UPDATE 1-LG Display Q4 loss narrows as TV panel prices stabilise

* Q4 operating loss bln won 144.8 vs 117 bln won loss fcast

* Q4 sales 6.6 trln won vs 6.5 trln won fcast

* LG Display shares up 16 pct in past 3 mths vs 3 pct rise in KOSPI

SEOUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Flat-screen maker LG Display posted a sharply narrowed quarterly loss on Friday, helped by solid demand from smartphones and tablet makers and as falling TV panel prices stabilise.

Slack sales of TVs and computers in mature markets are set to keep earnings recovery slow amid growing financial pressure to raise investment as it prepares to mass produce OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) displays, which are set to replace LCDs as the main panels for TVs in coming years.

Consumers in mature markets are delaying TV purchases until the economy improves, while PC sales growth remain slack as customers are ditching PCs in favour of tablets.

Panels for TVs, computer monitors and laptops account for 80 percent of LG Display's revenues and the rest comes from mobile phones and tablets.

LG Display, which vies with home rival Samsung Electronics Co for the top position in LCD flat screens globally, said its October-December operating loss was 144.8 billion won ($129.3 million), slightly worse than a 117 billion won loss forecast in a poll by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

That marked its fifth consecutive quarterly loss, but was a big improvement from a 492 billion won loss in the previous quarter and a 387 billion won loss a year ago.

LG Display is a key panel supplier for Apple Inc's popular iPad and iPhone. Apple on Tuesday reported quarterly results that blew past market expectations on record sales of iPhones and iPads.

LG is also a key panel supplier for Amazon.com Inc's Kindle Fire tablet, which showed strong sales during the year-end holiday season.

Shares in the panel maker, which also competes with AU Optronics and Chimei Innolux Corp, rose 16 percent over the past three months, outperforming a 3 percent gain in the broader market.

Global TV shipments are forecast to grow 2 percent this year after no growth in 2011 due to soft consumer demand, according to research firm DisplaySearch.