Philips to outsource 70% of its LCD TVs to OEM makers in 2008

Royal Philips Electronics is looking to outsource manufacturing for 70% of its LCD TV shipments this year, up from nearly 60% in 2007, LCD TV makers were cited in today's Chinese-language Commercial Times as saying. The company expects to ship 14 million LCD TVs this year, with about 10 million units being outsourced.

TPV Technology has been the vendor's main OEM partner, though last year reports indicated that Philips would be adding Funai, TCL and Qisda as additional LCD TV OEMs from 2008. Still, TPV will receive OEM orders for about five million LCD TVs from Philips this year, with Qisda and Jabil each receiving orders for over one million units, according to the Commercial Times report. Qisda reportedly landed OEM orders for 26 and 32-inch models from Philips, while Philips is the main LCD TV customer of Jabil. Philip will outsource limited orders to Funai and TCL since the company has just started working with the companies.