Prices of thin film transistor or TFT-liquid crystal displays are expected to show continued gradual price drops every month from now on, according to makers in the industry.
Major TFT-LCD manufacturers in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea announced recently that they will refrain from further reducing TFT-LCD prices because they have already reached rock bottom. Although the flat-panel display market is still going down, the price of TFT-LCD products has dropped more than 30 percent in the past few months on average, and it seems there is no room to take significant price cuts now, according to TFT-LCD monitor makers.
As for the 14.4-inch panels, widely used in notebook computers, the current average price is about US$360 -- near production cost, according to makers. But the price might continue to drop to US$300 between the first and the second season in 2001, according to the makers.
In response to the price drop, companies also said that they are now seeking opportunities to actively work with other companies in order to reduce costs.
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