As smart TVs are expected to become major focuses of the IT industry in 2012, Taiwan players may be left out from the competition, according to sources from supply chain players.

Korea-based Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are both set to launch products based on Google TV with China-based Lenovo is set to push its LeTV, Japan-based Sony to cooperated with its entertainment business to launch its own smart TV products and Apple is also reportedly set to launch iTV by the end of the second quarter, 2012.

Comparing to first-tier PC vendors worldwide, Taiwan players are rather conservative about the smart TV industry, although there were several vendors had launched products based on Google TV, most of them have already halted the production due to weak sales. Currently, there is still no news yet about whether Acer and Asustek Computer plan to launch smart TV products, the sources noted.

The sources pointed out that Taiwan players, lacking Japan- and Korea-based players' abilities over the entertainment industry and integration of multiple products and China-based player's strong market and government support, can only be absent from the competition.