PMA says that there were notable differences in performance on a regional basis as well. Hardest hit were Eastern Europe and Mid-East/Africa as declining currencies and weak demand for exports impacted local economies and projector demand. The US market also underperformed as sales weakened across most channels. On the positive side, which meant relatively flat year/year performance in the current economic environment, China, Japan, and Western Europe showed signs of resiliency on a year/year basis.

But despite the tumultuous first quarter, PMA noted that key New Era and Mainstream segments managed to perform quite well. Pico projectors – the tiny, battery-powered gadgets – registered a strong double-digit gain vs. the initial, strong shipments in the fourth quarter.  And personal projectors – the new, lightweight companions to laptops and netbooks – began to ramp-up quickly during the quarter. In the mainstream market, sales of short-throw projectors and professional widescreen models – including Wide XGA, 1080p, and Wide UXGA – registered gains on both a year/year and sequential basis.

PMA is the premiere projector tracking company in the world and can be found here.