TrendForce：large-sized panel shipment in Oct. climbed 1.5% MoM as LCD TV panel shipment consecutively attained the new high

According to the large-sized panel shipment survey for October 2012 issued by WitsView, the panel research division of TrendFroce, the large-sized panel shipment in October grew by 1.5% MoM to 71.05 million units. Benefiting from the energy-saving subsidy policy in China and the emerging year-end demands in the U.S. and Europe, the LCD TV panel shipment continuously reached the new high.   

The LCD TV market showed boosted performance. In addition to the support from Chinese brands’ export orders in Q4, the large-sized TV promotional campaign at the year-end in the U.S. and Europe was estimated to stir consumption, lifting TV panel shipment by 1.4% MoM in October to 21.53 million units, which was the historical shipment new high. The monitor panel shipment grew 1.6% MoM to 15.45 million units. For the regular NB panels, the above 12.1” regular NB panels declined by 17.6% MoM to 14.25 million units due to main clients’ financial settling and inventory adjustments after a procurement surge in Q3. For the tablets, as the panel production yield increasingly improved and the dramatically surging iPad mini panel shipment exceeded 2.2 million units in one single month, the tablet panel shipment increased 24.2% MoM to 17.69 million units. The Netbook panel shipment amounted to 2.17 million units, growing 4% MoM.   

As the Black Friday promotional period in North America impends, retailers work with various brands and launch the price cut campaign, and especially the low-priced large-sized products attract most attention. For example, Vizio works with Sharp and Hon Hai and announces the special price of $989 for the 60”TV, which is also shockingly priced at $688, lower than the previously leaked $799 by $111, during the limited period of Black Friday. The low price promotion focusing on large-sized TV would indirectly bolsters the above 50” TV panel demands. WitsView research manager Jeffy Chen indicates that, the global shipment proportion of above 50” TV panels surged to above 10% in October from 5.3%, 7%, and 9.4% in Q1 to Q3, respectively. It clearly showed brand makers’ low price strategy has lifted the market acceptance of large-sized products. 

Chart 1: TFT-LCD Panel Shipment in Oct-12 (K units)