Strategy Analytics expects one in eight homes in North America – more than 11 million – to own an UltraHD TV by the end of 2016.
As the price of UHD models fall and 1920 x 1080 resolution disappears from large sets, these TVs will become increasingly popular. Strategy Analytics expects all 40″+ TVs being sold in North America to be UHD by 2020, at which point penetration will reach almost 50%.
A key factor in the uptake of UHD TVs has been the North American appetite for large TVs; more than 80% of such sets shipped worldwide in 2015 were 50″+. Although that is set to fall as UHD resolution spreads to smaller sizes, a 50% share is still expected by 2020.
Although ownership levels are highest in North America, China leads in terms of unit shipments: as many as 25% of annual domestic shipments, from companies such as Hisense, TCL and Skyworth, were UHD last year. The Western European market also grew strongly, passing the 5 million mark. Germany and the UK became the only countries aside from and the USA to break the 1 million-unit-per-year mark.
