In the global professional flat panel display market, the pure pro display sector experienced quarter-on-quarter growth of close to 6% in Q3, with year-on-year growth of nearly 29% and volume sales of 454,000 units, says research from Futuresource Consulting.
Q3 has been a relatively slow period for super-narrow bezel products, with growth of less than 1% quarter-on-quarter. The 46" to 49" higher brightness segment has suffered the most, with a drop in sales of 21% (though this has been offset by the growth of higher value, larger screen sizes, such as 55" and 60" models).
The transition from CCFL backlighting to LED continues as the number of pro displays sold with LED backlighting doubled quarter-on-quarter, to reach more than 15,000. The lower energy consumption and thinner form factor drive this technology as end users look for savings.
The market for screen sizes over 45" continues to grow, with 10% quarter-on-quarter growth, and more than 50% year-on-year. As the prices for these larger displays continue to fall, the demand will continue to increase. Aggressive pricing, says Futuresource Consulting, citing the recently announced Sharp 80" interactive LCD display for under US$6000 as an example, will continue to drive the larger screen size segment and subsequently put pressure on the current pricing structure of smaller sizes.