More Ultra HD TVs were shipped globally in the second quarter of 2014 than in all of 2013, reports DisplaySearch. China is still leading in adoption, but sales are also picking up speed in Europe and the US.
Sales increasing in launch quarter
Most TV brands introduced new 2014 Ultra HD TVs in the second quarter of 2014, and sales started picking up speed in the same quarter. Prices for 4K TVs are still high, but most first-tier brands are slowly expanding 4K to the mid-range price segment.
Sales in Q2 2014 were 2.1 million, compared to 1.6 million for all of 2013. In 2013, 80 % of all Ultra HD TVs were sold in China, but in Q2 2014 China has a smaller share as TV makers see increased sales in Europe and the US.
In the near-term, the lack of 4K content might put a damper on sales, industry watchers believe. At the moment only a few streaming services such as Netflix offer 4K content. Amazon is joining later in October, but few TV broadcasters have discussed plans to broadcast in 4K. A 4K Blu-ray standard is not expected until late 2015.
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