Bob O'Brien

Display Market Outlook

The display industry enjoyed and then suffered the wildest turn of the Crystal Cycle caused by the pandemic. As the industry recovers from its post-pandemic slump, we review the state of the industry in 2023 and our outlook through 2027. This presentation will highlight the most important technology advancements which will affect the display industry and will include our long-term outlook for the display market by application and technology.

The Global TV Market Post-pandemic

The TV market saw its best year ever at the height of the pandemic and then experienced a slump after the pandemic abated. The top three global brands – Samsung, LG and Sony – have seen their revenues and market share decline but have maintained their profitability. Meanwhile, two Chinese brands – Hisense and TCL – have been aggressively targeting developed markets to gain share with increasingly competitive technologies. We review the brand battle in the TV market at a global and regional level, and describe the key technologies that compete for the premium market, including MiniLED, WOLED, QD-OLED, MicroLED and others. This presentation will include our forecast for TV demand by screen size category and by display technology.

Robert J (Bob) O’Brien is Co-Founder and CFO of DSCC. Bob has decades of experience turning market and business analysis into strategic insights in the display and electronics industries. At DSCC, Bob takes the lead role in analysis of display materials, including glass and AMOLED materials, and covers developments in TV and other large-screen display applications. He is the principal author of DSCC’s AMOLED Material Report, the Advanced TV Shipment Report, and the Display Glass Report, and Bob contributes regularly to the DSCC Weekly Review.

Working at Corning from 2005-2016, as Director of Market Intelligence and Strategy for Corning Glass Technologies Bob developed an intelligence infrastructure to inform pricing strategy, product development, marketing communications and customer service strategy. He also developed external communications for investors and customers to realize Corning’s industry leading position.

Bob led the CGT intelligence team in building critical tools for analysis of both short- and long-term dynamics in the LCD industry. In response to Corning’s vulnerability to supply/demand swings, Bob developed an analytical model for predicting glass demand based on the supply/demand dynamics of the LCD value chain. The output of this model is frequently quoted in Corning’s earnings release and other communications. To increase understanding of the long-term dynamics of TV replacement, Bob led the efforts on consumer survey work to understand the replacement cycle of TV. As the cover glass market matured, Bob led the effort to explore and develop the Gorilla glass business in emerging markets.

Prior to Corning, Bob worked in engineering, product marketing, finance, and business intelligence for Philips Display Components and LG.Philips Displays. At Philips, Bob led a multi-division team evaluating potential opportunities in large display technologies, with comparative market and technology analysis of LCD, PDP, CRT, and projection. Bob prepared and executed financial and marketing expertise on the plasma display business for the due diligence process during the 2001 international merger which formed LG.Philips Displays.

Bob holds a BS in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Business School. He lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife Mattie and three sons. He can be reached at bob.obrien@displaysupplychain.com.