AU Optronics (AUO) had made the decision to reduce the share of panels under 40 inches in its shipments and focus on developing high-margin products, such as UHD panels and 55- and 65-inch panels. As a result, its TV panel shipments for 2015 totaled just 27.18 million units, down 5.6% year on year.
China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) also added a new Gen-8.5 fab last year, but the fab did not achieve the expected production volume. Also, the panel maker’s shipments of 32-inch panels were affected for a while due to floor cracks in another fab. Nonetheless, CSOT managed to make a recovery at the end of third quarter and increased its annual TV panel shipments slightly by 3.5%, totaling 25.52 million units. The Chinese panel maker held the sixth spot in the ranking for 2015.