DisplaySearch report projects LCD monitors to overtake CRT monitors in 2004

OCTOBER 23--DisplaySearch (Austin, TX;www.displaysearch.com) has released its 2002 LCD Monitor Strategy Report, which gives detailed information on the desktop monitor industry, including actual LCD monitor, CRT monitor, LCD PC, TFT LCD module, and controller IC shipments, revenues, prices, and supplier market share from 1998 to 2001 and forecasts for all these market segments through 2006. The report also profiles major LCD monitor, TFT LCD monitor module, and controller IC suppliers, revealing details on their operations, including product specifications, roadmaps, shipments, revenues, and supplier/customer relationships.

The report indicates that LCD monitors are expected to grow at a 49% CAGR from 2001 to 2006, reaching 113 million units and an 82% share of the desktop-monitor market. LCD monitors are expected to overtake CRT monitors on a revenue basis in 2002, on a unit basis in 2004, outselling them more than five to one in 2006. Conversely, CRT monitors are expected to decline at a 24% CAGR per year to 22 million units and a 16% share.

Enabling this growth are significantly lower prices derived from nearly $40 billion in TFT LCD capital spending from 2000 to 2005, resulting in nearly 400% growth in TFT LCD capacity from 2001 to 2006. Also contributing to lower panel prices are the productivity benefits of fifth-generation fabs, which are optimized for 17-in. and larger panel production, resulting in significantly lower display costs at larger sizes.

The average panel price per diagonal inch is expected to decline nearly 40% from $19 in 2001 to $11 in 2006. Blended LCD monitor prices are expected to fall at 13% per year with 19" LCD monitor prices expected to decline the fastest at 30% per year. As a result, the weighted average price difference between LCD and CRT monitors is expected to fall by 62%.