"I don't expect to see that possibility until 2006, which represents a drastic price drop for large-sized panels and for LCD TVs with screens bigger than 30 inches will not occur until then," Twu said.
The high price tag has hurt demand as reflected in the flat LCD TV sales in the US during the Christmas shopping season, he added.
To spur sluggish demand, Chi Mei Optoeletronics Corp (奇美電子), Taiwan's No.2 flat-panel maker, announced earlier this month that it will slash prices for 30-inch and 27-inch flat panels used for LCD sets by 3 to 5 percent, said Loreta Chen (陳靜燕), a public relations executive.
Such a move has marked Chi Mei, making primarily large-sized panels for TVs, the first manufacturer to cut panel prices, although the supply would remain tight during the first quarter of this year.
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