8K TV a 'Slow Burn'; Only 3% Adoption Seen by 2025: Futuresource
8K TV purchases are being driven by consumers “looking to futureproof their investment,” said Futuresource analyst Chris Evans Monday, saying consumers are largely making the decision based on the price delta between 4K and 8K screens. “8K sets have struggled…
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to capture the imagination of consumers,” said Evans, citing lack of content. “Ultimately, the transition to 8K is likely to hit an insurmountable wall if there isn’t a compelling library of content.” After NHK launched the first 8K TV channel in Japan in December 2018, 8K broadcasts are “still very limited beyond the Japan and China borders,” Evans said. The analyst noted proof of concept transmissions have taken place for sports events, and YouTube and Vimeo have an 8K video catalogue, "but major streaming platforms are yet to offer any 8K streaming.” Though the range of 8K-capable TVs is widening in the premium segment, and the number of high-end 8K smartphones is growing, mainstream TV adoption is far off; Futuresource estimates global 8K TV shipments will represent 3% of the market by 2025. 8K resolution can have applications beyond traditional broadcast and streaming, including gaming, virtual reality and user generated content, but those use cases are “in their relative infancy” and not expected to show appreciable near-term traction. Compared with the migration from HD to 4K, the drivers for 8K “are trickier to set in motion,” Evans said, saying “the benefits are amplified [and] so are the costs. 8K adoption will be a slow burn process,” he said.