According to NPD DisplaySearch the most aggressive campaigns pushing 4K TV adoption come from China, and Chinese TV makers are set to challenge the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic on the global stage.
“4K TV is a completely different feature in China, compared to what it is in the rest of the world,” DisplaySearch says. “In China, 4K TV sets have modest capabilities, start from smaller sizes, and are priced at relatively low premiums. By contrast 4K TV sets elsewhere in the world are very large, have relatively complex image processing, and have some degree of future-proofing.”
According to the analyst 4K TV (as defined by sets with 3840x2160 resolution) shipments will grow from 1.3 million in 2013 to 23m in 2017. Vendors are playing the long game with the new TV generation, mostly because 4K broadcast standards (the one true building block for growth) are missing, 4K content is thin on the ground and standards (such as HDMI 2.0) are still in the emerging phase.
Creating a broadcast standard is no easy task, since it involves not only resolution but also colour, frame rate and dynamic range.
"It is quicker to design a TV, than it is to craft a broadcasting standard that will endure for at least a decade,” DisplaySearch continues. “Once standards are ratified and broadcast services start to roll out, then global brands will accelerate and launch more mainstream products.”
In other words, TV makers do not wish to make the same mistakes seen in the non-show that was 3DTV...
However, even without the above-mentioned requirements in place Chinese TV makers already promote 4K TV to early adopters, with small price premiums driving sales. Such early products might not be able to handle all types of native 4K content, but will still act as proof of China's mastering of advanced technology-- not to mention readiness to attack mature markets.
DisplaySearch forecasts Chinese TVs will make "over half" of global 4K TV shipments for the 2013-2017 period through lower prices and smaller size (down to 39-inch) models. Either way, it seems the Chinese TV revolution is on its way.
Go Chinese TV Set Makers Aggressive With 4K TV Market (NPD DisplaySearch)
