The display panel industry is expected to see limited growth in large-sized panel input area in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact and the continued reduction of LCD production capacity in Korea, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. Even so, in 2020, polarizer manufacturers will be able to start mass production with two additional 2,500mm production lines, one added in 1H20 and the other one in 2H20. Compared to 2019, therefore, the polarizer industry is expected to be in a state of oversupply, with supply exceeding demand by about 12.3%.
According to the latest investigations by the WitsView research division of TrendForce, as panel demand begins to rebound in 2Q20, panel quotes are expected to stabilize as a result. Therefore, panel makers are projected to see improved revenues in spite of the limited magnitude of cost reduction for upstream panel components in 2Q20.
The increase in die bonding efficiency, the decrease in Mini LED chip cost, and the historical low of open cell prices all contributed to the significantly lowered costs of displays utilizing Mini LED backlighting. According to the New Display Technology Cost Analysis quarterly report from the WitsView research division of TrendForce, Mini LED backlighting has significantly lowered the cost of display modules used in 65-inch 4K TVs. These display modules are estimated to see approximately 5-10% cost reductions compared to 2018 costs. This is expected to accelerate the widespread adoption of Mini LED.
