The increasing dominance of LCDs is limiting opportunities for emerging technologies in the display industry, according to market researcher iSuppli.
Speaking at the Society for Information Display (SID) 2006 event in San Francisco, Paul Semenza, v-p for displays at iSuppli said the pervasive nature of TFT-LCD technology is unstoppable despite the emergence of newer technologies such as organic LEDs.
“We simply don't see anything on the horizon that will challenge the LCD," Semenza said. "The gestation period for new display technologies is measured in decades, not years, so the LCD's dominance will continue for some time."
The firm’s research predicts LCDs will represent two thirds of the global LCD market by 2007, up from half in 2003.
"The long-term trend is clear: LCD is the only display technology that spans from the largest 100-inch displays for televisions to the smallest screens on mobile phones," said Semenza. "With the vast economy of scale and investments in LCD manufacturing, it's creating a difficult environment for other display technologies."
Television will boost prospects for LCD panel makers more than the PC because TVs use larger displays and ship in higher volumes than computers. Televisions will use nearly 80 million square metres of LCD panels in 2010, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39 per cent from more than 30 million in 2006.
By 2009, LCDs will surpass CRTs as the dominant type of display used in television, Semenza predicted.
The most lucrative opportunity for innovation in displays resides in providing components and materials that improve the operation of LCDs, said Semenza. LEDs, OLEDs, lasers and other emerging technologies can provide a superior alternative to conventional cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) used for LCD backlighting.
Other innovations, such as new films and filters, emissive materials-or any technology that improves efficiency or cuts costs-will find strong market acceptance, Semenza said.
www.isuppli.com