DisplaySearch

Two prominent research firms have released new data this week that shows the widening impact on components and materials owing to the earthquake that struck Japan on March 11.

Analysts at DisplaySearch published an update on the shortage of materials affecting the flat panel display (FPD) industry, while market researcher IHS iSuppli cited the impact on silicon wafer production in a research note. Sony and Toshiba are also offering updates on production facilities that have been affected.

"In the second week after the Japan earthquake, some additional impacts to the FPD supply chain are beginning to emerge," DisplaySearch … Read more

The supply chain for thin-film transistor LCDs made in Japan hasn't been majorly affected by last week's earthquake and tsunami, according to recent inventory checks by the research firm DisplaySearch.

DisplaySearch said today that the biggest impact it sees from the earthquake on TFT liquid crystal displays--which are used in a wide range of devices, including televisions, monitors, and smartphones--is the possibility of the disaster to "undermine consumer and business confidence."

That psychological impact is already being witnessed in other markets. According to IHS iSuppli, fear of undersupply in the industry following the earthquake has pushed … Read more

Plasma televisions aren't dead yet.

During the fourth quarter of 2010, worldwide plasma panel shipments were up 9 percent year-over-year, hitting a record high of 5.2 million units, DisplaySearch unveiled today in a study of the global TV market. During the period, plasma makers, including Panasonic, Samsung SDI, and LG Electronics, operated at full capacity and weren't able to keep up with demand, the research firm reported. All told, 19.1 million plasma panels shipped in 2010.

The resurgence of plasma has been somewhat surprising. Back in 2008, some wondered if the plasma business was finished after … Read more

If the iPad is considered a mobile PC, then Apple is now the top mobile PC vendor in the U.S. and the third largest in the world thanks to its popular tablet, according to data released yesterday by DisplaySearch.

Over the third quarter, Apple was able to grab a 12.4 share of mobile PC shipments around the world, with the iPad accounting for two-thirds (8 percent) of those devices, according to the new "DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report."

Of course, some may disagree with DisplaySearch calling the iPad a mobile PC and lumping … Read more

AT&T's move to jettison its unlimited mobile data plan and charge more for heavier use puts a roadblock in the plans of media providers trying to push Internet TV, according to a report released Tuesday by iSuppli.

Faced with more people grabbing more data, AT&T recently switched to a tiered pricing plan in hopes of limiting the strain on its 3G networks from devices like the iPhone and iPad. And Verizon is likely to follow suit.

But those caps pose the question of how providers will satisfy the growing demand for streaming media without the … Read more

The iPad is starting to grab market share from Netbooks, a trend that may not bode well for these small laptops, according to a report from DisplaySearch on Tuesday.

"It appears that the momentum is shifting from mini-note PCs to slates," market researcher DisplaySearch said in a note. Netbooks are small, lightweight laptops, typically powered by an Intel Atom processor. Netbooks are also referred to as "mini-notes."

In the first quarter of this year, Apple shipped almost 700,000 iPads into the channel, accounting for 6.5 percent of all mini-note PCs/slates and in the first two months of the second quarter Apple sold more than 2 million iPads, DisplaySearch said.

"DisplaySearch expects that the iPad will continue to account for an increased share of the mini-note PC/slate segment in Q2'10. In the second half of the year, as additional slates are launched, the clamshell-style mini-note PC (netbook) could continue to lose share," according to the firm.

While DisplaySearch said that the low price of Netbooks have made them an attractive alternative to standard laptops, the iPad and other tablets should continue to make inroads into this market segment that has been based on more traditional office suite applications.

"With the emergence of the iPad and other slates, this segment of the market is transitioning from devices that, though smaller and less expensive, followed typical PC market trends that are built upon Office suite applications and content creation to devices that provide the ability to create content (and) is more focused on an a la carte method for selecting the software capabilities (apps) of the device and… Read more

In a trend kick-started by the Apple iPad, more than 46 million media tablets are expected to ship in 2014, according to the new "Worldwide and U.S. Media Tablet 2010-2014 Forecast" released by IDC on Thursday.

Up substantially from the 7.6 million tablets likely to ship this year, that forecast points to a compound annual growth rate of 57.4 percent. Of course, that includes not just the iPad but other tablets following its lead and competing in the marketplace, including the new Archos 7 Home Tablet, a tablet from the likes of Intel, and a … Read more

Yet another consumer electronics segment is bouncing back from the recession--demand for LCD TVs is showing new signs of life.

Third-quarter shipments of LCD TVs rose for the first time in a year, according to DisplaySearch's "Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report," released Wednesday. That upward motion suggests that TV sales for the first quarter of 2010 could surpass those of the first quarter of 2009, the first gain in six quarters.

Total TV shipments will climb 6 percent in 2010 to reach 218 million units, versus 205 million for 2009, according to DisplaySearch's forecast. … Read more

It's been a hot year for Netbooks, but not so much for the rest of the portable PC market.

Netbook sales are likely to hit $11.4 billion this year, a 72 percent rise from last year, thanks to a 103 percent leap in shipments, according to a new report from DisplaySearch. But notebook revenue overall will be down around 7 percent from last year.

The latest DisplaySearch Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report, released Tuesday, found that the surge in Netbook (mini-notebook) sales was not enough to offset declines for ultra-portables and larger laptops. Aside from Netbooks, … Read more