JEDDAH, 11 September 2006 — Saudi Arabia’s market for television sets is on an expansion course, with demand rising especially for LCD and plasma screens. There is also a consistent increase in investment in the TV business both by manufacturers and dealers to meet the ever-rising demand for sets, according to a top executive of a major TV manufacturing firm.
“Demand for TV sets has risen to around 500,000 annually in the Kingdom and to one million in the Gulf,” Khalid A. Tuer, regional general manager of Philips for Middle East & Africa, said yesterday.
“The Kingdom remains the largest market for TV sets in the Gulf and the demand especially for large screens and home theaters is steadily increasing,” Tuer told Arab News on the sidelines of the launch of a new range of “Cineos Flat TV with Ambilight” from Philips at the Jeddah Hilton.
Asked whether Philips had plans to establish a television assembly plant in the Kingdom or elsewhere in the Gulf, Tuer said: “We would very much like to do that, but there is no such plan for the time being. Currently, our manufacturing plants in Belgium and China are able to meet the demand in the Middle East, Europe — our largest market — and elsewhere in the world.”
He expects the demand for TV sets to jump further in the coming years from new buyers and also from those who prefer to replace their existing sets for better quality ones with large screens.
About Philips’ new four-sided Ambilight Flat TV display, which debuted here with a demonstration to the press, Tuer said, “the new technology illuminates the future of home entertainment.”
Ambilight Full Surround features a dramatic color effect on all sides of the screen to draw consumers into the action. The new Ambilight line, with sizes ranging from 37- to 50-inches, demonstrates the power of Ambilight technology to dramatically enhance the cinematic experience.
“With our new Ambilight range, we can claim our consumers are rewarded with an even more immersive viewing experience that changes the way they watch television,” he said.
“Ambilight Full Surround simply takes the immersion effect of ambient lighting to the next level with surround color and light. The result is a captivating, life-like environment that redefines the home entertainment experience,” Porus Sheriar, senior product marketing manager, connected displays, Philips, said in his presentation.
Ambilight technology made its debut at CES in 2004 as a unique innovation emitting ambient light along the sides of the FlatTV display. Utilizing Philips’ proprietary color analysis software, the ambient light is blended to match dominant colors on the screen, extending the consumer’s viewing field.
“This use of custom backlighting reduces eyestrain, improves the perceived picture detail, contrast and color and creates a deeper, more immersive viewing environment. The addition of an Ambilight display also enhances the design element in any room,” he said.
Complementing its unique design, Ambilight Full Surround boasts a complete surround-sight effect with light emitting from the left, right, top and bottom of the screen.
