New products to account for 60% of AUO total shipments in 2012

Feb 10, 16:14

Shipments of new products, including 65-inch panels, one glass solution (OGS) touch panels, and other panels for in-car devices and tablet PC applications, will account for 60% of total shipments by AU Optronics (AUO) in 2012, according to the company.

HannStar Display posts sequential revenue gains in January

Feb 10, 14:10

HannStar Display has reported consolidated revenues of NT$2.74 billion (US$92.9 million) for January, up 8.9% on month but down 28.8% on year.

Panel maker CPT reports declined sales for January

Newswatch - Feb 9, 11:38

Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) has posted consolidated revenues of NT3.27 billion (US$110.73 million) for January 2012, down 12% sequentially and 40.8% on year, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

LCD monitor sales to remain sluggish in Europe in 2012, say sources

Feb 8, 14:56

Sales of LCD monitors in Europe are expected to remain sluggish in 2012 after suffering a slump a year earlier as consumer demand has been weakened by the prolonged debt crisis in the region, according to industry sources.

Taiwan market: February LCD monitor sales to grow 10% sequentially

Feb 7, 14:41

Branded LCD vendors in Taiwan including Asustek Computer, Chimei, BenQ and ViewSonic will offer incentives to promote sales to students in the local market upon the beginning of the spring semester in mid-February and expect total sales to increase 10% sequentially in the month, according to industry...

Panel makers considering price hikes for some panels, say sources

Feb 7, 14:23

Some panel makers are considering a price hike for their products because of a recent improvement in sales as well as in capacity utilization rates, according to industry sources.

Large-size LCD panel pricing stabilizes in December 2011, says IHS

Feb 7, 11:12

After five straight months of steep declines, prices for large-size LCD panels stabilized in December 2011 because of better-than expected sales and decreased production, according to IHS.

Corning and Samsung Mobile Display form new OLED glass venture

Feb 6, 15:03

Corning and Samsung Mobile Display have signed an agreement to establish a new equity venture for the manufacture of specialty glass substrates for the rapidly expanding organic light emitting diode (OLED) device market. The new business will be located in Korea.

Taiwan to hold first touch exhibition in August 2012

Feb 6, 14:39

The 2012 Touch Taiwan will take place at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall from August 29 to September 1, 2012.

China government reportedly plans to raise import tariffs for LCD panels

Feb 6, 11:28

The China government plans to raise import tariffs for LCD panels by 3-5% in the second quarter of 2012 in order to safeguard the development of the domestic flat panel industry, according to industry sources.

China to hike TFT-LCD panel tariffs, says report

Feb 3, 15:39

In order to boost development of the local TFT-LCD panel manufacturing industry, the China government will increase customs tariffs for imported panels from 3% to 5% in the second quarter of 2012, according to China-based CBN Daily.

Wintek reports sequential revenue declines for January

Newswatch - Feb 3, 12:08

Touch panel maker Wintek has reported consolidated revenues of NT$8.89 billion (US$300.85 million) for January 2012, down 15.8% on month but up 27.1% on year, according to the company.

Apple unlikely to launch iTV in 2Q12, say sources

Feb 3, 01:35

The chance is low for Apple to launch so-called iTV products in the second quarter of 2012 as there are no signs indicating that Sharp is ready to ship IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) panels to Apple, according to industry sources.

AUO signs OLED technology cooperation pact with Idemitsu Kosan

Feb 3, 01:25

AU Optronics (AUO) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Japan-based Idemitsu Kosan for the development of OLED technologies and related applications, according to AUO.

Sintek chairman steps down

Newswatch - Feb 2, 14:02

Sintek Photronic chairman Chang Wen-yi has resigned from the company, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). The company will elect a new chairman within this month, Sintek said.

Sharp reportedly cuts capacity utilization rates at 10G lines to 50%

Feb 2, 01:15

Sharp reportedly lowered capacity utilization rates at its 10G lines to 50% recently, but the capacity reduction will not have any significant impact to the overall panel industry as the 10G lines are focused on the production of high-end panels as well as panels in sizes over 60-inch, according to...

Emerging markets and high performance drive rapid growth in tablet PC demand, says DisplaySearch

Jan 31, 14:29

Shipments of tablet PCs are expected to grow from 72.7 million units in 2011 to 383.3 million units by 2017, according to the latest DisplaySearch report. Driving the demand is the continued solid growth in mature markets complemented by increasingly strong growth in emerging markets. Emerging markets...

AUO shipping 55-inch naked-eye 3D TV panels to Toshiba, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 31, 14:11

AU Optronics (AUO) has begun volume shipments of 55-inch naked-eye 3D 4k2k (4000x2000) high resolution TV panels to Toshiba, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

CMI debt negotiations hit deadlock, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 30, 15:29

Debt negotiations between Chimei Innolux (CMI) and its creditor banks have hit a deadlock as the two sides hold different views over the ratio of markup to be added to the original interest payments, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Samsung posts record profit in 4Q11

Jan 30, 14:10

Booming smartphone sales made Samsung Electronics' latest quarter its most profitable quarter ever, according to the company.

LCD TV area demand to reach 116 million square meters in 2018, says DisplaySearch

Jan 30, 12:09

The LCD TV market saw a rapid shift toward sizes larger than 40-inch at the end of 2011, as consumers, particularly in North America and China, took advantage of new sizes and more affordable prices, according to DisplaySearch. As larger sizes such as 46-, 47-, 55-, 60- and 65-inch are being adopted...

