The USA will emerge as the leading market for 4K or Ultra HD TVs in terms of household penetration by 2020 followed by the leading Western European markets, Australia, South Korea and China.
According to Strategy Analytics’ Connected Home Devices (CHD) report Ultra High Definition TV Displays: Global Market Forecast, demand for UHD TVs is soaring worldwide as entry level price points drop well below $1000, model availability expands and consumers seek out the next best technology as they upgrade their ageing flat panel TVs.
Other key findings from the report include: shipments of 4K/Ultra HD TVs grew 633% in 2014 to reach 12.1 million units with Asia Pacific accounting for 75% followed by North America (12%) and Western Europe (11%).
Global shipments of Ultra HD TVs will more than double in 2015 to 27.5 million units and more than 100 million will be shipping annually by 2018.
60% of all Ultra HD TVs shipped globally in 2014 were 50-inch or larger in size, while a quarter of all 50-inch and larger TVs that shipped were Ultra HD.
Sub 50-inch Ultra HD TVs will become more widely available in 2015 and the sub 50-inch category will account for the majority of Ultra HD TV shipments globally by the end of 2016.
Wide color gamut technology and high dynamic range support will be built into premium Ultra HD TV displays in 2015 creating a more discernable price tier structure in the market