U.S. household penetration of Ultra HD 4K TVs will jump to 34 percent in 2019, providing significant opportunities for retailers, IHS forecasts.
The U.S. penetration rate will exceed the penetration rates of all other major countries in 2019, the company said. IHS cited America’s “comparatively strong economy and consumer penchant for large-screen TVs.”
The research and consulting company also forecasts that by the end of 2017, most 50-inch-and-larger TVs worldwide will feature 4K resolution.
The gains will be driven by recent steep price declines in 4K panels, allowing 4K TV prices to “fall significantly,” the company said.
Household penetration in the European Union is forecast to hit 25 percent in 2019, thanks to the growing availability of UHD content from Internet and pay-TV providers, IHS said. Switzerland is expected to reach 32 percent penetration in 2019, followed by the United Kingdom at 31 percent.
In Japan, only 14 percent of households will own a 4K TV in 2019 because most households already have relatively new TVs, IHS said. That was driven by domestic TV demand swelling to more than twice its normal level between 2009 and 2011. That’s when the government subsidized the purchase of energy-efficient products and switched off analog-TV service nationwide.
In addition, “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, IHS senior director of consumer device research.
China’s penetration is expected to hit 24 percent.
