Thomson and TCL form JV

France-based Thomson SA announced that it formed a JV with TCL International Holdings that is projected to produce 18 million TV sets and as many as four million DVD players annually.

Thomson currently sells seven million RCA televisions per year worldwide. It also sells some sets under the GE brand.

TCL is China's number-two television maker. It exports roughly one-third of the 10 million sets it makes each year.