After the declines in 2012 and flat growth in 2013, NPD DisplaySearch says that the large-screen public FPD market is rebounding this year. 14% growth is forecast in 2014, followed by 27% in 2015, as global economies slowly recover.
Strong LCD display growth will offset the rapid decline of commercial plasma display (PDP) production, said DisplaySearch’s Ken Park. To stay in business, traditional PDP vendors have either shifted to LCD production or contracted with other companies to make and sell LCD displays.
Within the large FPD market, interactive whiteboards are expanding due to rising government investments, for education. Growth of these products is predicted to be 50%, with shipments reaching 650,000 units next year. Government-funded education projects in China and Turkey will be the largest drivers, but a new tender is also expected in Japan.
Monitor and notebook PC shipments exceeded expectations this year, beginning in Q2. The ongoing PC refresh cycle and Windows XP replacements were largely the cause of this. “The business PC market has lately been outperforming the consumer market”, said Park. “If this trend continues as forecast, we can expect to see a positive effect on the digital signage market”.
Other factors also contributed or are contributing to the rising public display market. These include: the introduction of ultra-narrow bezel units from Samsung and LG Display this year, eroding the price premium of these units; and the expansion of low-cost entry-level signage in 2015.
