Western Europe registers the highest sales share of 4K televisions in history in the last quarter

El analista principal de IHS Markit, Paul Gray, hace en la 4K Summit una radiografía del estado actual de la Ultra Alta Definición en el mundo desde el punto de vista de penetración en los hogares.

Paul Gray, analista principal de IHS Markit, ha hecho una radiografía en la 4K Summit del estado actual de la Ultra Alta Definición en el mundo. Como punto de partida ha señalado que en el último trimestre, Europa Occidental tuvo la mayor cuota de venta de televisores 4K de la historia.

“The European market is growing very quickly, even in small sizes (type 43”) in the adoption of 4K, compared to China or the United States. Europe is only half an inch behind the US in screen size. Europeans are willing to remove furniture so that a larger screen with more resolution enters their living rooms,” he stressed.

Around 17% of Western European users have a UHD TV at the moment, while by 2022 IHS Markit expects this figure to rise to 40%. “Broadcasters should take into account these penetration figures, which are no longer negligible when facing 4K broadcast projects,” he commented.

One of the factors that most influences the growth of 4K television sales is the price. In China you can now buy a 65" display from a well-known brand for 420 euros. This price drop will also occur in Europe in Gray's opinion.
"The debate is not whether UHD will become widespread or not, it has simply arrived. The general feeling is that it will be a matter of time, not a matter of yes or no," he added.

As for 8K, he did not want to overlook that although NHK begins regular broadcasts in this resolution starting in December, at this time it is estimated that there would only be about 700 8K televisions in the entire country. However, Gray considers that this launch is a good strategy to create confidence in consumers who go to a store and can now watch live broadcasts in 8K, thus promoting demand.

On the other hand, he has pointed out that 8K panels need 20% more energy. For this reason, the European Union is currently carrying out consultations regarding energy consumption.

As far as forms of distribution are concerned, the analyst has assured that "linear television continues to dominate..., let's put our feet on the ground. Now we will have to see how much linear television will be in ultra High Definition." “OTT is growing but it is not true that conventional television in Europe is having a bad time,” he remarked.

A su juicio para el despegue definitivo de la Ultra Alta Definición es necesario algo que merezca la pena ver (contenidos), un hardware atractivo y alguien a quien pagar y confiar para que suministre estos servicios (plataforma).

Gray cree que 2020 será el año en el que los broadcasters en abierto comiencen a lanzar los primeros servicios comerciales. Pero, ¿por qué vía? El streaming es muy positivo para públicos restringidos. Sin embargo, la TDT cuenta con el problema de la escasez de espectro pero contamos con soluciones técnicas que pueden sortear ese problema”.

To conclude, he stated emphatically that among all the tangle of standards, formats, linear and non-linear services, we must “explain and demonstrate what Ultra High Definition is to consumers.” However, at this moment more than 20% of televisions in Europe are sold online, and giving certain explanations is more difficult than in direct sales, he concluded.