TV Panel Price Decline May Stop in 2Q19
January 17, 2019 | TrendForceEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
LCD panel makers have continued to bring new production capacities to the market, and the increasing pressure from oversupply has resulted in a sharp decline in panel prices, according to the latest report by WitsView, a division of TrendForce. Therefore, Samsung Display has strategically decided to allocate more capacity to QD-OLED TV production in advance. As the result, the stock-up demand for TV panels may arrive earlier than expected in 2Q19.
SDC has recently decided to cut the L8-1-1 LCD capacity of its Gen 8.5 fab in Korea this June, and allocate the capacity to the production of OLED backplane. A further reallocation of its L8-2-1 capacity has also been scheduled in this September.
According to Anita Wang, senior research manager of WitsView, SDC will prepare for the 8-1-1 capacity reallocation in advance, and equipment adjustments may result in lower output for 2Q19. Therefore, branded TV makers may start to stock up panels in advance. On the other hand, TV Panel prices would be approaching the lowest point in 1Q19, and the earlier stock-up demand in 2Q19 may help stop the price fall.
WitsView notes that the growth in the world’s total glass input area for large size LCD panel would be 12.9% if SDC did not plan for the capacity reallocation. With the reallocation, the growth is expected to be only 11.2% this year, 1.7 percentage points lower.
In terms of product applications, 49-inch and 55-inch panels will be mainly affected by SDC’s capacity reallocation this time. The global output of 49-inch panels in 2019 will be 40% less than that in 2018, since there is no alternative supplier. Meanwhile, Chinese panel makers will continue to ship more 50-inch panels, making 49-inch less popular among all the mid-range TV panel sizes. WitsView estimates that the total demand for 49-inch and 55-inch panels will be around 37 million pieces this year, remaining flat compared with 2018, but the portion of 49-inch panels will decrease from 50% in 2018 to 30% in 2019.
About TrendForce
TrendForce is a global provider of the latest development, insight, and analysis of the technology industry. Having served businesses for over a decade, the company has built up a strong membership base of 435,000 subscribers. TrendForce has established a reputation as an organization that offers insightful and accurate analysis of the technology industry through five major research divisions: DRAMeXchange, WitsView, LEDinside, EnergyTrend and Topology. Founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 2000, TrendForce has extended its presence in China since 2004 with offices in Shenzhen and Beijing.
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
SCHMID Ships First InfinityLine P+ Panel-Level Plating System
10/08/2025 | SCHMID GroupSCHMID Group, a leading global provider of equipment and solutions for the electronics industry, announced the shipment of its first InfinityLine P+ system – a newly developed panel-level plating equipment with integrated photoresist stripping.
SCHMID Advances Next-Gen Advanced Packaging with New InfinityLine and Glass Core Substrate Solutions
09/29/2025 | SCHMID GroupSCHMID Group, a leading global provider of equipment and solutions for the electronics industry, announces a major expansion of its product portfolio to meet the surging demand for two types of products: Advanced packaging substrates and high-performance server boards, in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Driving Innovation: Mastering Panel Warpage
09/23/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationDuring the complex and multi-step process of PCB fabrication, a panel's flatness is constantly at risk. A host of factors can introduce warpage, bending, and unevenness, presenting a fundamental challenge to achieving high-precision results. This deformation (sometimes referred to as “bow and twist”), even on a microscopic scale, can lead to critical defects during subsequent stages, such as component surface mounting (e.g., tombstoning, solder opens) and the PCB's long-term functional reliability.
Meta’s New AR Device to Lift LCoS Share to 13% by 2026, Intensifying Competition with LEDoS
09/19/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest investigations reveal that Meta has released its first mass-produced AR device—the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses—featuring LCoS display technology.
Integrating Uniplate PLBCu6 With the Digital Factory Suite
09/12/2025 | Giovanni Obino and Andreas Schatz, MKS' AtotechPrinted circuit board manufacturing is rapidly changing, driven by miniaturization, stringent reliability requirements, and growing pressure for sustainable production. Meeting these challenges requires more than incremental improvements; it demands a combination of precise equipment and real-time process intelligence. The pairing of Uniplate® PLBCu6 with the Digital Factory Suite (DFS) demonstrates how hardware and software can work together to create more responsive, resource-efficient manufacturing.