Vizio outsells Sony in flat-panel TVs during Q4

Vizio has officially overtaken Sony as the No. 2 supplier of flat-panel TVs in the United States during Q4 2008, in a move showing Sony is having trouble battling the struggling economy as Vizio offers similar picture quality and lower prices.

"This is an indication that in the present tough economic climate, consumers are becoming less brand conscious and prefer televisions that they perceive to have good picture quality and that are less expensive," iSuppli analyst Riddhi Patel said.  "Vizio’s success in the fourth quarter was partly due to increasing brand recognition, courtesy of the company’s strong marketing efforts and retail strategy."

Samsung remained the No. 1 retailer for flat panel TVs in the United States during the fourth quarter, and will likely continue to dominate the market.

In the fourth quarter — which included the Christmas holiday shopping season — Samsung led the pack with 20.2 percent of TVs shipped in the United States, with Vizio in second with 14.3 percent, and Sony rounding out the top three with 13.5 percent.  Panasonic came in fourth place with 10.7 percent, though should be happy as the company was able to outpace even Vizio’s growth.

Vizio was the No. 1 retailer of flat-panel TVs during the Q2 in 2007, which drew a lot of attention from analysts, many of whom weren’t expecting the TV industry shakeup.