i3 - January/February 2019 - 88

Business

By Rick Kowalski

BY T H E N U M B E RS

Higher IQs and Pixel Counts for TVs

he future of TV is on display at CES 2019, including a look at 8K video
displays. Manufacturers are
showing their latest, top-of-theline displays that will soon hit
store shelves. While picture quality is certainly the focus of many
announcements, there is also
much discussion about where we
will get our video programming
and how we will interact with our
TV sets in the years to come.
All eyes are on the next big upgrade in
screen resolution. 8K displays are marking a milestone in clarity and picture
quality as new models begin shipping to
the U.S. 8K video, which quadruples the
number of pixels that 4K Ultra HD
offers, allows for larger displays that don't
lose image clarity, providing a more
immersive viewing experience. But 8K
will impact more than just TV viewing.
Higher screen resolution is especially relevant to virtual reality, where more pixels
help to improve the visual experience in
all-encompassing VR applications.
These new televisions are also
smarter. Eighty-seven percent of TVs
shipping this year will be smart, as compared with just two percent in 2009.
Smart TVs have expanded new distribution channels for online video, with consumers expected to spend more than
$16 billion on subscription video
streaming services this year.

Smart TV
TVs as Percentage
rcentage of T
Total
otal TV
TVs
s
Shipments to Dealers

41%

35%

59%

65%

2015

2016

1.3 BILLION

$ BILLION

Expected
revenue for digital
assistants sales
in 2021

Source: CTA Consumer Technology Extended Forecasts, July 2018
88

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

13 %

11 %

79%

87%

89%

2017

2018e

2019p

Non-Smart TV

Smart TV

Source: CTA Market Research

Manufacturers are increasing the IQ of
their smart displays by including voiceactivated digital assistants. Up until now,
TVs and streaming media players have
accepted voice commands through the
remote. However, some sets now include
far-field microphone arrays, to allow
viewers to vocally command the TV from
across the room without speaking into a
microphone on the remote. Regardless of
the location of the microphone, TVs are
increasingly becoming a focal point for
smart home interaction and control.

4K Progress Report

While 8K is still in its infancy, its older
sibling 4K is set to have a stellar year.

CTA'S SALES & FORECAST REPORT: ESTIMATES FOR SMART HOME GROWTH

Expected
revenue for digital
assistant sales
in 2017

21 %

70 %

Increase in unit
volume of IP/Wi-Fi
cameras over the
last year

Increase in consumer
demand for smart
home products
by 2021

CTA predicts that 4K TVs will make
up 55 percent of all units shipped in
2019. As more U.S. households
become 4K-capable, so follows the
universe of available 4K content.
Subscription streaming services are
leading the way, leapfrogging broadcast and traditional pay TV services in
providing the most 4K programming.
That's not to say that 4K won't be
delivered through other channels.
A new over-the-air (OTA) digital television standard is on the horizon. ATSC
3.0 will provide more bandwidth for the
delivery of 4K video at up to 120 Hz,
high-dynamic range (HDR) content and
will improve mobile transmissions.
ATSC 3.0 rolled out across South Korea
last summer, and trials are under way in
several U.S. cities. Most U.S. OTA
broadcasters are expected to implement
ATSC 3.0 in late 2019 and early 2020.
For more information on CTA's forecasts for 8K TVs and ATSC 3.0-enabled
displays, look for the January 2019 edition of the CTA Consumer Technology
Sales & Forecasts. ■
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

http://www.CTA.tech/salesandforecasts http://www.CTA.tech/salesandforecasts

i3 - January/February 2019

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