- Relieved from undersupply of panel and lamp, the Taiwanese projector shipment volume saw growth again in the third quarter of 2004, growing 110% year-on-year to 220,000 units. Industry concentration ceased climbing, although the withdrawal of several makers from the industry still gave the two largest makers a combined 88% shipment share.
Despite Sony's resumption of LCD panel supply, some Taiwanese makers have already entered into DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector mass production. This brought models using DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) chips to account for 92% of all Taiwanese projector shipments in the third quarter of 2004. In terms of resolution, SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array) share remained roughly the same as in the second quarter, standing at 49%, while combined share of XGA (Extended Graphics Array) and SXGA (Super Extended Graphics Array) occupied 51% of the third quarter Taiwanese projector shipments.
Shipment volume of lower-priced SVGA models continued to increase in the third quarter of 2004, while sufficient supply of LCD panel, DMD chips, and lamps, brought down key component costs. Due to these factors and the price competition between makers for vendor contracts, the Taiwanese projector industry ASP fell in the third quarter. Shipment value also registered 75% year-on-year growth, although sequential growth was only 6%, reaching US$237 million.
Looking to the fourth quarter, as demand is anticipated to continue rising in the European and US market, Taiwanese makers are likely to receive more contracts than in the third quarter. However, price competition among makers in an effort to secure contracts and limited room for key component price increases should pull ASP downward, also effecting shipment value performance. As for product mix, second-tier makers' growing DLP shipments are expected to further expand DLP projector shipment share in the fourth quarter of 2004.