TV-related IC demand is expected to pick up as early as the first quarter of 2022 following a slowdown in TV market sales seen since the third quarter of 2021, according to sources at fabless chipmakers.
Taiwan's three leading IC designers MediaTek, Realtek Semiconductor and Novatek Microelectronics share the view that TV market sales will turn stable in 2022 and are positive about their TV SoC shipment momentum for next year.
Vendors of large-size display driver ICs (DDIs) and power management ICs, though not viewing TV applications as their main growth driver, are also confident about maintaining stable shipments in 2022.
Actually, supply chain players are not sure about TV sales prospects in the short term, as the upcoming year-end shopping season may see an upturn in terminal sales but global logistics disorders may affect delivery of TV shipments to distribution outlets.
Statistics showed that TV sales in the China market during the Double-11 shopping festival were better than expected, logging double-digit increases in both unit shipments and sales value. This has significantly boosted the confidence of IC designers and other supply chain suppliers about a similar performance in the Christmas sales holiday in the US and Europe.
TV IC vendors noted that demand for high-end and large-size TVs will continue to be higher than that for smaller ones, which will further drive up shipments of high-end TV SoCs and large-size DDIs and PMICs in 2022.
