LCD TV, monitor, netbook panel shipments dropped 1.4 percent, 5.1 percent, 13.5 percent, YoY

TAIWAN: According to WitsView, TrendForce’s panel research division, the global large-sized panel shipment in 4Q11 showed that shipment in the quarter dropped by 1 percent compared to 3Q, equivalent to a decline of 1.74 million units.

In terms of applications categories due to the stocking preparation for Lunar New Year holiday promotions in China and the high demand in US and European markets, 4Q11 TV panel shipment increased by 6 percent QoQ. Monitor panel also posted a small shipment increase of 1 percent QoQ due to successful inventory digestion by downstream vendors of the supply chain in 3Q and as some suppliers began to refill inventory in response to demand in Asia Pacific.

The notebook market, on the other hand, began to show continuous monthly decline in shipment since November 2011; contributing factors both include the impact of HDD shortage and the end of the year-end stock up for promotional sales, leading to a QoQ decline of 2 percent in notebook panel shipment. Netbook panel shipments under 12.1” dropped 23 percent compared to shipment in 3Q11. Due to Apple’s decision to begin monitoring iPad2 inventory in 4Q11 and affected by the iPad3 panel yield issues, 9.7” panel shipment declined drastically while overall tablet panel shipment dropped 9 percent QoQ.Source: WitsView, Taiwan.

Moreover, according to the WitsView 2011 panel shipment report, LCD TV, monitor, netbook panel shipment dropped 1.4 percent, 5.1 percent, 13.5 percent, respectively YoY. Since its introduction to the market in 2008, netbook has reached its peak in 2010. Following the introduction of tablet devices, however, netbook are marginalized due to its less competitive price, functionality and ease of usage. As a result, some brands and panel makers begin to exit the netbook market and channel their R&D resources and production capacity to tablet devices, touch sensor and other niche medium-to-small-sized panel products.

LCD TV and monitor market, on the other hand, are also impacted by low consumption demand in a weak consumption market, the phasing out of various model upgrade encouragement measures, and the near saturation of LCD product penetration rate, etc., to report its first decline panel shipment in 2011.