In the post-pandemic era where digital interactions are continually powering our experiences, the display market is undergoing significant transformations. Jeffrey Liang, President of BenQ Asia Pacific, offers a deep dive into the evolving trends in monitors and projectors, especially in the dynamic Indian market.
From the rise of 4K resolution in projectors to the growing appetite for larger monitor screens, Liang provides expert insights into consumer preferences and market shifts. Edited excerpts follow:
Any thoughts about the Indian market in terms of monitors and projectors? Any trends?
I would say in terms of projector technology, higher resolution is going to be the name of the game. Even for home entertainment setups at home, 4K is becoming the norm. The conversation isn’t about 1080p HD anymore, customers are choosing and demanding 4K UHD screens. In terms of monitors, there’s an increased appetite for bigger screens as well – for instance, the highest growing segment for monitors is 27-inch and above display sizes.
Any plans to enter the AR / VR display market yet?
No. Our belief is still that if you really want to enjoy immersive digital experiences for longer periods of time, then AR / VR headsets aren’t very good for human beings – we are quite concerned about that trend. That isn’t the best way to have a great immersive experience, according to us. I think AR is still possible to some extent, but VR we think isn’t good for anything longer than two hours. In any case, this is still a very niche market.
Display preferences and buying behaviour of Gen Z or customers buying their first screen device?
When it comes to India, it’s evident that there’s a very big change after the pandemic both from Gen Z and older customers in their expectations and preferences from their device’s display quality. Content consumption and screen time has increased multifold during this period, but at the same time attention span has nose-dived. For instance, Gen Z doesn’t have the patience for watching a 3-hour Hindi movie in a cinema hall – unless it’s a social occasion or special event. But they’re right at home when it comes to binge-watching multiple hours of content, which is a different way of consuming content. What used to be a family affair earlier, content consumption is becoming an increasingly personal activity, which is giving rise to increased demand for personal devices by not only Gen Z but all types of users. And we see interesting trends for both monitors and projectors in this respect.
For entertainment, the mobile projector market is being driven by Gen Z and their distinct lifestyle needs. They don’t connect with TV like previous generations, and they value something that’s tiny, mobile, portable, smart, standalone but also with connectivity features, which isn’t confined to one place, you can easily carry from room to room. This is where the mobile projector is giving the good old TV a run for its money, at least as far as Gen Z is concerned.
How is the projector market growing in India?
The pandemic caused a big disruption in the Indian projector market, crashing it by almost one-third of its pre-pandemic size. It has picked up over the past two years, and specifically the B2C projector market has been growing much faster than the rest. So the home projector market, which used to be 10-15% of the total projector market pre-pandemic, is already more than 25% and growing. And we believe that home projectors and data projectors will be 50-50% of the total projector market in India by the end of 2024.
There are two primary reasons for this shift: First is the advancement in projector technology itself, coupled with the availability of 4K content and gigabit internet is propelling user demand. There’s no comparison between a 100-inch LED TV vs a 100-inch screen projector in terms of both price and eye fatigue caused by screen illumination (projector doesn’t directly throw light into your eyes, like a TV).
In terms of the B2B projector market, it’s getting impacted by interactive flat panels – both in classrooms and conference rooms alike. We don’t expect the overall projector market to grow in terms of numbers, but it’s definitely growing in terms of value.
Does the projector segment suffer from the stereotypical budget-conscious Indian buyer?
It is a value-conscious market, but that’s not the same as being a price-conscious market. This is because the majority of the market has moved from first-time buyers to second or third-time buyers. Anyone who’s buying their second or third projector, for them price isn’t a consideration, they want the best value offering. The entry level part of our business is either stagnant or de-growing from a customer demand point-of-view, but mid-and-high-end – especially the highest end – is growing fastest. Also, from a consumer durable point-of-view, users are willing to pay extra for devices that will last longer and enhance the overall value of their investment.
Challenges and opportunities of the display market in India?
Most of the conditions are favourable for growth of display and projector market in India. Content is crucial for displays to flourish – in India right now, both content creation and content delivery is growing by leaps and bounds. We as Benq have the capacity to supply all the demand for displays and projectors in the Indian market.
Also read: BenQ MOBIUZ EX270QM Gaming Monitor Review : Super responsive
In terms of challenge, especially, in the B2B market for interactive flat panels, there’s an expectation mismatch between schools desiring to have interactive boards in all their classrooms – but they’re unable to afford it. Similar story with governments wanting to digitise govt schools and classrooms with interactive whiteboards. Because of lack of budgets, both from private and public customers, what would’ve gotten done within a year will take 3-5 years to play out.
Another challenge in the projectors segment is trying to change the minds of consumers who probably had a bad experience using their first projector that overpromised on claims but underdelivered in real-life. Some brands don’t play fair, and as a result the consumer suffers.
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Jayesh Shinde
Executive Editor at Digit. Technology journalist since Jan 2008, with stints at Indiatimes.com and PCWorld.in. Enthusiastic dad, reluctant traveler, weekend gamer, LOTR nerd, pseudo bon vivant. View Full Profile
