AUSTIN, TEXAS, August 11, 2005--DisplaySearch, the worldwide leader in flat panel display market research and consulting, says that LCD TVs—one of the fastest growing TV technologies--will be a major focus of the upcoming DisplaySearch HDTV Conference 2005. The event will take place August 23-24 at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with a 'sneak preview' cocktail reception on August 22 in the exhibit area.

The outlook and latest results for the LCD TV market will be examined by a wide range of experts in this area:
• Six analysts from three different market research firms
• Executives from five of the top six LCD TV brands in North America1
• Executives from two of the top TFT LCD suppliers
• Conventional retail and direct sales executives

DisplaySearch analysts from the US and Asia will present information about LCD TVs from a variety of viewpoints:
• Q2'05 results for LCD TVs by region, size, brand and resolution
• A new LCD TV forecast through 2009 by region, size and resolution
• Its LCD TV cost model and its latest cost and price projections

  Results from its just completed Advanced TV Performance Report comparing LCD TV performance vs. PDP TVs, DLP RPTVs, LCD RPTVs and LCOS RPTVs--This report contains analysis by DisplaySearch technologists and analysts of an exhaustive series of measurements and tests performed by Westar Display Technologies.

  In addition, the NPD Group's Ross Rubin will examine LCD TV sell-through trends in the United States, and Meko's Bob Raikes will examine the LCD TV outlook in Europe.

  In Q1'05, the top six LCD TV brands on a revenue basis in North America were Sharp, Samsung, Sony, LGE, Syntax and Panasonic.1 This conference is fortunate to have representatives from five of these brands discussing the outlook for LCD TVs. The Day 2 keynote session will feature three speakers--Jeff Cove from Panasonic, Jim Sanduski from Samsung and Greg Gudorf from Sony--discussing topics related to LCD TVs:

  How their companies are positioning LCD TVs
  • At what sizes are LCD TVs likely to enjoy the most success
  • What price points are likely to be seen for Christmas
  • The impact of the FCC tuner mandate on the market outlook
  • The outlook for 1080p
  Other product and technology trends

  In addition, Sharp's Director of Marketing Bruce Tripido and Syntax Groups' Chief Product Officer Sam Miller will address the LCD TV market outlook in the LCD TV session, immediately following the keynote session. Tripido will address the outlook for LCD TVs larger than 42 inches, a category which LCD TV market leader Sharp clearly believes in, as it is expected to offer three different sizes in this category by the end of the year. Syntax's Miller will address what features LCD TVs must offer in order to enhance the HDTV experience and realize their full potential.

  Executives from two of the leading LCD TV panel suppliers, LG.Philips LCD and Samsung, will also participate in the LCD TV session. Samsung LCD Business SVP of Marketing Bert Park will discuss their plans to reduce LCD TV panel costs, improve performance and expand capacity, providing the foundation for rapid market growth in this segment.

  Dell's Director of TV and Display Sales Tom West will discuss how Dell is trying to simplify the LCD TV shopping experience through its direct model. Dell rose to the eighth revenue brand in North America in Q1'05 and expects to continue to gain share. In addition, Bjorn Dybdahl--owner of Bjorn's and a noted Texas retailer who was a founding member of PARA, CEDIA and the PRO buying group, and has been a consistent winner of Audio Video International's Audio/Video Retailer of the Year--will discuss how the LCD TV retail experience can be improved. And finally, Rob Stanley, Electronics Merchandise Manager and Online Sales Director of Vann's will present his company's challenges in HD sales, from this well-respected Montana-based electronics retailer, which now has a thriving and highly-rated online sales effort.

  A full agenda can be found at www.displaysearch.com/hdtvconference.

  Sponsors of the event include
  • Platinum: Samsung LCD Business
  • Gold: Analog Devices, ATI Technologies, Gennum, Panasonic, Syntax Groups and Zoran
  • Silver: Delta Electronics and LG.Philips LCD
  • Bronze: Silicon Optix, Texas Instruments DLPTM Group and VOOM HD Originals

    Media/Trade Association: 1394 Trade Association, CustomRetailer, Dealerscope, HDTV Magazine, HighDef Magazine, Home Theater Magazine, HomeToys, Stereophile, Ultimate AV, VESA and Widescreen Review

    For more information about registering, sponsoring or exhibiting, please visit www.displaysearch.com/hdtvconference or contact Kendra Smith at 512-459-3126 x107 or kendra@displaysearch.com.

    About DisplaySearch

    DisplaySearch has a core team of 29 employees located in North America and Asia who produce a valued suite of market forecasts, technology assessments, surveys, studies and analyses, and they organize influential industry events worldwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, DisplaySearch has regional operations in Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, Kyoto, San Diego, San Jose, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo, and the company is on the web at www.displaysearch.com.

    1 Q2'05 issue of DisplaySearch's Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.