Display Driver IC sales in 2010 increased, but there are long-term worries

According to iSuppli Corporation, 2010, the global display driver IC (DDIC) will reach double-digit sales growth and reverse the decline in the previous two years the situation, but the industry's long-term prospects will remain gloomy due to technical development.
Display Driver IC sales are expected this year to 65 billion dollars, 5.7 billion in 2009 increased by 14%, ending a two-year decline. Shipments will be a corresponding increase in shipments is expected to reach the end of 9.8 billion, almost 8.2 billion last year, an increase of 18%. In short, these two display driver IC data indicates very depressed in 2009 after following a strong rebound last year, shrinking the industry sales rose nearly 15%.
However, this year the industry may reach the culmination of the coming period, especially in the next four consecutive decline in annual sales. 2014, display driver IC sales are expected to 4.7 billion, almost one-third less than in 2010, five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of negative 3.8%.
For the liquid crystal display driver IC, OLED and plasma technology to provide voltage or current pixel array drive signals for display or panel using a variety of products. The most widely used areas of the large panel products, such as LCD TV, LCD monitors and notebook computers. Display Driver IC is also used for small and medium sized panel products, such as mobile phones, portable navigation devices, portable media players, e-book readers and the media tablet PCs, such as Apple's iPad.
iSuppli's semiconductor research showed that although the application of a large panel display driver IC consumption accounted for the majority, and the growth of the LCD panel shipments will not be a problem, but this may not be able to ensure the stability of the display driver IC industry expansion.
To a large extent, the panel using cost-effective and more energy-efficient technology, will weaken the display driver IC unit shipment growth. Substrate above the LCD panel will integrate more complex semiconductor features, no longer need some external discrete gate driver chips, each panel also significantly reduce the required number of column driver IC. With the decrease in the number of chips required, the display driver IC industry's core - a large panel LCD market growth rate of IC unit shipments will decrease.
With the approaching end of the year, LCD TV and notebook panel inventory is high, will further reduce the display driver IC industry growth rate. U.S. consumer confidence in the doldrums, trade in Europe is still facing uncertainty, leading to rising inventories. In addition, the 2010 holiday season worrying orders, and the beginning of the third quarter of the EU to reduce TV and monitor orders, prompting manufacturers to reduce production of large LCD display panel, will in turn affect the display driver IC orders.
iSuppli predicts decline in the third quarter, the next two quarters display driver IC shipments will decline up to 8% by the end of the first half of less than 12% of sales.
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