Overall flat-panel TV sales during the New Year to Lunar New Year period in China are expected to drop due to their being about ten days of holidays fewer compared to 2010.

If holidays in 2011 were extended to the same number as in 2010, flat-panel TV sales are calculated to increase about 5% on year, according to an estimate by AVC, and flat-panel TV sales during the New Year to Lunar New Year period would be 6.7 million, down about 7.7% on year.

Regarding panel demand during the period, panel makers noted that shipments started in November and generated a new large-size panel shipments record. The top-four panel makers all saw shipments growth in November with 4.5 million units for Samsung Electronics, 5.2 million units for LG Display, 3.7 million units for Chimei Innolux (CMI) and 2.95 million units for AU Optronics (AUO).

AVC estimated that overall color TV sales in China may reach 43.6 million units in 2011, of which 38.2 million units will be for for LCD TVs, 2.9 million units for plasma TVs and 2.6 million units for CRT TVs. LCD TV sales in the B2B market will remain at a high growth rate of 30% for the year, AVC noted.

Flat-panel TV sales in China in 2011 are expected to reach 41.1 million units, of which 16 million units will be LED-backlit models, along with 15 million iTVs and 1.9 million 3D TVs, AVC added.