Large-Area TFT Panel Shipments Impress

NPD DisplaySearch announced it reckons that shipments of large-area TFT panels reached a record high in the second quarter of this year.

For more information visit: www.displaysearch.com


Unedited press release follows:

Large-Area TFT Panel Shipments Broke Record in Q2’14, NPD DisplaySearch Reports

TFT LCD growth was led by LCD TV panel shipments, which reached a record high of 64 million.

SANTA CLARA, CALIF., August 19, 2014 — According to the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT Panel Shipment Report, total large-area TFT panel shipments reached a record high of 37.7 million m² in Q2’14, driven by the shift to larger sizes in all applications. Shipments of 9.1” and larger TFT panels rose 3% Y/Y to 181 million, in Q2. TFT unit growth was led by LCD TV panel shipments, which reached a record high of 64 million. The large-area TFT panels covered in the statistics include a-Si TFT LCD, oxide TFT LCD, and AMOLED panels.

“Panel makers are now taking the opportunity to boost their capacity utilization, clean out their panel inventories, and complete shifts in the product mix,” said Peter Su, large-area display analyst for NPD DisplaySearch. “Although panel shipments and prices both rose in the second quarter, supply and demand will gradually come into balance,”

The display panel manufacturer market share rankings shifted in Q2’14. LG Display maintained its lead with 25% of units shipped, but for the first time Innolux surpassed Samsung Display, while AUO ranked fourth, followed by BOE. However, on a shipment area basis, LG Display ranked first in Q2 (25%), followed by Samsung Display (22%), Innolux (19%), AUO (15%), and Sharp (6%).

Table 1: Large-Area Shipment Share, Q2’14

Source: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large Area TFT Panel Shipment Report

According to panel makers’ future business plans, nearly all TFT applications are expected to experience a Q/Q decline in Q3’14, except for 9” and larger tablet-PC panels and public display panels. Due to increased demand for larger tablet PCs from consumers and aggressive marketing efforts of tablet PC brands, shipments of large-area AMOLED panels for tablet PCs will grow substantially in Q3’14, passing 1 million. The overall TFT LCD market, however, will experience a 3% Q/Q decrease, as manufacturers plan to ship just 174.6 million TFT LCD panels in Q3. “With many TV brands beginning to see their inventories pile up, panel manufacturers are being careful not to overload the pipeline,” Su noted.

Fabrication (fab) loading rates are also expected to be lower in Q3 than in Q2. However, as pipeline shortages disappear, the most critical job that panel makers have is to prevent panel prices from falling. “In the third quarter, demand will decline gradually and come into balance with supply, and fab loadings will be adjusted downward,” Su indicated. “Even so, the risk of the panel inventory adjustments in the fourth quarter cannot be ignored.”

The NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Large-Area TFT Panel Shipment Report covers the entire range of large-area panels shipped worldwide and regionally, with 100% coverage of panel makers. For more information about the report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 888-436-7673 or 516-625-2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional NPD DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan.

About NPD DisplaySearch
NPD DisplaySearch, part of The NPD Group, provides global market research and consulting specializing in the display supply chain, including trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge. NPD DisplaySearch supply chain expertise complements sell-through information from The NPD Group, thereby providing a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information, visit us at http://www.displaysearch.com/. Read our blog at http://www.displaysearchblog.com/ and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions. By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers, and drive profitable growth. Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, entertainment, fashion, food/foodservice, home, luxury, mobile, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, and video games. For more information, visit http://www.npd.com/ and npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.