Pacific Media Associates (PMA) has just released their latest quarterly forecast for the projector industry. Total worldwide shipments are expected to reach 11.3 million in 2012, nearly 20% higher than 2011. The projector forecast also includes a critical update of last quarter’sforecast for solid-state illumination technologies such as Laser projectors, hybrid Laser/LED projectors, and LED projectors. “Ultra-short-throw projectors and medium-throw projectors will remain strong segments in the projector industry, and are expected to show better than 25%+ combined annual growth though the forecast period,” said Dr. William Coggshall, president of Pacific Media Associates. “But manufacturer strategies, government funding, and price sensitivities will continue to influence the mix of these projectors around the world. For example, markets like the United States, Western Europe, Canada, and Japan will move closer to a 50/50 mix of ultra-short-throw vs. medium-throw. However, Australia is expected to maintain its strong preference for ultra-short-throw over medium-throw while China will show a heavier mix of medium-throw in the near term. The market for solid-state projectors, LED-based projectors are expected to grow by nearly 60% in 2012 thanks in large part to pico projectors embedded in cameras and cell phones. Similarly strong growth is expected for hybrid projectors and laser-based projectors as they increasingly show up in classrooms, conference rooms, home theaters, and movie theaters/cinemas by late 2013.
