SmartAsic Technology Inc (晶磊半導體), which designs chips for liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitors and televisions, yesterday said that it expected sales of its new LCD TV business to thrive this year.
SmartAsic diversified to the slim-screen TV industry two years ago, eyeing the massive TV market around the globe. The chip designer started selling its LCD TVs under the "eSonic" brand in the second quarter of last year. It also makes LCD TVs for other TV vendors.
"The pie is huge and we want a piece of it," Lee Ching-chang (李慶裮), a president of SmartAsic, told reporters on the sidelines of a product launch yesterday.
Though big names such as Sony Corp, maker of Bravia LCD TVs, accounted for over 70 percent of the world's total TV sales, even a small share of the market would also be substantial, Lee said.
Sales of LCD TVs are expected to grow to 42 million units this year from 21 million last year, according to Austin, Texas-based DisplaySearch's projection.
Lee expected SmartAsic's LCD TV sales would jump to 20,000 units a month this year, compared to around 2,000-3,000 units last year. Most of SmartAsic's TVs will be shipped to the US and Europe from its factory in southeastern China, Lee said.
SmartAsic is a small player among the world's TV vendors which previously expected demand would be boosted by the soccer World Cup, an event TV vendors and panel makers had high hopes would stimulate growth.
But like its bigger peers, the Taiwanese company has suffered from the slow demand for LCD TVs in the run up to the month-long competition.
"Surging oil prices are preventing European consumers from splashing out on LCD TVs," Lee said.
SmartAsic saw its share prices fall 2.45 percent to NT$17.9 on the nation's over-the-counter GRETAI Securities Market yesterday. Shares of Kolin Inc (
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