TV shipments improved 4% on year in the third quarter of 2014, and LCD TV shipments alone rose nearly 9%, according to DisplaySearch.

Annual TV shipment growth averaged less than 1% on a unit and revenue basis in first-half 2014, with LCD TV growth barely compensating for declining shipments of plasma and CRT TVs. However, a continued strong trend of shipment growth in North America continues to be a catalyst, evidenced by LCD TV growth exceeding 12% on year in the third quarter.

LCD TV shipments from China rose 9%, compared to a soft period a year ago following the end of government subsidies, and despite modest sales results during the China Golden Week of public holidays in Autumn. Results for the Asia-Pacific region were also quite strong, led by improved growth in an economically stronger India, where more favorable currency valuations are making LCD TVs affordable to a wider group of Indian consumers.

"While the last several years in the TV business have been difficult in terms of overall shipments and revenue, the market is showing some broad resiliency now, with most regions enjoying growth in the third quarter," said Paul Gagnon, director of global TV research at DisplaySearch. "Consumption for primary TVs is entering a renewed replacement cycle in some key regions, while adoption of larger screens and 4K and other higher resolutions will keep consumers upgrading."

Although Ultra HD TVs have been available for several years now, shipments in 2014 have significantly accelerated due to broader competition and more accessible price points activating new consumer groups. Ultra HD TV shipments jumped more than 500% on year in the third quarter to top three million units, bringing total shipments to 6.4 million units in 2014.

China remains the focal point for Ultra HD TV unit volume growth, accounting for more than 60% of global Ultra HD TV shipments in the third quarter; plus, it has the highest share of Ultra HD shipments of any region, at more than 13%. Western Europe is the next strongest region with 6% of Ultra HD TV shipments, a significant increase since the beginning of the year. "With a scarcity of content and streaming options, much of the early success for Ultra HD will rely on education campaigns from brands and price compression that will make it more affordable," Gagnon said.

China is the leading Ultra HD TV consumer market, and local China vendors are now fiercely competing with Samsung Electronics, which is aggressively pushing for growth in China. After debuting a greatly expanded lineup in the second quarter of 2014, Samsung leads all Ultra HD brands in the nation. With 36% of the Ultra HD TV shipments, Samsung led the market on a revenue basis globally in the third quarter. The company has significantly outpaced all other brands. China brands have a stronger share thanks to greater volume within China, and a low average price compared to global brands competing in markets outside of China. However, with the arrival of greater competition in North America and other markets, as well as rising Ultra HD TV exports from China brands, competitive price compression will be difficult to avoid for most brands.