Consumers may be viewing video on mobile devices at a growing rate, but that apparently won't stop TV panel makers from turning in a banner year, according to a new forecast from IHS.
Shipments of 4K-capable TV panels will hit 40 million units this year, representing a penetration rate of 15%, IHS said, noting that 4K TV panel shipments are expected to grow 108%, with Korean panel makers nabbing a 57% share of the market, followed by Taiwanese manufacturers 27%, and Chinese manufacturers (12%).
Global TV panel shipments, meanwhile, are expected to rise 5%, to 265 million units, in 2015, also a record.
Thanks to strong demand for larger TVs and 4K capabilities, TV makers are bracing for possible tight panel supplies, even as the rising dollar cuts TV import prices, the research firm said. That, IHS added, will create a 27% jump in larger displays of 49-inches to 55-inches, with displays of 58-inches and 65-inches expected rising 26%. Displays of less than 40-inches will grow at less than 2%, IHS predicted.
“Global first-tier TV brands, like Samsung and LGE, are sticking to their aggressive shipment plans for 2015, while Samsung Display and LG Display have less room to increase volume to meet area demand from their captive customers’ demand for larger TV panels,” said Yoonsung Chung, director of large-area display research at IHS, in a statement. “These two Korean panel makers could experience a tightening of capacity in the second half of 2015, because of planned production-line adjustments.”
