First it was Dell, then IBM and GE, and now major manufacturers of LCD HDTVs are giving more consideration to outsource production of their sets.
According to TWICE:
While the LCD TV market will continue to grow robustly during the downturn in 2009, the operational and financial challenges caused by the recession are forcing many OEMs to reconsider their internal expansion plans and outsourcing strategies, as well as to initiate changes that are having an immediate impact on the supply chain, iSuppli observed.
LCD-TV OEMs and ODMs reported operational losses in 2008, including a $311 million operational loss for Samsung, and a $2.4 billion operational loss — the largest in its history — for Sony in the year ending March 2009. Sharp saw a net loss of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2008, ended March 2008, following “stagnant consumption, fierce competition and a surging Japanese yen,” iSuppli said.
Billions have been spent on creating factories to increase production when the economy was in full swing. It’s hard to determine the impact this will have on the quality or innovation in HDTVs, but it’ll be interesting to see how this all turns out.
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