The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) expects as many as 4.5 million 4K Ultra High-Def (UHD) TVs to ship this holiday season, putting total UHD TV sales at 10 million for the year, up 40% from 2015.
However, despite the average wholesale UHD TV price dropping 22% since January, the CTA had been expecting 14.5 million units to sell this year. For the fourth quarter, 4K sets will account for about 56% of all TV sales.
Related: CES 2017 Prep Well Underway
“We’ve been bullish about 4K UHD since day one, and market growth continues to justify our enthusiasm,” said Gary Shaprio, CTA president and CEO, in a statement. “Manufacturers are introducing an increasing variety of 4K UHD displays at a range of price points. Many of these displays include new innovations like HDR and WCG that make the viewing experience more immersive. Strong growth in display sales, combined with the increasing number of 4K UHD Blu-ray discs and other content, 4K cameras, and additional devices in the market will cement 2016 as a ’banner year’ for 4K UHD.”
Steve Koenig, CTA’s senior director of market research, added: “We also expected to see TV manufacturers move more quickly to a greater mix of 4K in screen sizes above 40 inches, which now appears to be shaping up as a 2017 trend. Growth of the 4K UHD market continues to dwarf the transition to high-definition television. Just three years since introduction, cumulative sales of 4K UHD displays are forecast to hit 18.6 million units, while sales of HDTVs reached 4.2 million units in their first three years on the market.”
