14 DAY TRIAL // As the back to school season approaches, and the demand for computer hardware aimed at students grows, liquid crystal display (LCDs for short) monitor makers and vendors are increasing their price tags by a few dollars all across the product lines. According to the news site DigiTimes, the most affected monitor models are the ones of 19 and 22 inch that will continue to grow in price in September.
As the LCD monitor industry appears to be in a growing period, the joint venture formed by the companies LG and Philips is reported to start move in equipment needed by its eight generation, 8G for short, production plant that is going to start LCD panel manufacturing in early 2008. The new LG and Philips plant will manufacture 2,200?2,500mm glass substrates for LCD monitors and TV sets.
It is said that the LG.Philips LCD company plans to invest more than one billion dollars to build the production plant which will have a monthly capacity of 50,000 substrates. Another big name on the LCD market, Samsung, plans to expand its 8G production lines too, as the company will set up a second 8G factory as a joint venture between Samsung and Sony which will have a monthly production of 50,000 panels.
The sudden interest of some of the biggest names in the LCD business in the eighth generation fabrication technology comes as a surprise after a conference held at the beginning of the year, where Ron Wirahadiraksa, president and chief executive officer of LG.Philips LCD, stated that his company is not interested in the large LCD panel industry, as that market segment is not cost effective. Moreover, the company did not foresee any large demand for 50-inch and-above-panels and it said that it would continue to invest in the 5.5G production plant. However, a month ago, at an investors' conference, the executives from LG.Philips LCD said that the company canceled its investments into the 5.5G plant and it will only focus on 8G production that is due to start in the first months of 2009.