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TOKYO - Reuters reports that Sony Corporation said that it would take a one-third stake in Sharp's $3.5 billion LCD panel plant, which is set for completion by March 2010, to meet the rising demand for flatscreen televisions.

It is the latest alliance among Japanese flatscreen TV makers, as they attempt to secure enough supply while still keeping investment low in the face of falling prices.

Sony gains another panel supply source in addition to a previous LCD venture with Samsung Electronics, and the deal gives Sharp a partner to share the large investment, while bringing additional work to the factory.

The LCD factory, which will become the world's largest, is planned as a joint venture with Sony, with Sharp retaining a 66 percent ownership.

The companies have declined to say how much they would invest.

"This agreement is a very big step for Sony as we strive to become the world's number one TV maker," Sony President Ryoji Chubachi told a news conference.

Sony and Sharp are the second and third largest LCD TV makers in the world, behind Samsung, according to flat panel research and consulting firm DisplaySearch.

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AUSTIN, TX - DisplaySearch published survey findings on TV shipments for Q4 2007. TV shipments increased 5% year-on-year and 21% for the quarter compared to 2006. Over 60 million units were shipped in 4Q and 200 million units for all of 2007. This is the first time sales has topped $100 billion according to DisplaySearch.

Sony lead in the LCD TV segment, outperforming Samsung. Global shipments of LCD TVs in the Q4 was up 56% YoY and 73% for the year to nearly 80 million units. Based on strong sales in the Americas, Sony staged a comeback, ranking second in Q3 and leading for Q4.

TAIWAN - The notebook PC industry in Taiwan hit a new record high for a single quarter, shipping slightly over 28 million notebook computers in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to a report by Taiwan's International Data Corporation (IDC).

The number was an increase of 11.6% percent from the previous quarter with growth of 44% year-over-year. The report says that shipments were driven by rising market demand and holiday purchases.

Of the shipments, the report said that 88.5% were delivered by five of Taiwan's original design manufacturers: Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron Corp., Inventec Corp. and ASUSTek Computer. Notebook production during the period was $15 billion, for a year-over-year increase of 31.6%, the report said.

IDC Taiwan research manager Helen Chiang said domestic notebook manufacturers performed better than expected because of brisk sales by the major manufacturers of consumer PCs.