China-based TV maker Konka expects to double its LCD TV shipments to two million units in 2007, according to Dan Liu, vice general manager of Konka Group's multimedia product division.

Konka will sell 600,000 LCD TVs in China this year, accounting for a 15% share of the LCD TV market in China, said Liu, indicating that shipments to oversea markets, particularly to Asia-Pacific and the US, will reach 400,000 units throughout 2006.

Konka currently is procuring most of its 37-inch-and-below LCD panels from Taiwan-based panel makers such as AU Optronics (AUO), Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT). Once Taiwanese makers increase their output for 40-inch-and-above LCD TV panels, Konka will buy more 40-inch-and-larger panels from them, Liu pointed out.

Konka along with four other leading China-based TV makers have postponed a joint venture to set up a sixth-generation (6G) LCD panel plant in China, Liu added. The 6G plant was originally planned to be open in 2007. As there is no new 6G plant to come online next year, Lui predicts that the supply of 32- and 37-inch LCD TV panels will still run short in the second half of 2007.

Source:佚名