LCD panel industry to surge on back of television demand: report

SINGAPORE (AFP) Mar 29, 2004
The global liquid crystal display (LCD) panel market will grow 56 percent this year to be worth 37 billion US dollars on the back of surging demand for televisions, an industry report said Monday.

Technology research firm International Data Corp. (IDC) said the thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD) market would grow from 24 billion dollars last year to 42 billion dollars in 2007, at an average annual expansion rate of 15 percent.

The TFT-LCD market encompasses LCD panels for televisions, notebooks and desktop monitors.

IDC's research manager for the industry, Stanley Jeong, said growth in the television segment was set to grow at a "torrid pace" and overtake the LCD-notebook panel market by 2005.

The report said the 17-inch (39-centimetre) panel size will become the most popular for personal computer desktop monitors this year with 60 percent of the market, while 19-inch panels will grow to have a 40 percent share by 2007.

Demand for LCD-TV panels more than 30 inches wide will rise from four percent in 2003 to 43 percent of the LCD-TV market by 2007.

The report also said prices for LCD units would drop from next year with the market expected to be oversupplied.

SPACE.WIRE