EL SEGUNDO – An unusually large decline of nearly 5% in the pricing of TV panels caused by anemic demand helped drive down overall prices of large-sized LCD panels in September by the highest margin in a year, says IHS iSuppli.

FRANKFURT – Germany printed circuit board fabricators reported August revenues reached their third-highest level in the past 10 years.

SANTA CLARA, CA – DisplaySearch has increased its 2011 forecast for total China PC market shipments from 95 million to more than 100 million units, accounting for a 25% year-over-year increase.

The research firm has increased its 2011 shipment forecast of desktop PCs from 51.6 million units to 52.4 million units, AIO PCs from 2.5 million to 3.8 million units, and mobile PCs from 40.8 million to 47.4 million units.

“Despite weak global demand, PC market growth in China continues to outpace the rest of the world,” noted Robin Wu, DisplaySearch China PC/IT analyst. “The rapid development in the region as part of the country’s strategy to develop western China over the past 10 years ultimately resulted in the China PC market growth exceeding expectations.”

DisplaySearch previously forecast 2011 tablet PC shipments at 3.4 million units; however, the second quarter far exceeded this estimate, reaching 2.4 million units. The growth was attributed to aggressive pricing strategies by brands, including Lenovo. The firm raised its 2011 tablet PC shipment forecast to 10 million units, accounting for a 10% share of the total China PC market.

Apple continues to lead in tablet PC brands in China, while other brands like Lenovo, Acer and Samsung are also increasing their efforts.

The do-it-yourself market, consisting of self-built PCs that have a monitor included as part of a complete solution, still accounts for a significant share of the overall China PC market, the firm says. 2011 shipments are expected to exceed 20 million units.

Lenovo’s leading position in the China PC market is strengthened by its efforts in the LCD monitor, desktop PC and mobile PC segments, with a 23.6% share of the total China PC market. AOC’s share was 8.5%. The combined market share of Lenovo and AOC reached 32.1% in the second quarter, compared to 27.6% in the first quarter, and Lenovo’s shares in all market segments grew in the second quarter.

SANTA CLARA, CA – A DisplaySearch report shows an increase in TFT LCD panel loading rates in October, to 75% from 68% in September.

The uptick in October fab loading rates mainly came from Korean panel makers, who increased loading to 84-85%, aiming to fulfill demand in October (the peak month in the year), says the research firm. The increase mainly stemmed from TV panel production to meet increased LCD TV orders for the fourth quarter, especially for Samsung. In addition, both LG Display and Samsung are increasing shipments to Chinese customers, with consecutive monthly shipment growth in November and December.

Taiwanese panel makers also raised their fab loading rates in October, but are only at a 65% loading rate on average, and plan to operate at the same level in the fourth quarter, reflecting the cautious outlook of their TV customers and a prioritization of finances over market share, says DisplaySearch.

Japanese panel makers are still struggling with inventory issues and have made further cuts in fab utilization for the fourth quarter.

Loading rates differ by fab generation, with Gen7/7.5 increasing to 86% in October, up from a record low of 76% in September, and Gen8/8.5 increasing from 64% to 72%.

Large-area panel shipments, particularly for LCD TVs, are likely to show a peak in October and decline by 2% sequentially in November before scaling down significantly at the end of the year.

The planned increases in panel shipments in October were encouraged by healthy sell-through results during the Golden Week holidays in China. There were hopes that TV sales in China would surge before the China home appliance subsidy program ended in late November, and that inventory rebuilding may be stronger than after Golden Week last year, according to the firm.