Global TV shipments see the strongest growth rate of the decade in 2018 Futuresource reports, with value up by 6%. Even Europe returns to growth, despite weak performance from W. Europe, thanks to a 6% increase in E. Europe.

“Last year, worldwide TV shipments chalked up 227 million units, with a trade value of $85 billion,” the analyst says. “All this action is the result of a number of factors, applying pressure and influencing the landscape. Price reductions for premium technologies like 4K have started to open up the mass market; meanwhile, major investment in South East Asian production has not only helped the local market, but also driven down large screen pricing across the globe. And despite some localised macro-economic problems, which have caused significant shipment fluctuations for several countries, the world view is positive.”

Samsung and LG remain the two top vendors, even if both are losing ground due to "incursions" from the value end of the market. However the two companies, together with Sony, retain dominance of the premium segment, meaning they are better-positioned to defend margins when compared to government-sponsored Chinese brands.

Due to the increasing standardisation of 40-inch-plus TVs, 4K UHD TV shipments are set to command over 50% of 2019 shipments. Futuresource predicts the global installed base of 4K UHD TVs will reach over 960m by end 2023, equivalent to over 42% market penetration. Looking to future technologies, 8K is standing on the "threshold of growth," and is set to grow from 0.1% of 2019 shipments to over 2% by 2023.

So far only Samsung and Sharp are making 8K TVs, but more vendors are expected to launch at least one 8K set soon. Content availability should also make some progress, thanks to online platforms such as Vimeo, but the majority of content is still being produced in SD, HD and full HD. The 2020 Olympic Games in Japan will be the first major event broadcast to be in 8K, even if Japanese shipments of such sets clock at around 100000 units, or 2% of total shipments in the country. That said, once barriers to uptake start falling 8K will grow into a "significant" part of the premium market by 2023.

Go Worldwide TV Shipment Growth Hits 8-Year High, as 8K Comes into Focus