Hey, have you noticed how a lot of young people's apartments these days don't even have a huge TV taking up the wall anymore? No massive screen for movie nights, no projector hanging from the ceiling. It used to feel like every new home needed one, but in 2025, that whole vibe shifted hard.
I'm talking about real data here-China's TV market basically hit a low point. According to reports (like from LotuTech/RUNTO and others tracking the industry), domestic TV shipments dropped to around 32-33 million units in 2025, down about 8-9% from the previous year. That's the lowest in at least 15 years. Projectors didn't escape either-sales fell around 14% to just over 5 million units, with revenue down even more.
Both categories had their worst year on record. Even with government trade-in subsidies pushing projectors and bigger TVs, the boost wore off quick, especially later in the year.
Chinese Brands Own the Market, But the Whole Pie Is Shrinking
The funny part? While sales are tanking, Chinese brands are basically running the show. Hisense, TCL, Xiaomi, Skyworth and the like grabbed like 78% of the TV market share, and if you add the next tier (Haier, Konka, Huawei, etc.), domestic players control over 94%. Foreign names-Samsung, Sony, Philips, Sharp-barely moved the needle, with their combined shipments under a million units.
Some big foreign players are even stepping back: rumors of Panasonic selling off TV stuff, and Sony teaming up with TCL for Bravia early in 2026.
Projectors tell a similar story. Top DLP brands like XGIMI, JMGO , Dangbei, Vidda hold almost all the share-XGIMI actually grew a bit (around 12%), while others slipped. On the LCD side, Xiaomi's affordable models jumped 30%, and Konka did even better through channels like Pinduoduo and Douyin.
Still, the overall market is getting smaller, and weaker brands without solid tech might not make it through the next few years.
Small Screens Are Winning the Battle for Attention
The real reason hits close to home for a lot of us: young people just aren't using big screens much anymore. Phones handle almost all the entertainment now.
Short dramas (those quick 5-minute episodes) and short videos exploded. The micro short drama market in China blew past expectations-hitting around 100 billion yuan (roughly $13-14 billion) in 2025, way bigger than the domestic movie box office (around 50-52 billion yuan). Hundreds of millions of people-close to 70% of internet users-are watching them regularly.
It's super easy: grab your phone, lie on the couch or bed, scroll through addictive stories that give instant satisfaction. No need to dim the lights, set up the projector, or sit through a full episode on a TV. Life's busy, time's short and scattered-short content fits perfectly.
Even regular short videos beat out long-form stuff on big screens for most people.
The Rise of Portable "Girlfriend Machines" and Other Alternatives
Instead of traditional TVs or projectors, something else started catching on: these "guimi ji" or "girlfriend machines"-big tablets (20-32 inches) on a rolling stand. 1080P or 4K, easy to move around the apartment, priced starting around 4000 yuan.
In the first half of 2025, they sold about 175,000 units, up over 45%, with revenue growing nearly 28%. Volumes aren't massive yet, but the speed is impressive compared to declining TVs and projectors. It's great for small spaces-watch from bed, kitchen, wherever, no permanent mount.
If major brands push in and drop prices, this could really shake things up more.
Domestic Pain, But Big Opportunities Overseas
Looking to 2026, things might not bounce back quick. Forecasts point to TV shipments dipping further (maybe to 30 million or so), projectors slipping a couple percent more.
There could be some help from events like the 2026 World Cup-historically, that boosts TV sales big time (Hisense saw huge jumps after sponsoring in 2018). Subsidies might continue nudging people toward bigger, better, greener models. New tech like advanced Mini LED or OLED could get people upgrading.
But honestly, the biggest play for Chinese TV and projector brands looks like going global. They've already taken over in many places-Chinese brands like TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi hold growing chunks worldwide (over 30% in recent data), even surpassing Samsung/LG in some periods. In Japan, Chinese TVs now own over half the market. Projectors from China dominate globally too, with strong export growth.
When local young people aren't buying big screens, heading overseas makes a ton of sense.
Wrapping It Up: Big Screens Aren't Dead, They're Just Changing
The classic living room big screen might not be the default anymore for young folks in China. Phones and portable options handle daily entertainment, but displays aren't going anywhere-they're evolving for different needs.
If you're working on something that needs a reliable display-maybe a custom screen for smart devices, industrial equipment, medical tools, cars, or home gadgets-that isn't chasing consumer TV trends, that's where we come in at Minghua. We focus on custom LCD panels and TFT LCD modules, building tailored solutions for all kinds of specialized uses. Rugged, high-res, whatever specs you need-we handle the custom side so you don't deal with mass-market ups and downs.
Reach out if you're looking for a solid partner on your next custom LCD project!
What about you-has your setup gone minimal with no big TV? Let me know in the comments.
-Minghua Team Specializing in custom LCD panels, industrial LCD displays, medical LCD screens, automotive LCD modules, and custom display solutions for all kinds of applications. Drop us a line for your project!
