projector shipments to the Taiwanese market surged by 6.7% year-on-year (YoY) to 21,269 units in Q2, 2014, according to the latest report issued by International Data Corp. (IDC), a global market research firm.

IDC's report indicates that large IT equipment tenders from schools and educational institutes in the northern and central regions drove  growth of projector shipments in Q2, particularly those of short-throw models with brightness  ranging 3,000-3,999 lumens.

Compared to Q1, however, shipments in Q2 dropped 5.4%, primarily due to seasonal downturn in the household segment, IDC explains. The firm adds that brightness has evidently growing importance among Taiwanese projector buyers, given that models ranging 3,000-3,999 lumens increasingly made up 53% of the total shipment, while 4,000-and-above lumen models also enjoyed a growing share.

In terms of resolution, IDC reports that XGA short-throw models commanded a 69% share of the total, mostly fueled by strong demand from the educational segment in the quarter, while WXGA models were also increasingly accepted, thanks to suppliers' heavy promotions. Meanwhile, shipment of household models rose 27% yearly to indicate rising popularity of projectors among individuals.

In Q2, Epson, NEC, BenQ, Optoma and Vivitek were the top- five brands in Taiwan's projector market, totally contributing 79% to the overall shipment, with IDC showing Epson as the biggest with  market share of 23.7%.

As to the H2 outlook, IDC opines that the market is likely to slacken, mainly because fewer large procurements for projectors will be launched by schools during the period, while most of the current cooperative supply contracts between suppliers and educational buyers are about to expire. To sustain shipment growth, IDC predicts that suppliers will likely refocus on household models by supplying more entry-level projectors with radical discounting  promotions to trigger demand without certainty to achieve effect as planned. (SC)