After shipments to Chinese TV makers fell sharply in January,  LCD TV panel makers were a little worried.

However according to a DisplaySearch MarketWise-LCD Industry Dynamics report everything has now recovered and the industry is starting to make gains again. In February, shipments to Chinese TV makers from the panel makers surveyed reached 3.75 million which is up 18 per cent on the month before.  This was three points higher than the previous forecast.

Panel shipments to Chinese TV makers will grow seasonally 24 per cent and 2 per cent in March and April, due to the May Day holidays. However, the supply chain’s production and inventory build-up is expected to stop in April. As a result, the demand for panels from Chinese TV makers is forecast to fall 13 per cent in May.

Apparently the industry has been suffering from low yields on new models and by panel makers adopting new technologies. Panel makers also rearranged panel capacity, and TV makers asked them to build production for new models. TV makers agreed that there is little room for decrease panel prices further and prices have reached bottom.

It is expected that there will be a price hike in April.