Dealer Data: Plasma Shipments Up, But Growth Slowing

Thought it may seem against the grain of the holiday build-up for flat panel TV, DisplaySearch recently reported in its Quarterly PDP Module and TV Shipment and Forecast Report that plasma panel shipments rose 17 percent Q/Q and 47 percent Y/Y in Q3’06, achiveing a record 2.8 million units. Plasma panel revenues also rose, improving 10 percent Q/Q and 29 pecent Y/Y to $2.02 billion. But just as in the LCD category, panel average selling prices were down 6 percent Q/Q and 12 percent Y/Y.

Even so, Display Search is reporting slower growth in the category, slower than any other quarter to date with Y/Y growth over the past 12 quarters ranging between 73 percent and 170 percent. And the research firm expects slower growth in Q4’06, “Slower capacity growth of just 46 percent in 2006 compared with 92 percent in 2004 and 66 percent in 2005.”

The report also found: