Santa Clara, Calif., January 19, 2012With the increasing
use of tablet PCs and smart phones to view and share video, wide
viewing angle performance is becoming a requirement in TFT LCDs.
Two of the most common technologies for achieving wide viewing
angle performance in TFT LCDs are IPS (in-plane switching) and FFS
(fringe-field switching). According to the NPD DisplaySearch
Quarterly Wide Viewing Angle Technology Shipment and Forecast
Database, the penetration of IPS/FFS LCD panels in the
mobile PC market (including notebook, tablet, and mini-note PCs) is
increasing and expected to reach 20% penetration in 2014, up from
11% in 2011.
In the LCD TV market, wide viewing angle performance has always
been a key feature; penetration of IPS/FFS LCD panels reached 31%
in 2011. In the monitor market, IPS/FFS LCD panels have
traditionally been used in special applications such as medical
equipment; in 2011, the penetration of IPS/FFS in monitors was 7%.
However, DisplaySearch forecasts that figure will increase to 25%
by 2015, due to plans by LG Display, the leader in IPS panel
manufacturing, to make IPS the standard in desktop monitor
panels.
In the small/medium panel market, IPS/FFS LCD panels have
increasingly been applied to smart phones, digital still cameras,
automotive monitors, camcorders, and tablet PCs, as these
applications require high picture quality to display pictures and
video. Therefore, DisplaySearch expects IPS/FFS penetration to
continue increasing in these applications.
Figure 1: TFT LCD Panel Shipments (Area-Basis) by LCD Mode
and IPS/FFS Penetration
Source: NPD DisplaySearch
Quarterly Wide Viewing Angle Technology Shipment and Forecast
Database;
Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report
LG Display is the leading supplier of wide viewing angle LCDs,
shipping over 80% of IPS/FFS panels 9.1 and larger by area,
followed by Panasonic LCD. While TV accounts for most IPS/FFS area
shipments, LG Display is planning to shift its monitor panels to
its AH-IPS technology over the next few years. Following the lead
of LG Display, Samsung and several Taiwanese manufacturers also
intend to take IPS LCD monitor panels to the market, while BOE will
introduce FFS LCD panels for monitors. In 2011, BOE started
shipping 32 FFS panels for TV; IPS/FFS penetration into the TV
market will continue to increase.
In small/medium, LG Display has also been the leading producer
of IPS/FFS panels, with nearly 25% share of 9.0 and smaller panels
shipped on a unit basis. However, Hitachi, Sony, and Toshiba each
have significant market share, and when they combine into Japan
Display this year, will become the largest supplier of small/medium
IPS/FFS panels.
IPS LCD panels were originally produced by LG Display and
Panasonic LCD at their Gen 6 and larger fabs, primarily for
TV. In response to increasing demand for wide viewing angle tablet
PC panels, IPS/FFS panels are now being produced at Gen 6 to
Gen 8 fabs, for example, by LG Display and Sharp. Panasonic
LCD is expected to sell its Gen 6 fab to Japan Display,
potentially shifting IPS/FFS capacity from large-area to
small/medium panels.
Increased demand for LCDs with expanded viewing angles brings
increased options and applications ranging from LCDs in notebook
PCs, monitors, and TVs. The DisplaySearch
Quarterly Wide Viewing Angle Technology Shipment and Forecast
Database tracks current and forecasted wide viewing
technology trends, volumes and demand. This report covers all four
types of view angle technologiesTN, TN+WVF (Wide View Film),
IPS/FFS and VA,and covers all panel makers, all sizes and all
applications.
For more information on this report, please contact Charles
Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, or
contact@displaysearch.com or contact your
regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or
Taiwan.
