A short column like this is not adequate to summarize some of the display industry highs and lows for 2008, but what the heck…

Chris Chinnock
Senior Analyst and Editor
for Insight Media

A quick review of the year’s events, with some input from our analysts finds these highlights and lowlights:

· It’s the economy (stupid) — yes, the global recession/financial crisis is the biggest news story of 2008. No one really knows what to expect in 2009, but few think the prospects are very good. Everyone is in hunker-down mode - but sometimes, when pessimism is everywhere, flowers start to bloom. Let’s hope we are at the bottom.

· LCD TV shipments worldwide have overtaken CRT TV shipments for the first time, and the performance of professional LCD monitors has risen to the point of being a viable alternative to CRTs for content creation and broadcast monitoring.

· e-book readers are a real product all of a sudden. Amazon’s Kindle finally found the right combination of price, performance, content availability and ease of use to excite the market. Expect this segment to explode in 2009.

· Industry-wide implementation of energy- and weight-saving technologies over a wide range of TV, monitor, and notebook panels has been impressive and will have significant on-going effects, not only in energy conservation and recycling, but in cost reduction.

· LED backlights came on strong in 2008 with momentum clearly building in laptops, but not so much in TVs — not yet anyway.

· Thin was in during 2008 with developers vying for the thinnest LCD TV (remember how the contest used to be who could make the biggest display?)

· 3D has captured the attention of digital theater operators, Hollywood, CE companies, game developers and even distribution infrastructure companies. The gold rush has started.

· Pico projector interest was also at a fever pitch in 2008. This enthusiasm is now seeing results with the first crop of products in the market, with many more to follow in 2009.

· On the other hand, expectations for laser-based projectors have been lowered as the delay in low cost lasers has stretched plans and forced closures and consolidation among suppliers and developers.

· 2008 also started with much excitement over the future of OLEDs in TVs. While Sony delivered (if you can count an 11" TV), all other efforts seem to have quietly faded into the background.

· Only three PDP makers remain at the close of 2008 (Panasonic, Samsung and LG). Again, the industry will ask how long this technology can stay in the market (rear-projection TV has essentially faded in 2008).

· 2008 started with a bang at CES with the death blow dealt to the HD DVD camp by Blu-ray. The payoff has not been as swift as hoped for as sales of discs and players have lagged.

· In fact, all optical media faced a serious challenge from Web downloads and video streaming, as VuDu, Apple TV, and Netflix rolled out HD and SD movies for downloading over broadband connections. In reaction, Samsung and LG incorporated Netflix streaming capability into their high-end network-capable Blu-ray players. LG just announced new deals with CinemaNow and YouTube, Amazon and Netflix partnered up with TiVo, while Sony inked a deal to download YouTube videos directly to Bravia HDTVs.

· The FCC passed a Report and Order allowing unlicensed operation of new TV band devices in the controversial "white spaces" where that spectrum is not being used. The broadcast industry also prepared for D-Day (digital day) on Feb. 17 2009 (the analog shut off).

· We also mourn the passing of display industry luminaries Chuck Pearson, Steve Marsland and Jim Fergason.

That’s it. Happy New Year to all and my best wishes for a prosperous 2009.