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AUSTIN – Global TV shipments showed a spark of recovery in the third quarter, amid an easing global economic recession, says DisplaySearch.

Total unit volume increased on a year-over-year basis for the first time since the same quarter last year, rising 1% to 54.9 million units.

LCD TV shipments worldwide increased 38% year-over-year to reach a record 37.5 million units.

Government stimulus programs in China and Japan, as well as continued high levels of price erosion, contributed to excellent unit growth in LCD TVs, with double digit year-over-year growth in every region except Eastern Europe.

Based on strong third quarter shipments, DisplaySearch now expects 2009 total LCD TV shipments could reach 140 million units worldwide.

Revenue growth, however, continues to be elusive. Total TV revenues were down for the fourth straight quarter, falling 10% to $26.2 billion, compared to the same quarter last year.

For the LCD TVs segment, the spread between unit growth and revenue growth was even more dramatic, as worldwide LCD TV revenues grew just 1% year-over-year.

Average selling prices for LCD TVs fell 27% compared to the third quarter in 2008. This decline comes despite the fact that LCD panel prices, a key cost driver of LCD TVs, have been rising for most of 2009.

Samsung remained the global brand share leader in terms of revenues for the fifteenth straight quarter, but lost about a point of share, to 21.9%, as sequential growth lagged that of many competitors.

LGE remained in the number two spot for the second straight quarter, after surpassing Sony in the first quarter, also seeing a slight decline in share to 12.9%.

Sony remained number three worldwide on a revenue basis, but fell below 10% share and was one of the two brands experiencing a sequential revenue decline during a seasonally strong quarter.

In North America, Samsung remained the leading overall TV brand on a unit and revenue basis, but Funai overtook Vizio on a unit basis to rise to number two. On a total revenue basis, Panasonic climbed two spots to number two, overtaking Sony and Vizio, on strengthening LCD and plasma revenues.

The top six LCD TV brands on a unit basis are all Chinese and collectively accounted for nearly 80% of all units shipped to the region in the second quarter; they are also strong exporters. Each of the top 10 brands in China enjoyed strong double-digit sequential unit growth in LCD TVs, ranging from 18% to 91%.

Skyworth was the number one brand on a unit and revenue basis, but each of the top three brands were within five percentage points of each other on a unit basis.

TORONTO -- Adeptron Technologies reported third-quarter sales decreased 2% from last year to $9.4 million.

VANCOUVER, BC -- Northstar Electronics reported September quarter revenues of $879,565, up 42.2% over last year.

MORRISVILLE, NC -- Raytheon Vision Systems has reached a licensing agreement for the use of Ziptronix' patented 3-D integration technology in Raytheon's imaging systems.

SAN JOSE -- Flextronics yesterday maintained its December quarter guidance while boosting its outlook for future operating margins.

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Sypris Solutions today reported third-quarter sales from continuing operations fell 27% year-over-year to $62.7 million.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Despite economic setbacks in 2008 and 2009, the world market for EMS will continue to grow, says IPC.

As the world’s economies begin recovery, the global EMS market is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 8.1% until 2013, according to the association, based on forecasts by Electronic Trend Publications.

The EMS sector was the last in the electronics supply chain to feel the impact of the global recession, but growth is expected to return in 2010.

Communications is the top end-market for North American and Asian EMS companies, whereas industrial electronics is largest for European contract assemblers.

SCHAUMBURG, IL -- Sparton Corp. swung to a fiscal first-quarter profit as net income rose $4.8 million to $1.4 million.

GLENVIEW, IL -- Illinois Tool Works today reported operating revenues fell 18% year-over-year to $3.4 billion for the period ended Oct. 31.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Worldwide electronic component orders took a breather in October, dipping slightly while the 12-month average remained flat.

NELSON, BC – EMS firm Pacific Insight reported fiscal first-quarter sales fell 23% year-over-year to $5.65 million.

Sequentially, sales rose 15% for the period ended Sept. 30.

The loss was $132,000, down from net income of $155,000 in the prior year. The company ended the quarter debt-free.

Although the marketplace is showing signs of recovery, PI's first quarter sales and overall performance continue to be impacted by the economic downturn, the company said.

CHICAGO – The markets for electronics end-products and outsourcing will return to annualized growth of 5% over the next 12 to 24 months, following an estimated 9% contraction in 2009.

Those are the findings of InForum chief economist Matt Chanoff, who said the total available electronics manufacturing market will grow from $1.2 trillion this year to $1.4 trillion by 2013.

He estimates the EMS industry will close this year down 19% to $103 billion, then will grow to $127 billion by 2013.

The ODM market fell 7.8% this year to $107 billion, and is forecasted to grow to $135 billion by 2013, he said.

A major influence on this year’s forecast was the manner in which InForum treated the revenues for Foxconn, which for the first time were not all included in the EMS sector, but broken out between the EMS and ODM industries.

Automotive, medical and aerospace and defense are the segments with the greatest outsourcing growth potential, he said.

The research firm also said the regional footprint for electronics manufacturing continues to shift to Asia, although somewhat less aggressively than in past years, driven by demand for low-cost labor, available capacity, and ODMs diversification into automotive and medical. However, there are some counterweights. “Mitigating the shift to Asia is the rising cost of labor in China, OEM insourcing, and greater consideration of total cost of ownership in outsourcing decisions,” InForum analyst Eric Miscoll said.