Price of LCD TVs expected to fall

LCD TVs with 46- and 52-inch screens are expected to drop in price now a large new manufacturing plant in Asan city, South Korea, has started producing the flat-panel screens in large volumes.

The plant manufactures sheets of LCD ‘motherglass’, from which eight 46-inch or six 52-inch panels can be cut.

Previously a manufacturer could cut only eight 40-inch panels or six 46-inch panels from a single piece of motherglass.

The new plant, with ‘eighth-generation production lines’, is a joint venture between Samsung and Sony.

The new process will allow the two companies to cut the cost of their sets, and rival companies could be forced to reduce prices as well, in order to remain competitive.

At IFA 2007, Sharp announced plans for a tenth-generation LCD factory. The company will start building the plant at Sakai near Osaka in Japan in November with construction scheduled for completion by March 2010.

The 10th generation plant will manufacture motherglass measuring 8.7 square metres, from which six 65-inch or eight 57-inch LCD panels or 15 panels measuring 42-inches can be manufactured.

At full production, the 10th generation plant will be able to manufacture one million 32-inch panels per month.