US, Euro 4K TV take-up set to boom

Household penetration of 4K TVs will reach 34% in the US and 25% in the European Union in 2019, according to new research by IHS.

The study claims that uptake of 4K TVs in both markets will outstrip Japanese adoption, with only 14% of households in Japan expected to have a 4K TV in 2019 – “because most households already have relatively new TVs”.

IHS predicts that by the end of 2017 most 50-inch-and-above sized TVs will feature 4K resolution, and that the growing availability of Ultra HD content from internet and pay TV providers will support the trend of increased uptake.

In Europe, Switzerland is expected to reach 32% 4K TV penetration in 2019, followed closely by the UK at 31%.

Elsewhere, China’s 4K TV household penetration is expected to reach 24% in 2019. In Russia the figure will be 11%, in Brazil 8% and inIndia 2%, according to IHS.

“With the Japanese consumer preference for smaller TV screens, it will be more difficult for 4K TV to expand its household penetration in the country, even though UHD broadcasts are set to begin in 2018, in the run up to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020,” said Hisakazu Torii, senior director of consumer device research for IHS Technology.