Panel merchants and color TV companies to reconstruct the Chinese version of the new LCD

So far, the relevant state departments have approved Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou 3 8.5 generation and Kunshan, Suzhou, two 7.5 generations of high generation LCD panel production line construction, the industry is concerned that in 2012 China mainland LCD TV panel production capacity will be a slight surplus. In this context, LCD panel suppliers such as Samsung Electronics, LGD, Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, and BOE, as well as manufacturers of color TV sets such as Hisense, Konka, Skyworth, Changhong, Haier, TCL, etc., are continuously collaborating with each other. , quietly build a new map of China's LCD industry.

Speaking from anxious Samsung

There are two landmark events in the near future that make Samsung LCD panel division difficult to accept. Samsung’s main competitor, LGD, resumed its six-year cooperation with Sony, the world’s third-largest LCD TV supplier.

Samsung Electronics and Sony have a co-financed LCD panel production line. Samsung Electronics is Sony's most important LCD panel supplier. Sony and LGD once again work together to have a little impact on the Samsung LCD panel business.

In another incident, Hon Hai Group, which reorganized Chi Mei Optoelectronics, has invested more than US$1.2 billion in the display business of Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. to increase its competitiveness in the area of ​​small and medium size LCD panels.

Hon Hai Group's actions have been demonstrated in Apple's 2011 LCD panel purchase orders. In addition to LGD and Samsung Electronics, CMO has obtained orders for 15 million LCD panels for Apple iPads for the first time.

According to the estimates of DisplaySearch, global LCD TV shipments are expected to reach 190 million units in 2010, an increase of 31% year-on-year; but due to the slowdown in EU and Japan market growth in 2011, the North American market is unlikely to improve, and global LCD TVs The growth rate of shipments will slow to 13%.

Although the global LCD panel demand growth may slow down, Samsung Electronics still increased its capacity utilization rate from 95% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 100% in the first quarter of this year to cope with competition. Samsung Electronics' LCD panel division estimates that TV LCD panel shipments in the first quarter of 2011 will increase by 17% from the same period of 2010.

It is estimated that this year, LGD is expected to take the lead in the global television LCD panel market with 55 million shipments. Samsung Electronics shipped about 50 million LCD panels for TVs in 2011, which is lower than its compatriot brother LGD.

In addition, global LCD TV shipments in 2011 are expected to reach 215 million units, of which China will exceed 100 million units, accounting for half of global shipments.

It is estimated that in the LCD TV panel market in mainland China, Chi Mei Optoelectronics and AU Optronics will continue to maintain a market share of more than 50% in 2011, and LGD has broadly aligned China's color TV manufacturers with polarized 3D technology. The market share may exceed 25%, Samsung Electronics market share is only about 16%.

In this context, Samsung Electronics has accelerated its investment in mainland China. In November 2010, after Samsung Electronics established a 7.5-generation line in Suzhou, it strives to achieve mass production in June 2011. But at this time, the competitive landscape of LCD panels in China has undergone major changes.

"The whole machine - panel" system appears

Shenzhen Huaxing Optoelectronics' leading 8.5-generation line main plant will be capped ahead of schedule, which will accelerate the change in the global competitive position of major LCD panel suppliers in the Chinese mainland market.

At present, the supplier relationship between TCL and Samsung Electronics will change due to the mass production of Huaxing Optoelectronics - Samsung Electronics will lose a solid partner. By then, TCL will likely become the first company in mainland China to fully manufacture its own LCD panels, LCD modules, and LCD TVs.

In the Chinese mainland LCD layout, TCL-Huaxing Optoelectronics has developed its own system. After all, according to the shipment of LCD TVs, TCL is the largest LCD TV shipment in mainland China. It can digest the production capacity of Huaxing Optoelectronics.

Konka has about 5 million LCD TV shipments in 2010 and is expected to exceed 6 million units in 2011. Although the vice president of Konka Group Ling Geike interviewed by a reporter from China Electronics News, CMO, AU Optronics, Samsung Electronics, and LGD are all suppliers of LCD panels, but he did not hide the fact that CMO is the largest One, and the changes that may occur in the future.

