Large-area TFT LCD shipments fall sharply in December, says DisplaySearch

The shipment of large-area TFT LCD panels used in many of today’s HD and DTV televisions fell to 7 million units last month, down 13 percent when compared to December 2007, according to the latest figures from DisplaySearch.

The decline took panel shipments for LCD TVs to their lowest level since July 2007, and for the year, shipments dropped 17 percent when compared to 2007.

According to DisplaySearch’s “Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database,” TFT LCDs used for televisions wasn’t the only category to decline. Large-area TFT LCD panels used for computer monitors and notebook PCs also fell M/M. Overall, shipments of large-area TFT LCD panels reached the lowest level since May 2007, with revenues falling to $3 billion, the lowest level in two years.

In terms of market share, Samsung led the TV segment category with 23.9 percent unit share, followed by LG Display at 23.2 percent and CMO at 17.9 percent.

The results for December reflect low demand for TFT LCDs, said DisplaySearch VP David Hsieh. All TFT LCD manufacturers in Korea and Japan took steps to reduce capacity use in December, he added. Monthly shipments of LCDs in the first quarter will remain at this low level. “The TFT LCD industry is going through the hardest time in a decade,” he said.

For more information, visit www.displaysearch.com.