AfterDawn: News

LG.Philips sees stable price for LCD panels

LG.Philips LCD Co. Ltd. has revealed it expects prices of its TV panels to fall at a much slower rate this year on stronger demand and limited output growth. The industry has suffered from tumbling prices and oversupply of LCD TVs since last year but is finally expecting to see a cyclical upturn in the second half as low price tags encourage consumers to buy larger TVs.

"TV panel prices in March-April were likely the lowest throughout the year," Champ Shin, vice president in charge of TV panel sales, said at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit. He expects the decline for the entire of 2007 to be no worse than 15%, compared with 30% last year.



"The prices will likely be stable for the time being. In the strong season, there's even some chance for a (price) rise," said Shin. reported its fourth consecutive quarterly loss in the January-March quarter but expects that in the current quarter it will turn around to a profit. "We are confident of a monthly break-even in the second quarter," Shin said.

LCD is increasing its share in the market for 40-inch-and-larger TV sets in a price war with plasma display panels (PDP). Plasma makers still have an advantage in the 50-inch-and-bigger category however, where few LCD makers supply.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: James Delahunty @ 17 May 2007 9:34

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• 3 comments

• S2K

  PLEEEase be careful how you rewrite these stories.
  
  Look at your lede first graph and compare it to to the various stories (including the Reuters you reference) about Phillips poor profit performance this quarter.
  
  This is damage control on the part of the Phillips precisely because of the continuing fall in in LCD prices. a trend not just likely to continue but likely to increase.
  
  If you had a nickel for every time the hard drive industry or say the DVD player makers said prices had stabilized you would be a millionaire. same with LCD's.
  
  The prices are falling, they will continue to fall. They will certainly be half the price in two years. There is no evidence whatsoever to the contrary, indeed the more the makers have make statements to the contrary the more they are obviously worried.

  17.5.2007 10:18 #1

• borhan9

  I personally do not like LG and have stayed away from their products after my screen blew just after the warranty. Never will i buy any of their products.

  17.5.2007 20:32 #2

• Unfocused

  Now is not the time to stabilize prices. Many consumers are still on the ropes about whether to upgrade to high def or stay with standard definition. The falling prices encourage the upgrade process.

  19.5.2007 18:37 #3