South Korean manufacturer expected to ship 3.2 million panels this year
As you know, in March last year, Samsung Display (SDC) announced its intention to discontinue the production of liquid crystal panels by the end of the year. Later this decision was revised due to the changing market situation. It was recently reported that the company is “indefinitely” extending the production of panels for TVs and monitors, as demand for these products increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new deadline for when Samsung Display will stop producing LCD panels
According to TrendForce, the Gen 7 factory and two production lines of the Gen 8.5 factory will operate in the current quarter. However, taking into account costs, retooling schedules and projected demand changes, only one Gen 8.5 line is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter. And by the end of the year, the production of liquid crystal panels at SDC enterprises will be completely discontinued.
TrendForce estimates that the company will ship 3.2 million TV panels this year, accounting for 1.2% of the total market. Global TV panel shipments in 2021 will remain at last year’s level. In general, SDC’s decision will have little impact on the market situation. This applies to both television panels and monitor panels. However, this forecast is based on the assumption that Samsung Electronics will purchase all SDC products.
