8K ultra high resolution television unit shipments have yet to begin commercial volume roll out, but shipments will steadily increase over the next five years reaching nearly 1 million units by 2019, according to a report from IHS. 8K TVs offer a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels.
However, with the advent of 8K broadcasting in Japan beginning in preparation for the 2020 Olympics, IHS forecasts this will spur a new round of TV purchases resulting in a rise of units to 911,000 by 2019. However, this rise is dependent upon the 65-inch screen size, the highest volume in production, which will account for nearly 80% of 8K TV shipments in 2019.
According to Paul Gray, principal analyst for IHS, the biggest inhibitor to the growth of 8K TVs is consumer screen size preferences. “8K requires a very large screen or the higher resolution becomes invisible at normal viewing distances,” Gray says. “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.”