Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in the third quarter retook the No.-1 ranking in the U.S. LCD-TV market from chief competitor Vizio Inc., according to iSuppli Corporation. The South Korean electronics giant shipped 1.3 million LCD-TVs in the United States during the period from July through September, equaling a 16.8% share of the market. This gave Samsung a 1.1% point lead over U.S.-based Vizio, which held a 15.7% share in the third quarter with shipments of 1.2 million LCD-TVs.

The last time Samsung held the top spot in the U.S. LCD-TV market was in the fourth quarter of 2008. Vizio in the first and second quarters of 2009 took the lead in the United States as consumers warmed to its low-cost, full-featured sets sold through high-volume retailers like Walmart. However, Samsung in the second quarter began to regain momentum and increase its market share as the company focused on advanced LED-backlit LCD-TVs and reduced prices for its high-end sets.

"Samsung is leading the LCD-TV industry's adoption of LED backlighting technology," said Riddhi Patel, Principal Analyst, Television Systems, for iSuppli. "The company has been marketing these sets intensely, attracting the interest of U.S. consumers. Consumers like LED-backlit LCD-TVs because of their ultra-thin form factors. With Samsung cutting the prices of these sets aggressively, they now are becoming increasingly affordable for a larger number of U.S. consumers."

LED rises

LED-backlit sets accounted for 3.7% of total U.S. LCD-TV shipments in the third quarter, up from 2.1% in the second. The United States now leads the world in sales of LCD-TVs with LED backlights.