By Phil LoPiccolo, Editor-in-Chief

The growing consumer appetite for large-area flat-panel displays (FPDs) — particularly for TVs, but also for notebook computers and PC monitors — presents enormous opportunities for FPD makers. But to meet demand they must first overcome some major technological and manufacturing hurdles, according to Jyh Chau Wang, VP of Taiwanese LCD supplier Chi Mei Optoelectronics, speaking at the recent Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) at Half Moon Bay, CA.

The FPD market will skyrocket over the next five years, with large-area FPD unit shipments averaging an estimated 18% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2005 through 2010…