(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| Monitor Demand Recovery Helps Panel and CRT Makers
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August 3, 1998 (TAIPEI) -- Demand for computer monitors in Europe and
the United States showed signs of recovery entering the second half
of 1998.
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Panel and cathode ray tube (CRT) makers, the upstream sector of the monitor
industry, said that they, too, have seen increased demand.
Currently, prices of 12.1-in. panels have begun to stabilize, and manufacturers
are considering raising prices of 17-in. CRTs.
A severe oversupply in the first half of this year sent prices of 12.1-in.
liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels plummeting, down 50 percent from
the start of the year.
Prices of Korean products now stand at around US$220, while Japanese
models are just slightly higher.
Results of an industrial survey show that North American and European
suppliers have already digested the lion's share of their inventory.
Industry observers said they will soon see demand grow, as sales traditionally
pick up in summer, and the year-end holiday season is not far behind.
Observers estimate that demand for notebooks and monitors in the first
half of this year accounted for only around 40 percent of total annual
sales.
The remaining 60 percent, they said, will be seen in the second half.
An expectation that Korean enterprises will raise the price of 12.1-in.
panels to US$240 in order to pay back U.S. dollas loans granted by the
International Monetary Fund also is cause for optimistic prospects.
Signs that the 17-in. CRT monitor is replacing the 15-in. model to become
the mainstream have encouraged production.
This product is now on the verge of oversupply, a trader said, and a
number of Japanese and Korean rivals are developing products of 19 inches
and larger.
Related story: PC Monitor Production Value Falls 12.6 Pct. in Q1
(Commercial Times, Taiwan)
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