In the professional flat panel display sector, the pure pro display market 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, according to new research from Futuresource Consulting. Combining pro displays with consumer displays sold into the professional market, the combined market grew by nearly 7% quarter-on-quarter in Q3 and 25% year-on-year.
After a difficult Q2 for the Japanese market – when professional display sales fell 55% – the country began its recovery in Q3, posting sales of 26,000 units, equivalent to quarter-on-quarter growth of 68%. It was also a strong quarter for Japanese vendors, who all experienced good growth in their professional display line-ups, ahead of the market curve.
China continues to lead the market for professional display, with the transport sector in particular driving growth. Domestic players still dominate the competitive landscape, though international brands are beginning to enjoy some traction after a long period of investment.
Selected Q3 highlights from the Futuresource report include:
- 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 fall 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 apace, as the number of professional displays sold with LED backlighting doubled quarter-on-quarter, to reach more than 15,000. The lower energy consumption and thinner form factor are key drivers for this technology as end users look for savings where they can.
- 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 – such as the recently announced Sharp 80″ interactive LCD display for under US$6,000 – will continue to drive the larger screen size segment and subsequently put pressure on the current pricing structure of smaller sizes.
