Consumer adoption of 4K TVs has not yet reached critical mass, but one research firm is already putting out predictions on coming 8K-TVs that can handle 7680 x 4320 pixel resolutions.
Noting that 8K broadcasting in Japan for the 2020 Olympics will “spur a new round of resolution increases,” IHS Inc. predicts that 8K TV shipments will rise from a mere 2,700 units in 2015, to 911,000 in 2019.
In an earlier forecast, IHS said 4K-capable TV panels will reach 40 million units this year, representing a penetration rate of 15%.
That new 8K TV forecast, the firm noted, hinges on the 65-inch screen size, which has by far the highest volume in production and will account for almost 80% of 8K TV shipments in 2019.
“The biggest inhibitor to the growth of 8K TV will be consumer screen size preferences,” said IHS principal analyst Paul Gray, in a statement. “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 it is still a long haul before sizes over 70 inches become commonplace.”
IHS notes that new LCD fabs in China are scheduled to come online in the next three years, a move that will dramatically increase capacity to make 65-inch 8K TV displays.
