Based on the past experience, the first quarter is a time of traditionally slow season for the panel industry, as well as a time of the most dramatic price decline in component prices. However, market conditions are quite different this quarter.
Having suffered the financial downturn, the global economy is gradually on the path of recovery in 2009. Under the gloomy economy, prices of all three large-sized panel applications were reduced, and LCD monitors bore the brunt of the impact.
According to WitsView’s global LCD monitor SI shipment survey in December 2009, shipments of top ten SIs grew by 3.8% to 13.29 million units. Although December 2009 was a slow period for shipments, market demand grew due to gradual recovery in the global economy and the confirmation of the price increase in LCD monitor panels during 1Q10.
LED backlight was the limelight of the display industry in 2009, in addition to yielding positive results from its applications in NBs, LED backlight in TVs and monitors successfully gained foothold in the market for its slimness and energy-efficiency.
Taking a brief overview of the TFT-LCD panel industry in 2009 – in 1Q09, downstream customers’ demand was sluggish after the financial downturn, panel production capacity was over-adjusted after panel makers suffered severe losses, and panel maker’s demand freeze led to a substantial gap in the supply chain of upstream components.