By Charles Annis – Vice President, Manufacturing Research, DisplaySearch

In its July 21 press release, Corning also announced it is also expanding capacity for its protective Gorilla Glass. This new capacity will be ramped up from currently idle tanks in Shizuoka, Japan. How big and fast the market for cover glass will grow is more uncertain than the Chinese substrate opportunity, but it is potentially even more lucrative.
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By Charles Annis – Vice President, Manufacturing Research, DisplaySearch

With Chinese TFT LCD capacity growing at a significantly higher rate than any other region, it was inevitable that glass substrate manufacturers would start building glass melting furnace facilities in Mainland China. China still only accounts for a small percentage of worldwide LCD capacity, but due to multiple new large glass fabs being planned for 2010-2012, capacity will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 85% from 2010 through 2013.
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By David Hsieh – Vice President, Greater China Market, DisplaySearch

News reports from China indicate that Samsung Electronics will invest $300-440 million in ChinaStar, the TFT LCD company started by TCL, one of the top LCD TV makers in China. Samsung will take at least 5% of ChinaStar, and as part of the deal, TCL will invest and take a similar share of Samsung’s planned Gen 7 Fab in China. Samsung and TCL have a history of cooperation, as TCL has made LCD modules for Samsung. While there has not been an official announcement from Samsung about this investment, there are incentives for both sides to take this action:
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By Deborah Yang – Research Director, Monitor & TV, DisplaySearch

Recent media reports about legal rulings on duty suspension for 16:9 desktop displays in Europe have implied that the decision covers LCD panels. However, LCD panels imported to Europe are duty free (a previous 5% import tariff on LCD panels has been suspended). The rulings have nothing to do with panels, only LCD monitors. The confusion may arise from the fact that the media in Europe often uses the word ‘panel’ to describe TVs and monitors.
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By Paul Gray – Director, European TV Research

A look at the Energy Star data for the latest sets shows how close TV sets already are to meeting future energy consumption requirements, such as the California Energy Commission requirements set to go into effect in 2011. It is now clearer than ever (as we indicated back in November) that the prophets of doom on impossible standards were wrong. read more…