Panasonic to source TV panels from CMI, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 30, 12:02

Panasonic will outsource the production of LCD TV panels to Chimei Innoulux (CMI) in 2012, the first time for the vendor to purchase flat panels from a Taiwan-based maker, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

Corning profit down in 2011

Jan 30, 10:48

Corning has reported fourth-quarter 2011 revenues of US$1.9 billion, down 9% on quarter but up 7% on year. Net incomes were US$491 million, down 39% from third-quarter 2011.

Taiwan December export order value down slightly

Jan 20, 16:42

Taiwan received export orders worth US$36.31 billion in December 2011, decreasing 0.94% on month and 0.72% on year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on January 20.

CMI CEO to hold debt settlement talks with creditor banks

Jan 20, 15:32

Chimei Innolux (CMI) CEO Hsing-chien Tuan will lead a negotiation team to hold debt settlement talks with its creditor banks on January 20, hoping the banks will allow it to postpone principal payments, according to industry sources.

Commentary: Large-size TVs, big opportunities

Jan 19, 16:41

The LCD TV market went through severe price competition in 2011 with products such as 42-inch CCFL-backlit TVs costing only US$199/unit. Industry sources believe this price is close to production costs.

Penetration rate of IPS/FFS panels in mobile PC sector to reach 20% in 2014-2015, says DisplaySearch

Newswatch - Jan 19, 16:27

The penetration rate of IPS (in-plane switching) and FFS (fringe-field switching) panels in the mobile PC (including notebook, netbooks and tablet PCs) segment is expected to climb from 11% in 2011 to 20% in 2014-2015, Display Search has indicated in a Chinese-language press release.

BLU maker Radiant expects strong revenue gains in 2012

Jan 19, 10:49

Taiwan-based backlight module (BLU) maker Radiant is expected to see its revenues increase substantially in 2012, buoyed by the launch of new iPads as well as ultrabooks by branded notebook vendors, according to industry sources.

TMD in-cell touch panel yields reach 60%

Jan 18, 01:20

Panel makers have been trying to improve technologies to win over peers. Industry sources noted that Japan-based Toshiba Mobile Display's (TMD) in-cell technology yields have increased to 60%. Touch sensor makers TPK and Wintek are likely to feel pressure from the rise of such technology.

Samsung to begin production of 46-inch transparent LCD panels

Jan 18, 01:10

South Korea-based Samsung Electronics has announced that it is expanding the transparent display market with production of a 46-inch transparent LCD panel, beginning January 2012.

PCB maker TPT sees flat growth in 1Q12 sales

Jan 17, 01:45

Taiwan PCB Techvest (TPT), which mainly produces optoelectronics boards, expects its first-quarter revenues to register flat growth sequentially beating seasonal patterns.

Panels used in new iPad to exceed iPad 2 panels in shipment volume in 2Q12, say Taiwan makers

Jan 17, 01:15

As Apple has selected Sharp, LG Display and Sharp as the suppliers of 9.7-inch QXGA (2,048 x 1,536) panels for use in a new version of the iPad, shipments of such high-resolution panels began in the fourth quarter of 2011 and will exceed those of XGA panels used in iPad 2 in the second quarter of 2012,...

BOE and CSOT ramping up 36.5-, 40- and 55-inch panels

Jan 16, 16:04

Having begun volume production of 32-inch TV panels recently, China-based LCD panel makers BOE Technology and China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) will also ramp up their production of 36.5-, 46- and 55-inch panels in 2012, according to industry sources.

Central Taiwan Science Park posts 2011 export value of over NT$189 billion

Jan 16, 15:35

The Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) recorded total export value of NT$189.184 billion (US$6.10 billion) and total import value of NT$123.096 billion in 2011, according to CTSP administration.

Shipments of 9.7-inch iPad panels to top over 65 million units in 2012, says DisplaySearch

Jan 13, 14:21

Shipments of 9.7-inch flat panels for iPads are expected to top over 65 million units in 2012 compared to 48 million units shipped in 2011, DisplaySearch has estimated.

Digitimes Research: Taiwan shipments of small- to medium-size flat panels slip 4% sequentially in 4Q11

Jan 13, 11:52

Shipments of small- to medium-size flat panels by Taiwan makers totaled 368 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, down 4% on quarter but up 10.8% on year, according to data compiled by Digitimes Research.

CMI applies for debt settlement with creditor banks

Jan 11, 16:07

Chimei Innolux (CMI) has applied for debt negotiations with its creditor banks after the flat panel maker failed to secure a syndicated loan of NT$40 billion (US$1.33 billion) in time, according to sources in the banking industry.

CMI, AUO post mixed results for December

Jan 11, 14:30

Chimei Innolux (CMI) and AU Optronics (AUO) have announced mixed consolidated results for December 2011, with CMI's December figure of NT$46.85 billion (US$1.56 billion) representing the highest monthly level for the year.

Amtran sees increased 4Q11 revenues

Jan 10, 15:34

Taiwan-based TV OEM firm Amtran reported December revenues of NT$6.44 billion (US$214 million). Fourth quarter revenues reached NT$19.66 billion, the highest quarterly revenues in 2011, accounting for 35% of 2011 total revenues.