The below is a compilation of recent announcements and events occurring between February and early March 2005. Coverage includes LCD TV, RPTV, and PDP TV, other display systems, as well as manufacturer forecasts and major events shaping the FPD environment in varying countries.

LCD TV

AIC

AIC Display, a Malaysian-Korean joint venture involved in the design, development, and production of LCD (Liquid Crystal display)/PDP (Plasma Display Panel) TV and monitors, has kicked off production at its LCD/PDP plant in Shan Alam, Malaysia. AIC plans to launch a 45" LCD TV by the end of the third quarter of 2005.

Amtran

To begin shipping 32" LCD TVs in the second quarter of 2005.

Brillian

Resuming LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) HDTV (High Definition TV) shipments to high-end retailers who target at well-to-do customers.

Gateway

Nudging back into the LCD TV business with the rollout of a 30" LCD TV.

Hannspree

The branded maker has completed its global sales deployment, and will be introducing its LCD TVs in the US, China, as well as Hong Kong and Tokyo respectively in July, August, and November.

Kolin

Introduced a 55" LCD TV, claimed to be the largest LCD TV model marketed in Taiwan, with panels from LPL and the resolution of a HDTV. The model will be produced and marketed in Taiwan in the second half of 2005, and distributed in the US by Syntax. The maker also released three 42" LCD TVs, slated to hit the market in April 2005.

Plans to introduce a 61" LCoS TV in the second half of 2005.

Mitac

Sees LCD TVs as its main growth momentum in 2005; began shipping to Japanese brand-name vendors in October 2004, and will expand shipments to regional channel players worldwide in 2005. In 2005, Mitac will concentrate on large LCD TVs 32" and 37" in size, produced mainly in its plant in Guangdong China.

Mitac began stepping aggressively into the LCD TV business in the second half of 2004.

Samsung

Announced the launch of the world's largest commercially available LCD TV at the end of February. The model features a 46" screen size as well as a 1,920x1,080 pixel native resolution.

Sanyo

To start marketing its LCD TVs in Southeast Asia by the end of 2005, as a way to solidify overseas flat-panel TV operations. At a TV production subsidiary in Indonesia, LCD TVs will be manufactured starting in 2005 to meet the demand in this region.

Skyworth

To receive government subsidy on its 240 million RMB (US$28.9 million; US$1=8.3 RMB) spending allocated to renovating LCD and PDP production; the city government has agreed to give the maker a discount on its 168 million RMB (US$20.2 million) loan. The project will include the localization and capacity expansion of all technologies with the exception of extra-screen power circuits and sources. Following the renovation, Skyworth's annual LCD TV output will reach 120,000 units.

Syntax

Expects to launch a LCoS TV either 61" or 71" in screen size in North America; the time is set near the end of 2005.

In the LCD TV segment, the company plans to focus on 26", 27", 32", and 37" models in 2005, with an occasional mix of 42", 47", and 55" models. Syntax will continue to sell 30" models in 2005, but plans to gradually withdraw from the segment by the end of the first half of the year.

RPTV

Mitsubishi

After the launch of a 62" DLP RPTV (Digital Light Processing Rear Projection TV) in February 2005, the maker hopes to launch a 50" model in the Japanese market in 2005.

Sanyo

To begin selling RPTVs in the US in the spring of 2005 as a means to beef up its overseas flat-panel TV operations.

To achieve higher resolution with its DLP RPTVs, Mitsubishi introduced the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chips, enabling these new offerings to reach a contrast ratio 40% higher than that of the maker's existing models.

Sony

To launch the first 1,920x1,080 pixel RPTV in Japan; the TV will come with a 70" screen size.

PDP TV

AIC

The maker recently launched its PDP and LCD plant in Shah Alam, the first in Malaysia; plans are made to roll out a 50" PDP TV before the end of the second quarter of 2005.

Dell

Chose Japan and Australia as the first markets in which it will launch its 42" PDP TVs.

Fujitsu

PDP TV accounts for 45% to 50% of the maker's sales in the US, and 30% to 35% of total sales in Europe; plans are drafted to up its PDP TV sales percentage in Europe.

Established Fujitsu General Visual Systems (Europe) SASto take charge over sales of its imaging offerings in Europe.

Gateway

Likely to renew its PDP TV line with new screen-sizes and chassis following its re-entry into the LCD TV market.

Matsushita

Plans to outsource more CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) TV assembly to TCL to make room for a higher in-house assembly capacity for PDP TVs and higher-end models.

Sanyo

To start marketing its PDP TVs in the US in spring of 2005.

Skyworth

Received a government subsidy to renovate its LCD and PDP production; Skyworth's annual PDP TV output will reach 35,000 units after the renovation.

Other

AOC

Considering forming partnerships with CMO and HannStar in the LCD monitor sector.

