LCD Panel Values: 2H of April 2008

For those who purchase LCD panels, this set of information might be interesting. I took publicly available pricing information for LCD panels from Witsview and DisplaySearch, took the average, and then did some analysis on maximum value.

For the purpose of this blog post, maximum value is defined as dollar per megapixel ($/MP, lower is better). What this value shows is how many pixels you are getting for each dollar. Many might say that overall diagonal size is a much more important indicator and that might be true. But given the same size, I prefer a higher resolution LCD leading me to conclude that I value the number of pixels.

The value of pixels can be seen clearly in the trend toward 1080p in LCD TVs. Given the same size, say 42″, most consumers will desire a 1080p model compared to a 720p. The recent trend toward 1080p 32″ LCD TVs is another case in point.

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S-LCD 8-2

Samsung and Sony announced on April 25, 2008 that they will establish a second G8 TFT LCD manufacturing line, 8-2, for its S-LCD joint venture.

• Startup Date, Glass Input Capacity, Motherglass Dimension
• G7 Line: April 2005, 100K/mo, 1870 x 2200mm
• 8-1: August 2007, 50K/mo, 2200 x 2500mm
• 8-2: Q2′09, 60K/mo, 2200 x 2500mm

Total investment for 8-2 will be around KRW1.8 trillion (about US$1.9 billion) and will be located in the Tangjeong Complex. Initial glass substrate input capacity will be at 60K/mo. Both G8 fabs will most likely increase to 90K/mo or more in the future to meet growing demand for large LCD TVs.

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Armani/Samsung Premium LCD TV

Armani/Samsung Premium LCD TV

Sizes: 46″, 52″
Pixel Format: 1920 x 1080
Frequency: 100Hz
Input: HDMI
Availability: Europe, Korea, Russia, mid-summer 2008 (46″), late-summer 2008 (52″)

Inspired by Giorgio Armani’s new 2008/09 Armani/Casa home furnishings collection, the Armani/Samsung Premium LCD TV was designed for “a discriminating consumer” that seeks a “sophisticated design and leading flat screen technology”.

The Armani/Samsung Premium LCD TV does look handsome. The simple and elegant design is something that I like in high-tech products. But there are some problems.

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Samsung LN32A540: 32″ Full HD LCD TV

Samsung LN32A540

Size: 32″
Pixel Format: 1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Contrast Ratio: 35,000:1 (dynamic)
Viewing Angle: 178/178
Response Time: 6ms
Input: HDMI (3), Composite (2), VGA, S-Video, Component (Y/Pb/Pr, 2)
Tuner: ATSC

Sharp was the first to introduce a Full HD 32″ LCD TV with a pixel format of 1920 x 1080. Almost everyone in the display community thought that was overkill. I wonder why. Well, the reasoning was that our visual system couldn’t distinguish the increased resolution at the distances that we would be watching a 32″ LCD TV. That’s probably true. But, there are a lot of folks out there that play Xbox 360, PS3 and PC games on their 1080p-capable LCD TVs. And when they do that, my guess is that they play a bit closer to the box than if they were simply watching video. I think 32″ LCD TVs with a 1920 x 1080 pixel format will be quite popular.

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Sharp Profit to Rise 3% in FY2008

Sharp is forecasting that its profits will increase 3% Y/Y to JPY100 billion to JPY101.9 billion in FY2008 that just ended on March 31, 2008. The company stated that increased sales of cheaper LCD TVs were part of the reason for the increase. In a previous blog post, I referred to a report by Pacific Media Associates that showed a trend toward smaller and more affordable LCD TVs, namely 32″. This trend will most likely continue as folks in the US are cash-strapped and it seems a recession is in full swing.

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