Taiwanese LCD panel makers are expected to see their revenue grow 9.38 percent annually this year, benefiting from the strong demand for big-screen TVs in the second half of the year, the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC, 產業情報研究所) said yesterday.
The demand for large-screen TVs has risen since November last year, when Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) launched its lower-priced 60-inch slim-screen TVs, which prompted other global brands such as Vizio Inc of the US to follow suit.
Panel makers’ revenue from PC and TV displays is forecast to rise to US$23.09 billion this year, compared with last year’s US$21.11 billion, the Taipei-based MIC said.
However, the much-hyped 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) LCD TVs are expected to have a limited contribution to overall revenue growth this year.
Since 4K UHD TVs still cost between 1.2 times to 1.7 times as much as regular high-definition TVs, ultra-high-definition TVs are expected to account for only 0.7 percent of total global LCD TV shipments this year, the center said.
That means only 1.43 million 4K UHD TVs will be shipped this year, mostly to China, it said.
Taiwan’s Innolux Corp (群創光電) and AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) are the world’s major suppliers of ultra-high-resolution flat panels, while South Korean companies LG Display Inc and Samsung Electronics Co are focusing on developing pricey organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels to deliver high-resolution images.
“The drastic reduction in prices of large-screen TVs is a major factor that has stimulated demand for TVs with screens larger than 50 inches, and driven growth in the large TV segment this year,” MIC analyst Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) told a media briefing.
Global shipments of 50-inch and larger-screen LCD TVs is forecast to grow 8.9 percent year-on-year this year, outpacing the LCD TV market’s forecast growth of 5 percent growth, Hsieh said.
“As shipments of large-screen TVs climb, Taiwanese panel makers will see their average selling price go up as well,” Hsieh said.
However, in terms of volume, panel shipments from Taiwanese makers will shrink 4.6 percent this year to 227 million units from 238 million last year, MIC statistics showed.
Hsieh attributed the decline to increasing supply from Chinese panel makers and stagnant growth in notebook computers and TVs.
To avoid price competition with Chinese rivals, Taiwanese panel makers are diversifying their product portfolios to give customers a wider selection, MIC said.
Hsieh declined to comment when asked if her forecasts had factored in the Chinese government’s recent announcement that it would not extend a subsidy program for the purchase of energy-efficient TVs.
However, she said the cancelation could keep Chinese consumers on the sidelines.
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