Bright future for projector market

Projector sales hit $2.3bn in Q1 as market moves towards brighter solutions

The global projector market grew seven per cent in both volume and value terms in Q1, year on year, as the trend towards higher brightness solutions marched on.

According to analyst Futuresource Consulting, global shipments in the three months to 31 March hit 1.87 million units, with revenue reaching $2.3bn (£1.4bn).

"An increase in sales to installation and large-venue applications, which are demanding increasingly brighter solutions, helped to boost the market in value terms," said Futuresource market analyst Claire Kerrison.

Q1 saw the emergence of a new niche as unit sales of ultra/short throw 1080p mushroomed 546 per cent to 4,400. This is being driven by a rise in dedicated home display solutions.

In EMEA, projector shipments grew 11 per cent to 587,000 units, with revenue rising 14 per cent to $262m.

Futuresource said the trend towards solutions with higher brightness continued in Q1, with the 3000-3499 ANSI lumen section now the default "mainstream brightness" in the region. It now boasts a 40 per cent market share in EMEA, up from 13 per cent a year ago.

Western European shipments rose 11 per cent to 359,000 units as the beginning of sell-in promotions for the World Cup and significant price declines of 1080p drove sales, Futuresource said.