September 17, 2007 – AU Optronics shipped 7.6 million thin-film transistor/flat-panel displays (TFT-LCD) in August, exceeding SEC and LPL to become the first Taiwanese firm to unseat Korean suppliers, according to data from DisplaySearch.

Total shipments of large-area (>10in diagonal) TFT-LCDs topped 36.8 million units in August, up 6% from July and 38% from a year ago. Market share was about evenly split among the top three firms, each with around 20%, but AU Optronics appears to have squeaked out in front of Samsung Electronics (SEC) and LPL, the LCD JV between LG and Philips.

Demand remained strong across all segments, according to the analyst firm. Shipments of TV panels rose 10% M-M and 57% Y-Y, with the top three suppliers accounting for 64% of shipments (top four were 81%). Chi Mei Optoelectronics edged out Samsung for the No. 3 spot in this segment for the first time, by about a point of marketshare. DisplaySearch noted that 40-in. and larger panels made up 29% of shipments for the top four firms, so the value of shipments likely outpaced actual units.

PC monitor panel shipments rose 8% M-M and 29% Y-Y to 17.4M units, led by AUO (including output of Quanta Display before their ~$2B merger earlier this year). The top three suppliers accounted for half of all monitor panel shipments during the month, with their 20-in. and larger panels making up about a fourth of the market.

Still-strong demand after the prime back-to-school period supported growth in shipments of notebook PC panels, which inched up 2% vs. July but soared 46% vs. August 2006 to 10.5M units. The top three suppliers took 79% share in this segment, down two points from July, with No.1 SEC followed closely by LG Philips LCD.

Top large-area TFT LCD shipments, August 2007

Supplier……………Units (est.)…..M/M growth……….Y/Y growth……….Market share

AUO………………………………….7.6M………………..10%………………..52%………………..20.6%
SEC………………………………….7.4M…………………3%………………..45%………………..20.0%
LPL…………………………………..7.3M…………………8%………………..42%………………..20.0%
Top 3………………………………22.2M…………………7%………………..46%………………..60.5%
TOTAL SUPPLIERS……….36.8M………………..6%………………..38%………………..100.0%

Source: DisplaySearch

Large-area TFT-LCD shipments by application
(Shipments in millions, est.)

Factor…………………Notebook………..Monitor………………TV……………All Large

No.1 Supplier…………SEC………………..AUO………………..AUO……………AUO
No.2 Supplier…………LPL………………..SEC………………….LPL…………….SEC
No.3 Supplier………..AUO………………..LPL………………..CMO……………..LPL
Top 3 Share…………79.2%……………49.9%……………..64.3%…………60.5%
TOTAL UNITS………10.5M……………17.4M………………7.9M…………..36.6M
Growth M/M……………..2%………………..8%………………..10%……………….6%
Growth Y/Y……………..46%………………..29%……………….57%……………38%

Source: DisplaySearch