Samsung Develops LCD using Window Glass

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday that it has developed a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel that uses generic glass used in windows and mirrors instead of using a more expensive and sophisticated glass substrate.

"The adoption of ordinary glass in making LCD panels is expected to give more room to Samsung in choosing glass suppliers and thus help reduce its LCD TV and monitor prices.

So far, only a handful of companies have been capable of making special, high-endurance glass substrate used in LCD panels, and they have made large profits by selling it to electronics makers."

However, The largest LCD glass supplier in Korea is Samsung Corning Precision Glass, a joint venture of United States’ Corning and Korea’s Samsung Electronics. The company outperforms other firms in the field and dominates the market with about an 80-percent share.

Does this not strike you as odd? Samsung Korea holds profits on an 80% share of the market in glass substrate and yet is now developing a way to make that division of their company obsolete? As soon as someone high up the food chain realizes that the left hand is effectively chopping at the wrist of the right hand, these generic glass LCD’s will suddenly be fraught with issues.

Source: Korea Times