According to GfK, British TV sales on 15-21 March-- the week Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a lockdown of the country due to the coronavirus-- are up by 59.5% in volume and 43.3% in value compared to the same week last year.

The numbers cover the UK, but one can imagine the situation to be at least somewhat similar throughout Europe.

The jump is highest among the smaller screen sizes, 42-inch or less, leading to overall purchases having the lowest average price point seen in the year. The analyst suggests customers are buying basic models for practical solutions, rather than splashing out to enhance the viewing experience with a better model. Either way, people face having the entire household at home every day, possibly with the need to keep distance from each other, and as such are buying an extra TV to spread around the house.

According to TrendForce division WitsView, global TV shipments only declined "slightly" in 2019 by -0.9%, reaching 217.8 million units, but the ongoing coronavirus (aka Covid-19) pandemic should further affect the industry in 2020.

The pandemic has lead to stock and financial markets crashing, leading to significant damage to the confidence of consumers in the face of the economy. As a result, consumption of non-essential products has become more conservative. One such non-essential product is TVs, and shipments are set to drop by -5.8% in 2020 to 205.2m units. Further hurting the market is the postponing of major sports events, including the UEFA EURO 2020 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 2020 LG TV lineup starts rolling out, with the first models being 14 OLED offerings, including the "art-inspired" GX Gallery series, the "real 8K" ZX models and 4K UHD TVs.

The LG 2020 premium TVs promise to seamlessly integrate in any space while providing the best viewing experience through self-emissive display technology. The three GX Gallery series models (55-, 65- and 77-inch) feature a minimalist aesthetic, since backlight-free OLED technology allows for TVs just 20mm thin without need for a separate control box. As a result, the TV mounts flush to the wall akin to a piece of art in a gallery.

The Samsung Forum hosts the reveal of the 2020 European TV and audio lineup from company, including the flagship Q950TS QLED 8K TV and an expanded range of QLED 8K and 4K, MicroLED, Lifestyle TVs and soundbars.

Available in Europe in 65-, 75- and 85-inch sizes, the Q950TS promises edge-to-edge images with an Infinity Screen bringing a 99% screen to body ratio. The profile is just 15mm thick, while audio comes through x6 built-in speakers. In addition, Samsung offers the Q900T and Q800T 8K QLED TVs, in sizes ranging from 55- to 98-inches to ensure an 8K TV fits in all spaces.