According to the strategic layout of Konka's LCD module in Kunshan, Jiangsu, it will be AU Optronics that will provide more LCD panels in the future, and Konka and AU Optronics in Kunshan will not be able to become partners.

Peng Shuanglang, executive vice president and general manager of AU Optronics, confirmed to the reporter that the company has wholly owned Longfei Optoelectronics and established a 7.5-generation line in Kunshan.

In order to increase its share in the Chinese mainland market, AU Optronics has also established a liquid crystal module production line in cooperation with Changhong. In addition, AU Optronics has also maintained close cooperation with Haier, and even once heard AUO and Haier jointly built LCD panel production lines.

Since then, the AUO-Konka-Changhong-Haier system has also taken shape.

LGD's tentacles extend to Guangzhou in China, and Skyworth holds the 8.5th generation of LGD's Guangzhou Science City. People can find the shadow of LG in the new LCD TV products released by Skyworth in the past two years. Compared to AUO, LGD- Skyworth seems to be more stable.

In addition, Sharp and Zhongdian Panda have established a 6th generation LCD panel production line in Nanjing, and both parties are planning a 10th generation line. Sharp's share of the global LCD panel, though less than 5%, but through the cooperation with the Chinese Power Panda, backed by the support of China Electronics, the formation of the Sharp - Chinese Panda - TPV - Great Wall system, the market outlook is quite promising.

In addition, the 8.5th generation of BOE plans to mass-produce in 2011, has begun to discuss cooperation with Lenovo in Beijing, and put the hydrangea to Hisense, Changhong, TPV and other enterprises.

Is it the edge or the wall?

Although the market share of Chi Mei Optoelectronics in mainland China reached 34% in 2010, thanks to the quick shuttle bus service to the countryside, but in this round of high-generation LCD panel line layout, Chi Mei Optoelectronics seems to be marginalized. .

When Samsung Electronics, AU Optronics, and LGD 3 companies have or will soon establish high-generation LCD panel production lines in mainland China, Chi Mei Electronics is indecisive. Although the reorganization of Hon Hai Group has improved the position of Chi Mei Optoelectronics in the global competition landscape – surpassing AUO’s potential as the third largest in the world, it may not be a pity that it does not form a “machine-panel” system with mainland color TV companies. .

Throughout the six mainland color TV companies, TCL, Konka, Skyworth, Changhong, Haier have five companies rely on, Chi Mei electronic companies can only cooperate with Hisense.

However, Liu Weidong, deputy general manager of Qingdao Hisense Electric Co., Ltd., said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that Hisense will adhere to the diversified mode of LCD panel sources. This is equivalent to extinguishing the hope of "marriage" between CMO and Hisense.

In fact, CMO has once placed its hope on Changhong. At the end of last year, it was reported that Hon Hai Group had invested heavily in Chengdu to establish a high-generation LCD panel production line. However, the National Development and Reform Commission issued only 5 permits to the enterprises, and Chi Mei's “love” once again bathed.

Hisense, which is dissociated from the “machine-panel” system, is more relaxed than Chi Mei’s. Hisense LCD has become the sales champion of the LCD TV market in mainland China for many years. It does not seem to worry about the stability of LCD panel supply.

However, experts pointed out that when the global LCD panel industry is torn into pieces in the market and technology, such as Hisense whole machine business is difficult to come and go.

For example, 3D liquid crystal panels are technically divided into polarizers represented by AU Optronics, LGD, and shutters represented by Samsung Electronics, etc. The LED backlight LCD panel is technically divided into a direct type and an edge type. If Hisense cooperates with them, it may cause technical confusion in the end product.

In the face of Hisense's choice and Chi Mei's loneliness, the two may eventually join forces. In the past, when Hisense established the first LCD module production line of a color TV company, it was Chi Mei Electronics that provided support behind it.