SAMSUNG SEES 42W PLASMA HITTING $2,000 IN 2003
Plasma display panel (PDP) prices will plunge as much as 30% next year as factories increase production and yields in enabling 42W to hit $2,000-$2,500 and 50W to drop to $3,000-$3,500, Pro AV Product Mktg. Dir. Alan Brawn said. New prices would be down substantially from current benchmarks for 42W and 50W PDPs of $4,999 and $9,499, respectively. In addition, Samsung’s 63W, which has shipped in limited quantities this fall, is likely drop to $9,000-$11,000 from current $18,000 street price, Brawn said. Specter of lower pricing in 2003 follows year in which PDP retail tags dropped sharply but appeared to stabilize for fall selling season. “When you initially start production, you're not operating at capacity so the cost of the product is pretty high, but that changes as the yields improve and production increases,” he said.
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Samsung will move in 2003 to increase PDP brightness and contrast, which in case of 63W currently is 450 candelas and 600:1. Features such as wireless connectivity will be added to PDPs, Brawn said. Samsung also will expand LCD line with introduction of 32W by 3rd quarter 2003 to fill spot between 30W currently available and 40W that ships late this year. New 40W ($9,999), originally scheduled for 3rd quarter delivery, is expected to be introduced formally at Comdex next month. While Samsung hasn’t released details on 40W, preliminary specs show it with 1280x768 resolution, 500:1 contrast ratio, 500 candelas.
Despite increased focus on LCDs, Samsung is shipping what it bills as “world’s brightest” CRT-based 19” monitor ($369) that delivers maximum 310 candelas. Flat-screen SyncMaster 957mb is most recent addition to line of monitors using Samsung’s MagicBright technology, which features 3 different brightness modes (100, 250 and 310 candelas). MagicBright technology, which was introduced in 17” monitor that shipped in April and will be extended to 21” in Nov., is included in monitor that allows for 3 separate color temperature settings (6,500?, 9,300? and 15,000? Kelvin). Monitor also has HighLight Zone that allows user to increase brightness, contrast and color temperature within specific area of screen. HighLight Zone II is software in monitor that detects and brightens moving images. Samsung is continuing to push CRT-based monitors even as demand increases for LCDs. Sizeable price gap -- $150 vs. $699-$799 in case of 17” -- still exists between CRTs and LCDs, said Monica Whipple, Samsung product mktg. mgr. for PC monitors. “CRTs aren’t dead yet,” she said. Indeed, while Samsung has focused on 17,” 19” and 21” CRT monitors in U.S., it continues to sell 15” in Central and S. America, she said. In LCDs, Samsung has delivered 17” display featuring what it says is industry’s narrowest bezel, 0.53”, down from standard 1”. New 17” model 171N ($649) has 1280x1024 resolution, 350:1 contrast, 250 candelas.