3D TVs new battleground for plasma, LCD display makers

(Reuters) – Plasma display panel (PDP) technology makers are pinning high hopes on the emerging but uncertain 3D TV market to claw back market share after falling behind popular LCD flat screen backers.

LCD or liquid crystal display has led the replacement of cathode-ray tube (CRT) television, as its technological edge over PDP in producing smaller sizes helped it attract consumers trading in their bulky and boxy CRT sets.

“PDP won’t be able to challenge LCD as a mainstream flat panel technology as LCD also continues to evolve into better one,” said Will Cho, an analyst at Daewoo Securities.

“Having said that, it still does have strength over LCD, especially in 3D market. So the stronger 3D market grows, the better PDP technology will be able to recover,” he said.

PDP has been a choice of technology in large sized panels over 40 inches, although LCDs are rapidly expanding into the market with free-falling prices.

Prices of 42-inch LCD panel dropped around 40 percent over the past two years, which were moderated by severe glass shortages last year, according to industry data.

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