Flat screen makers cut prices

China's liquid crystal display manufacturers started slashing prices in an effort to fire up a market that is still beyond the reach of the vast majority of consumers. Both TCL International Holdings and Skyworth Digital Holdings cut prices on their LCD TVs by an average of 20%. Although the cuts signal a move simply to start a market � and not a price war � the reductions came as reminder of the fierce competition that broke out between standard color TV manufacturers in 2001. That costly war sent the majority of players into losses. Some competitors even obtained subsidies from provincial governments to keep selling below cost.