Audio Video News

Strong Growth Foreseen for 8K TV

SV Staff  |  May 6, 2019

We get it. Having just barely settled in with your new HDR-enabled 4K smart TV, the last thing you want to hear is 8K. But the next-gen TV technology beckons and continues to be a hot topic since January’s 8K Coming Out Party, otherwise known as CES 2019.

A group of CE companies announced the formation of the 8K Association and major TV brands not only demonstrated 8K but promised to deliver 8K sets in 2019. Sony’s flagship 85- and 98-inch Z9G models will be among the first TVs sets you can buy when they hit stores next month with stratospheric prices of $13,000 and $70,000 (!), respectively.

Remarkably, in other parts of the world, 8K has already racked up $2.05 billion in sales since 2017 and the category is predicted to mushroom nearly 50% (47.6%) to more than $68 million globally by 2026, according to the “8K Technology – Global Market Outlook” from Dublin-based Research and Markets.

Key factors influencing 8K growth include monetary support by governments, progress in display technology, and rising demand for big-screen televisions with advanced resolution, though the report is quick to point out that limited availability of 8K content is restraining growth in the category as is always the case with the launch of any new format.

The report said 8K technology will be fueled in part by an increase in applications from the healthcare and medical fields and noted that the APAC region of Asia — which includes Japan, South Korea, and China — is expected to gain considerable market share over the next seven years. In addition to being residence for major 8K manufacturers such as Samsung, companies in this region are said to be boosting production and broadening distribution.

COMMENTS
WDZTony's picture
Submitted by WDZTony on May 7, 2019 - 2:28am

This industry is self-destructive. The shorter is the time distance between each technology revolution (SD - HD - 4K - 8K - ?) the less people care and the less they are interested in upgrading. Rather than wait few years for 4K HDR to settle and build the momentum for the market switch from 4K to 8K, the companies are throwing useless gimmicks (what else is 8K without content?) to the market to impress their shareholders. No long-term perspective, just short-term gains (smaller with each "revolution"). Sorry, not with me this time. I'm opting out from this craziness.

mars2k's picture
Submitted by mars2k on May 7, 2019 - 4:55am

No negativity here, however, I know it will be a while before I'm willing to replace what I need to to make 8K work in my system. New technology always amazes and so far my choices have been solid. My question around 8k would be where are we going to get the media to play on those screens? 4k streaming has yet to match 4k disks and yet it looks as though universal disk players are getting harder to find. (farewell OPPO).

johnnydeagle's picture
Submitted by johnnydeagle on May 7, 2019 - 8:27am

If wdztony was in charge of the CE Industry we'd all still be banging on the sides of tube driven radios for the latest media content, LOL! Trolls will be trolls.

brenro's picture
Submitted by brenro on May 7, 2019 - 9:14am

I had one of the first HDTV's (a 216 lb. RCA CRT) when there was only one channel. Anybody else remember watching a sunrise for an hour? 4K hasn't been anywhere near as big a leap. HDR and WCG are far more worthwhile than the jump in resolution. People that think streaming 4K is fine are the same people that will buy 8K TV's. As for me, until ATSC 3.0 finally rolls out and 4K becomes more mainstream I will continue to fail to see the point of 8K.

RaleighTiger's picture
Submitted by RaleighTiger on May 8, 2019 - 6:45pm

I'm pretty strong in my A/V enthusiasm. I have a JVC front projection setup with 7.2.4 Atmos, 4K devices for streaming.

But I'm in 100% agreement with WDZTony. 4K brought HDR as the main perceptual benefit. The extra resolution is barely noticeable in video content unless you have a very large screen. I have yet to see what 8K brings to the table. Resolution advances at this point are meaningless and pure gimmickry. I'd rather get 3D going for 4K! I loved doing 3D movies on my 110" screen and I miss having that option for UHD Blu-Ray.

Mongo's picture
Submitted by Mongo on May 8, 2019 - 6:48pm

The vendors may be excited for 8K but 4k has not penetrated much above 50% and most of that is from the 2018 Christmas shopping season.

The combination of no content, little product & astronomical prices is classic marketing Not Yet.

ellisgj's picture
Submitted by ellisgj on May 9, 2019 - 11:50am

It's hilarious that S&V runs this article in the same issue with one stating that many 4K TV owners don't watch 4K content. Reason - there isn't much available. IMHO, only UHD Blu Rays truly take advantage of our hardware's image (and sound) capabilities. I think the home theater industry is in trouble. Content distributors are catering to mobile device users and the like, for whom all this doesn't matter.

barfle's picture
Submitted by barfle on May 13, 2019 - 2:17pm

I’m still happy with my 1080 3D set. HDR is the only reason to go 4k, but material to watch is almost as scarce as V-cord II tapes.

X