High Brightness Displays Show Promising Future
High brightness displays are enjoying a resurgence – one of the few positives to come from the pandemic. With public gatherings resigned to the outdoors, the demand for high-quality signage that can be appreciated in bright natural light was naturally on the up. Research from Futuresource Consulting’s Flat Panels Tracker found that high-brightness displays have experienced a 3% YoY increase in terms of unit shipment. But inevitably, the value fell by 8% as the technology became cheaper.
Key definition – High brightness displays are defined as any display over 1000cd/m2 (excluding Video Wall) that is designed for semi-bright environments, like shop windows, or true outdoor applications.
Wider Industry Stagnation
The surge of high brightness comes amid a wider industry inertia. The worldwide flat panel market volume growth held steady through Q2 CY2022 at +3% YoY, but the unavoidable truth remains that the market is continuing an overall pattern of stagnation. At 1.74m units, the market felt a reduction in volume from Q1 CY2022 of 1.78m. Naturally, the market is reflecting the uncertainty of the global macro-economic picture. Worldwide instability, quite understandably, is causing concern among vendors. But the issue of component shortages is industry specific, the result of which is mounting pressure felt across the board. Even the larger, vertically integrated vendors have not been fully sheltered from the snowstorm.
High Brightness Displays Garners Attention at ISE 2022
Regardless of wider industry dynamics, the high brightness displays segment displays solitary strength. Futuresource expects high brightness displays to triumph as the fastest-growing product category for LCD Displays in the future. Although LG is the current market leader, Philips follows closely behind. They notably launched the 32:9 Philips S-Line digital signage ‘stretch’ series at ISE 2022 – which drew a lot of attention. The product offers new opportunities for retailers, public venues and transportation hubs to display and advertise their products and services on a high-brightness screen enabling the clearest and most vibrant content. While this product launch generated a significant buzz, the interest can in part be attributed to a supply-side push where there has clearly been a focus on higher-margin products.
Inevitably, it won’t be completely smooth sailing for high brightness displays. LED Displays presents a tangible threat to LCD, with their offer of larger and brighter screens. Being pricey and lower resolution, LED doesn’t look set to rock the LCD industry in the immediate future.
Solid Growth Curve Remains Intact
While many markets have been thrown into disarray in recent years, the future remains bright for high brightness displays. Although the overall value has declined and installations are subject to seasonal fluctuations, the segment shows promise in becoming a frontrunner in the LCD market.