Haier

Will decide on the site for its India-based production facilities in May or June 2005. The plant is designed to manufacture color TVs in initial stages, aiming at around 50,000 units per month by the end of 2005; eventually, it will move on to encompass the production of almost all home electronics. Outputs from the plant will be marketed both in India and overseas.

Matsushita

In talks with TCL to bump up its procurement of CRT TVs from the maker by around fivefold in fiscal 2005, to roughly 300,000 units.

Mitsubishi

Has successfully developed a projection system that displays lifelike, high-resolution 3D (three dimension) CG (Computer Graphics) images on a dome-shaped screen surface. As the new system automatically calibrates the images, it is easier to set up and more cost efficient then existing models. Commercialization of the system is slated to happen within 2005.

NEC

Ending cooperative relations with Mitsubishi established through their joint venture NM Visual, a unit dedicated to the development, production, and sales of monitors. From April 2005 on, the company will be renamed and become a wholly owned subsidiary under NEC. After the separation, however, NEC will continue to manufacture for Mitsubishi.

Sanyo

Plans to begin producing 1,000 flat-panel TVs per month at a Mexican plant in March. Capital investment of the facility stands at around 100 million yen (US$955,000) to 200 million yen (US$1.9 million); the plant belongs to its US unit Sanyo Mfg.

Sony

Made an announcement that all of its large-screen TVs larger than 26" will be equipped with digital terrestrial functions.

Manufacturer Forecasts

Amtran

LCD TV shipments in 2005 to double from 200,000 units in 2004, whereas TV shipments will make up nearly 30% of its product mix in 2005.

AOC

Monitor capacity at its Wu Han plant in China to reach five million units in 2005; the maker's monitor shipments are projected to reach roughly 36 million units, around one-third of the world's total shipment volume.

Compal

The focus of its imaging business in 2005 will be placed on LCD TV, PDP TV; 2005 shipments will at least double that registered in 2004, reaching around 300,000 units.

Coretronic

Shipment goal for projectors in 2005 set at 800,000 units.

Hannspree

Shipments forecasted to exceed one million LCD TVs in the coming three years.

Kolin

To ship 300,000 LCD TVs in 2005, posting over 300% shipment growth from 2004; sales are expected to reach NT$10 billion (US$322.6 million).

Mitac

Shipment goal for LCD TVs in 2005 is conservatively set at 500,000 units, though shipments will possibly reach as much as one million units.

Proton

Having completed the sales and production deployment for its LCD TV operations, Proton will likely triple its LCD TV shipments to 200,000 units in 2005.

Quanta

Sets a conservative 500,000 units for LCD TV OEM (Original Equipment Manufactuering) shipment goal in 2005, a double from 2004.

Sanyo

Expects global sales of its flat-panel TVs to reach 300,000 units to 400,000 units in fiscal 2004, with overseas sales accounting for approximately 70%. For fiscal 2005, the maker forecasts that the figure will increase to over 600,000 units.

Syntax

Expects to ship over 300,000 Olevia LCD HDTVs and around 200,000 LCoS TVs in 2005; the total translates into a threefold boost from the makers shipment volume in 2004.

News by Country

China

Exported a total of approximately 49.3 million color TV sets in 2004, valued at US$5.3 billion.

France

Starting from the end of March, with the launch of DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television), 14 free TV channels will be available to 35% of the French population, eventually reaching 80% of households in the country. Pay TV services will be kicked off between September 2005 and March 2006.

Korea

The government plans to allocate 177.7 billion KRW (US$176.9 million; US$1= 1004.5 KRW) to boost the competitiveness of the country's broadcasting industry. Of the total, 59.7 billion KRW (US$59.4 million) will be invested into the development of technologies for digital broadcasting and wireless communications; another 30 billion KRW (US$29.9 million) will be used to urge consumers to switch from analog to digital TVs.

The government has ruled out the possibility of fixed-line telecom operators offering IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) services.

Russia

Government official said that the country plans to switch completely to digital broadcasting by year 2015.

Spain

To set up a committee under the government responsible for making decisions that will help foster DTT and establishing strategies before the complete transition to digital broadcasting by 2010. Another group called the DTT Technical Forum will be placed under the Committee so as to implement the technical actions passed within the Committee.

UK

A complete switchover to digital broadcasting may be possible by the end of 2012.

RTL Group is said to be drafting a launch of pay TV channels across Europe as a means to secure its place in the era of digital broadcasting.

United States

A bill may be formulated to speed up the transition to digital broadcasting in the country. In order to have the share of US households capable of receiving digital television reach 85% -- the share at which it analog systems will be terminated - the government may need to spend US$460 million to US$10.6 billion in subsidizing converter boxes for analog cable and satellite pay-TV services.

French broadband equipment maker Alcatel and Microsoft to jointly develop IPTV systems that target telecoms. The newly developed platform will provide broadband TV viewers with programs on demand, online gaming, multi-channel TV, and a variety of interactive services. SBC plans to launch its IPTV services in November, adopting the pair's platform.