LG Display announced today that they have decided to install a new Gen-8 OLED TV mass production line in their Paju plant, in a 706 billion Won (about $650 million) investment. LGD will start constructing the new line in Q1 2013 and mass production will begin in H1 2014.
The monthly capacity of LG's new line will be 26,000 substrates - or about 150,000 55" panels. Of course this is assuming 100% yield. LG's yields are currently very low - probably at around 30% (at best). If this remains so, the new line's capacity will be around 50,000 55" panels in a month.
Actually today (February 18) marks the day when LG Electronics starts shipping their first OLED TV, the 55EM9700. Current capacity is very low and the price is high ($10,000 in Korea). Still LG already got over 100 pre-orders in Korea and apparently they are happy with the initial market reaction.
DisplaySearch OLED and 4K TV forecasts
OLED TV shipments estimates for 2014 range from about 200,000 (iSupply) to almost 2 million (DisplaySearch). LG themselves said last month that they expect the OLED TV market to reach around 600,000 units in 2014. Of course LG is not the only OLED TV maker, and by 2014 we hope to see OLED TVs on the market from at least Samsung, Panasonic and Sony as well.
