Since more people are stuck at home now, more of them are buying TVs. A new report shows that global TV sales have hit a “record high” in the third quarter of 2020. 

Global TV Shipment Numbers

According to The Verge, 62.05 million TVs got shipped out during the third quarter. This number represents a 12.9% increase from 2019 and a 38.8% increase from the previous quarter. These numbers also came from a TrendForce report. Today, Samsung and LG said that they expect more profits this quarter over last year. Both companies are the largest TV makers in the world.  

Why Are People Buying So Many TVs?

In the TrendForce report, people in North America buy many TVs because they have nothing else to do at home. Since the pandemic struck, the demand for TVs spiked by 20% in North America.  

Big Winners

All major TV manufacturers saw a spike in unit sales. However, TCL sits at number one with a 52.7% year-over-year increase in units shipped. On the other hand, Samsung’s shipments rose by 36.7% year-over-year, with a 67.1% increase from Q2. LG saw only slight increases, with a 6.7% rise from Q3 2019. However, LG’s shipments surged by 81.7% since last quarter.

While Samsung seems to have gained from TV shipments, CNBC says its smartphone sales drove up its profits. Meanwhile, LG owes its surge to its TV and home appliance operations. 

However, this good news may not last long. TrendForce predicts that TV shipments might dip overall in 2020, compared to 2019.

The post Report Says Global TV Shipments Soared in 2020 first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold

Despite facing a possible US ban, TikTok continues to put out new features. The video-sharing app has announced that it is launching a Fire TV app called “More on TikTok.” By offering a TV app, TikTok is branching out of its mobile market and entering home streaming. 

TikTok on TV

Engadget reports that TikTok users can watch both popular videos and creator interviews on the Fire TV app. Moreover, the videos you see on your phone might be different from the videos you see on “More on TikTok,” since no existing user account link to the TV app.

The TV app also helps TikTok attract more users who don’t want to download the mobile version because US lawmakers told them it threatens national security. ByteDance, a Chinese corporation, owns TikTok. Lawmakers have accused TikTok of storing user data and sending them to the Chinese government.

TikTok launches an app for Fire TV https://t.co/m0KnjL7qQr pic.twitter.com/wZ7aiY6Hv4

— Engadget (@engadget) August 6, 2020

TikTok in Danger

Aside from lawmakers, President Donald Trump has also expressed plans to ban TikTok in the US. He has also signaled US companies to try buying out TikTok from ByteDance. So far, Microsoft has made attempts to close a deal.

Sensing TikTok’s trouble as an opportunity, Facebook and Snapchat are hurrying to claim TikTok’s millions of American users. For Facebook, Instagram has released Reels, a feature that lets users make and share TikTok-like videos. On the other hand, Snapchat is now allowing users to add music to their Snaps. 

What’s Next for TikTok

TikTok Head of Global Marketing Nick Tran has said TikTok will continue to offer users “more dynamic experiences” through the app. To do this, the company feels that going to TV should be its next step. 

The post TikTok Goes on TV With New Fire TV App first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold