Worldwide shipments of 8K ultra-high definition (UHD) resolution TVs are expected to reach 911,000 in 2019 from 2,700 this year, according to the latest study from IHS. The use of 8K broadcasting in Japan for the 2020 Olympics is expected to spur a new round of resolution increases, even though shipments have not yet started in serious commercial volumes. UHD resolution translates into 7680× 4320 pixel.
The IHS 8K TV forecast hinges on the 65 inch screen size, which has by far the highest volume in production and will account for almost 80 percent of 8K TV shipments in 2019.
The biggest inhibitor to the growth of 8K TV will be consumer screen size preferences, the study concluded. 8K requires a very large screen or the higher resolution becomes invisible at normal viewing distances. The average screen size in the TV market has grown by an inch each year over the past decade, but 70 inch screens and up are still far from commonplace.
China will drive capacity, growth and technology pick-up, with new LCD fabs in the country scheduled to come online in the next three years. At the same time, Chinese consumers have proven to adopt new TV technologies early, as evidenced by their recent uptake of 4K UHD (3840×2160 pixel) resolution.
