RIYADH, 10 June 2007 -- United Matbouli Group (UMG), sole dealer for Samsung Electronics in the Kingdom, launched Samsung's new generation Samsung LCD and flat panel TVs in a ceremony that included an exciting laser show in a spectacular ceremony here yesterday. The theme of the ceremony was "Number One and Growing Stronger."

"This theme emphasized UMG's successful relationships with its dealers, as well as the opportunities that a superior product has to offer in terms of technology and affordability, and their impact on market share," Mohammed Asad Ali, Samsung's product manager, said during the launching ceremony at Sheraton Hotel here.

Samsung Electronics expected its sales in the electronic sector to rise 49 percent during 2007, due to sharp rise in sales for the new generation HD LCD & PDP flat panel TVs, with sales of digital TVs to reach 17 million units worldwide.

Spelling out the salient features of new generation LCD and TV, Ali said "these are the best-looking LCD TVs currently sold in the market. One can see vivid colors and seamless action that are truly startling." He said that "the new generation of award-winning flat panels that support LCD and PDP HDTV technology, incorporates a combination of state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge design that provide the best and most-sophisticated digital entertainment to end-users."

The top-of-the-line M8 series of LCD panels comes in 40- to 52-inch varieties that provide optimal picture clarity with Full HD 1080p resolution. This enables users to connect to the sharpest content available, with resolution of up to 1080 x 1920 pixels, nearly two times greater than the currently accepted base standards for high definition TVs. The company pairs this advancement with its proprietary Super Clear Panel technology, which boasts an outstanding dynamic contrast ratio of up to 15.000:1 and generates unsurpassed picture detail.

Samsung sales in the Middle East reached the SR2.6 billion in 2006, with audio/ visual products achieving 19 percent of overall sales, he said. LCD TV sales were in excess of 110,000 units in 2006, while digital TV sales reached record 150,000 units, according to Samsung executives.

They added that Samsung's digital TV sales are expected to soar to 600,000 units this year, with more than 500,000 LCD units expected to be sold by the end of the year in MENA region. This translates into 500 percent growth, they observed. Even as it releases this latest generation lineup, the company is already moving forward with R&D efforts to come up with high-end TVs in the larger screen sizes. For LCDs, the focus will be on 40-inch plus models, while in the PDP line, the company will devote its attention to models above 50 inches.

Samsung's position as the world leader in digital and LCD TV's is further asserted by its new S-LCD plant in Korea. It is currently manufacturing TFT-LCD panels in joint collaboration with its partner, Sony Corporation, having made investments of nearly $2 billion. The S-LCD plant is expected to begin producing 50,000 8th-generation TFT-LCD panels a month by the end of fall 2007.

By M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan

© Arab News 2007