14 DAY TRIAL // The top-five LCD TV vendors, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, Sony, Philips and LG Electronics (LGE), are preparing to ship a whopping 46 million LCD TVs in 2007, with AU Optronics (AUO), Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT) and Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO), to supply almost half of the panels needed by the vendors, according to sources in various Taiwan LCD sectors.
According to projected forecasts that some sources have obtained from the vendors, Samsung, Sharp and Sony will produce 10 million LCD TVs next year each, while Philips and LG Electronics have a projected shipments number of nine million and seven million units, respectively.
Taking into account that worldwide LCD TV shipments next year will rise to almost 76 million units, the top-five vendors will hold about 60% of the market, approximately the same market quota they had in 2006.
As for LCD's larger than 40 inches Samsung and Sony want to ship 3.8 million units and by that they plan on becoming the top vendors for the segment. Sharp's goal for the same segment is about two million units, while LG Electronics and Phillips each project a shipment of over 1.8 million units.
Rumors also pointed out that Samsung, Sharp, Sony, LGE and Phillips also have additional panel factories and intent to use them in order to escape the monopoly created by AUO and CMO.