The Display Industry News Roundup for 8.20.2012

Image via Xbit Laboratories

Hon Hai raises the stakes, wants 20 percent ownership of Sharp "Sharp has already given up half of its 93 percent stake in its display division to Hon Hai, and losing an additional 10 percent of overall ownership will hurt the company even further as screens for Apple's next iPhone begin to ship. " via The Verge

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BenQ sees 2Q12 Japan market share of 12% for gaming LCD monitors "Chang said BenQ has been looking for niche markets to bump up its profits and that it held 70% of the 24-inch and above-sized market in Japan where such products only make up 30% of the gaming market." via DigiTimes

BOE to construct additional 8.5G production line in China "The announcement has left Taiwan-based panel makers such as Chimei Innolux (CMI) and AU Optronics (AUO) worrying that the ramifications of increased panel production in China will result in greater competition, cheaper panel prices and reduced profits, added the sources." via DigiTimes

Tech manufacturing returning, U.S. group says "Survey results showed that OEMs were largely responsible for operations returning to North America from overseas since 2009, accounting for more than 90 percent of the value and number of jobs brought back. The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry accounts for the largest share of overseas operations that participating companies plan to bring back to North America in the next three years." via EE Times

Foxconn Plans to Build $10 Billion Manufacturing Facilities in Indonesia - Report. "Earlier this year Foxconn acquired a stake in Sharp and gained partial control of one of the world's leading LCD manufacturing facilities. As a result, Foxconn secured supply of liquid crystal displays used in mobile phones, personal computers, tablets, TVs and other popular devices. " via Xbit Laboratories

LG Display's tablet panel sales double in Q2 " LG Display Co., the world's No. 2 maker of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, saw its sales of tablet panels more than double in the second quarter from three months earlier thanks to shipments for Apple Inc.'s iPads, a report showed Thursday." via Yonhap News Agency

Micromax Pixel A90 "The Pixel A90 is an Indian-bound dual-SIM Android (v4) smartphone with a 4.3" 800x480 Super AMOLED display." via OLED-Info

Large-Area LCD Panel Prices Remain Unchanged "Demand for large-area panels will be weak in the fourth quarter but this is unlikely to affect prices." via DisplaySearch

An Introduction To Display Panel Coating "One thing which many buyers will be unaware of is that all LCD displays are supplied with a protective filter layer on the front of the panel itself. This coating is used to protect the panel from damage, filter and diffuse the light output and in many cases reduce glare from other light sources in your workspace. What is also tricky to understand is that different panels can have different types of coating, varying considerably by panel technology and manufacturers. This article is designed to help highlight some of those differences so that readers can make an informed decision about their next monitor purchase." via TFT Central

Touch Panels and Advanced Technologies Drive Smart Phone Display Demand "Active matrix OLED (AMOLED) displays are using on-cell touch, while TFT LCD makers are focusing on in-cell touch technology for high-resolution LTPS. Currently, the top two global smart phone brands—Apple and Samsung—are leading the adoption of these approaches." via DisplaySearch

Panel Makers’ Plans for Oxide TFT "By 2015, oxide TFT will account for 10% of the global TFT/AMOLED capacity." via DisplaySearch

Philips to Showcase New Displays at IFA 2012 "If you’re visiting IFA in Berlin this year from 31 August to 5 September, be sure not to miss the Philips stand, where MMD will be unveiling brand-new monitors by Philips." via TFT Central

Revising our Composite CAGR Chart for the Digital Signage Market "But so far, it looks like 2011 was a fairly good year for the digital signage industry. However, if the projections from all four of the featured research companies are to be believed, 2012 should be quite a bit better, and it should be pretty smooth sailing for the next few years, barring another macroeconomic catastrophe." via The Digital Signage Insider

Robot provides virtual medical care "iRobot and InTouch Health have partnered to create the Remote Presence Virtual+Independent Telemedicine Assistant (RP-VITA) through which a doctor in a remote location can conduct patient care as if he or she is in the room. ...The robot stands five feet four inches in height, has a battery life of about four to five hours, and allows a doctor to communicate with patients through a video screen at the top of the robot. A smaller screen below the live-interaction interface provides information to the patient about the doctor administering care." via EE Times

Apple's iPad mini display to have ITO film coating "According to AppleInsider, ITO is a super thin and lightweight coating that isan electrically conductive transparent substance that acts as an EMI shield and helps reduce radio interference. ITO is a solid solution that possesses great conductivity and transparency properties. It is often used as a coating for flat panel and plasma displays." via Computerworld

2012 Flex: Flexible Electronics and Displays Conference and Exhibition "Over 100 presentations on the latest flexible, printed electronics and displays technology and market information plus inspiring keynotes are captured in the conference proceedings. Presentations span many topics from R&D to manufacturing to applications in communication, energy, lighting and medical/healthcare." via Research and Markets

LCD Touch Panel Monitor remotely checks alarm probes "Compatible with the MCG 1090 and MCG 1095 Level Alarm Probes, the MCG 7030 offers the end user complete remote checking of the alarm probes at their fingertips. With a number of significant improvements over its predecessor, the MCG 7000, the MCG 7030 features a user-friendly touch screen LCD panel. Interfaced with multiple tanks, the MCG 7030 offers the end user information on probe status, event history, test history, field status and tank details." via ThomasNet

Futuresource Consulting Reports Global Video Wall Market On Track for 60 Percent Growth In 2012 "...said Parmjit Bhangal, market analyst, Futuresource Consulting. "Since 2009, LED backlight solutions have been integrated into rear projection displays, negating the costs of bulb replacement and maintenance. However, LCD super narrow bezel displays - SNBs - have been the real game-changer, finally offering a viable alternative to rear projection devices and plasma screens, allowing vendors to drive new revenue streams from new markets, most notably retail and public display, as well as defending their positions in video-based verticals." via Digital Signage Connection

Samsung: A Deep Dive Into The Conglomerate's Many Divisions "Samsung's LCD display panel business contributes only about 8% to the company's value, despite having the second-largest market share (~23%) in the market, as of 2011. The company's display business has been the worst affected by the ongoing European debt crisis - which saw demand for TVs decline." via Seeking Alpha

Flying friendly skies with Universal Avionics "DeHerrera said using high definition displays, high resolution display glass and faster processors that run cooler, Universal Avionics is able to present a pilot with a view of the world, including runways, that he might not even be able to see outside his windscreen. “If the pilot were flying down a canyon, we can show him what it looks like in real time with this system,” DeHerrera said. “And with our Enhanced Vision System (EVS), which uses infrared technology, we can even show the pilot if a deer is running across the runway.”" via Inside Tucson Business

Applied Materials sees revenue drop, reviews businesses "But Applied Materials is also struggling to sell equipment to manufacturers in the sluggish television and solar panel industries. "We all understand the industry is under pressure. Their outlook is worse because of not only the chip environment but their display and solar businesses," said Patrick Ho, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus." via CNBC

Solar Panels: Let's Lose This Competition "I remember that in the 1990s, Smart People like Lester Thurow told us that America's economic fate hinged on who "won" the flat panel display industry. Really? How's that looking now? And what is so wonderful about "winning" the competition to produce products that will inevitably become commoditized-as flat panels did?" via Seeking Alpha