SEOUL: Worldwide Ultra HD (4K) LCD TV panel shipment volume grew 60.8% sequentially in the second quarter of 2015, reaching around 9.2 million units, according to MIC.
Korea vendors’ shipment share rose to 61% from 54%, with shipment volume growing 80% sequentially. Samsung Display enjoyed the highest sequential growth at 105% with 3.3 million shipment volume, enlarging its gap with LG Display and becoming the world’s number one panel vendor for 4K LCD TVs. The majority of Samsung’s shipped panels were 55- and 48-inch, together accounting for 70% of its total shipments, followed by 40-inch panels at 20%.
“The significant growth can be attributed to changes in the company’s pricing strategies for 4K TVs,” said Brian Chen, senior industry analyst with MIC. “In the past, Samsung positioned 4K TVs as high-end products, hence a higher price than other brands. To enhance their shipment volume and market share, Samsung has lowered the prices of 4K TVs, leading to a significant increase in TV sales performance and thus panel shipments.”
LG has successfully increased its panel shipment volume with the launch of RGBW M+ 4K panels and has expanded its target market from China to worldwide. LG’s 4K panel shipments in 2015 are expected to benefit from the increased adoption of M+ 4K2K panels.
To differentiate themselves from others, Taiwan panel vendors have focused on 50-inch panel shipments, accounting for 46% of Taiwan 4K panel shipments. While Taiwan vendors’ 4K panel shipment volume grew 28% sequentially in the second quarter of 2015, reaching 2.5 million units, their shipment share declined from 34% to 27%, further lagging behind Korea counterparts.
