4K TV Panel Shipments Reached a Monthly Record of 3 Million Units in April 2015, IHS Says

4K LCD TV panel shipments continue to rise, driven by forces on both the supply side and the demand side. Shipments of 4K TV panels in April 2015 exceeded 3 million units for the first time, comprising 14 percent of all TV panels shipped globally during the month, according to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight. Of all TV panels forecast to ship in 2016, one in five is forecast to be a 4K TV panel, sometimes marketed as ultra-high definition (UHD), due to the trend toward higher resolution panels in the high-end TV segment and improved production efficiency of panel makers.

“Prices for 4K TV panels continued to decline in 2014 and early this year, causing a rise in their adoption,” said Linda Lin, senior analyst, IHS Technology. “Most global TV brands have now launched 4K UHD products and are introducing more 4K models to their television offerings.”

When AU Optronics (AUO) introduced the first 55-inch 4K TV panels in Taiwan in 2012, fewer than 100 units were shipped each month. That same year, Innolux introduced the first 50-inch 4K TV panels; however, due to higher manufacturing costs, shipments still totaled fewer than 10,000 units per month. In 2013, panel makers managed to improve their 4K TV panel yield rates, but shipments still made up less than 2 percent of all TV panels shipped, according to recent data from the IHS Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database.

After panel makers instituted aggressive promotions in the Chinese TV market, using 4K resolution of 3840 pixels by 2160 pixels as a point of differentiation in the high-end TV market, 4K TV panel market share reached 8 percent. Red-green-blue-white (RGBW) 4K sub-pixel technology is now widely accepted in the Chinese TV market and has even begun to penetrate the global market.

“While panel makers in Taiwan initially developed and stimulated 4K TV panel production, South Korean panel makers are now leading the 4K TV panel market,” Lin said. “In fact, LG Display and Samsung Display have risen to become the largest global manufacturers of 4K displays.”

The IHS Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Databaseprovides the latest panel shipment numbers from global large-area panel makers. The database includes monthly shipments of all major TFT LCD suppliers, detailing revenues and average selling prices, as well as shipments by unit, display area, application, size and aspect ratio for each supplier. For information about purchasing this report, contact the sales department at IHS in the Americas at (844) 301-7334 or AmericasLeads@ihs.com; in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at +44 1344 328 300 or technology_emea@ihs.com; or Asia-Pacific (APAC) at +604 291 3600 or technology_APAC@ihs.com.

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IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of insight, analytics and expertise in critical areas that shape today’s business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 150 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs about 8,800 people in 32 countries around the world.