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PDP TVs stands
a good chance of a comeback in the second half of 2008
amid the continued tight supply of LCD panels and increased
demand for flat panel displays in North America ahead
of the imminent end to analog broadcasting, according
to Amtran Technology chairman Alpha Wu.
The scheduled end of analog
TV broadcasting in North America in 2009 is expected
to spark a wave of replacement demand in the second
half of 2008, said Wu, whose Taiwan-based company is
the major manufacturer of Vizio-brand flat panel TVs.
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Amtran chairman Alpha
Wu Photo: CJ Liu, Digitimes |
With supply of LCD panels remaining
tight in 2008, PDP competition will receive a boost not just
in the 50-inch-and-above segment, but also among smaller-size
TVs, Wu said.
As long as PDP TV vendors can further lower their production
costs and retail prices, their products will still have a
chance in the 30-inch-and-above market, he said. Many thought
that PDP was already dead in the 30-inch class, but the recent
shortage in 32-inch LCD panels has seen 32-inch PDP TVs reappear
in the market, he noted.
While there are six to eight TV
LCD panel suppliers, players in the PDP segment will have
a better chance of survival if only two PDP suppliers are
left, the Amtran chairman said.
PDP TV vendors are well-prepared
for the upcoming comeback, Wu claimed. While players in the
LCD segment have long been under pressure from losses and
are therefore more aware of the need for cost downs, their
competitors from the PDP segment have started losing money
only over the past two years, and therefore their cost down
efforts have been relatively slower, Wu claimed.
But now the PDP vendors will be
more efficient in cutting costs, posing a strong challenge
to their LCD competitors, Wu said.
Wu said Amtran is not worried by
the LCD panel shortage because PDP is one of the major alternatives
for the company. Amtran remains optimistic about its shipments
in 2008, as the 1080p segment will have a 50% market share
and LCD TV pricing and functionality have reached levels that
consumers can accept, he said.(DIGITIMES) |
