August 2005

news archive

DLP-RPTV Sales Bounce Back; Worldwide Microdisplay RPTV Sales Top $1 Billion during Q2 2005

Portland, Oregon, August 15 - Quixel Research's MicroDisplay Rear Projection Market Review for Q2 2005 reports that DLP-based microdisplay (MD) RPTV sales were in comeback mode in Q2. After two quarters of declining volume, DLP-TV sales were up 10 and 11 percent respectively, with revenues topping $404 million for Q2 2005. "Stronger DLP-TV sales in the second quarter were driven by Samsung's long-waited-for fully-featured integrated HDTV-DLP sets and the addition of the new 42-inch DLP screen size planned for the key mainstream $2000 retail price point" said Steve Panosian, Director of Marketing for Digital PJTV. Second quarter's photo finish between DLP and HTP/LCD-RPTV left the category primed for a neck-and-neck race throughout the second half of the year.

Worldwide sales for the total MD-RPTV market rose to $1billion and $863M for the USA region. Revenues were up 74 percent year-to-year in the USA. "The industry will continue to see the microdisplay segment dominate not just the CRT-RPTV segment, but the entire large-screen TV category because it is the most affordable option and offers an HD picture," comments Tamaryn Pratt, Quixel Research's principal. "For the coming years MD-RPTV will be synonymous with Big Screen TV."

Quixel Research's projections for the worldwide MicroDisplay Rear Projection TV market show the category topping $8.9B by 2008, with the largest share of the market comprising the 55-inch and above screen-size segment.

Source: Quixel Research

Samsung Electronics' New LCD Line 7-2 to Use Same Substrate Size as S-LCD Line 7-1, Optimized for 40- and 46-inch LCDs

Seoul, Korea, August 2 - Samsung Electronics announced today that it is accelerating its plans to standardize on 40- and 46-inch LCD panels for the mass TV market. Samsung will begin installing critical equipment this week at a new LCD production line, Line 7-2, to produce a glass substrate identical to the one at its nearby joint-venture production facility with Sony Corporation, known as S-LCD.

By replicating the 1870x2200-mm substrate size of the S-LCD line (Line 7-1), the company is moving aggressively to standardize its substrate and screen sizes for high-definition LCD-TVs targeted for living room environments. The 1870x2200-mm substrate is ideally suited for 40- and 46-inch TV panels. From a single plate of this size, eight 40-inch panels or six 46-inch panels can be produced simultaneously.

Samsung plans to begin mass production at Line 7-2, optimized for 40- and 46-inch LCD-TV panels, in April 2006. When fully ramped, the line will produce 45,000 sheets per month. The new line, which will cost approximately one trillion won (US $975 million) to build, consists of a fab facility area of 300,000 square meters and a module facility area of 93,000 square meters.

Samsung Electronics and arch-rival LG.Philips LCD are in a format war with TV LCDs, with Samsung committed to producing 40- and 46-inch sizes on its Gen 7 lines , and LPL committed to 42- and 47-inch panels on its new Gen 7 line being built in Paju City.

Screen Technology Group Floats on AIM

Screen Technology Group plc has floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange with a valuation of more than £20m.

Tony Kellett, CEO at Screen Technology with an 80" ITrans

Peter Smyth, Chairman of Screen Technology said "These funds will enable the Group to maximise the great potential of its novel ITrans® technology. Our next step will be to increase our production capacity and sales and marketing reach within this rapidly growing market place".

ITrans® offers unique performance in the large screen displays market, combining high brightness and high resolution with sizes from one square metre up to tens of square metres.

Tony Kellett, CEO, commented "Designers of large screen displays will have to think again about the range of solutions available to them, no longer limited by the size of a plasma display or the amount of information on a LED screen. ITrans® opens up new opportunities for creativity and powerful communication".

The Group will be launching the ITrans® screens at exhibitions in London, Dubai, Singapore, Brussels and Orlando across the next twelve months.

Contact:
Andy Holmes, Commercial Director
Tel: 01223 875500
Email: aholmes@screentechnology.com
Web: www.screentechnology.com