If there’s one product category in consumer electronics that is adopting a Texas-like “bigger is better” mindset, it is the home TV market. Today, many integration customers might yawn at the thought of a 65-inch TV and are routinely opting to purchase big-screen TVs with 70-something, 80-something, to now 98-inch screen sizes and larger.

New Technologies, Affordabilty Drive Big-Screen Appetite 

Ever since the growing availability of flat-panel televisions around the dawn of the millennium, screen sizes have been growing steadily from days of CRT-based (cathode ray tube) products. 

Validating the growth of screen sizes from the late 1990s to the early 2020s, Statista released a study that indicates that since 1997, the average LCD TV has increased from 22 to 50 inches in 2022. Focusing on more recent video demand, Statista adds the average size LCD TV screen in North America has jumped from nearly 49 inches in 2017 to 55.5 inches in 2021.

Over the past 20 years, TV technologies have evolved rapidly when compared to the many decades consumers lived with the old NTSC television video format.

Video performance driven by new technologies has accelerated quickly in the past decade especially. Coming out of the 2000s and the 3D fad, the home video market saw the rollout of the 4K UHD television format and through the explosion of streaming media, many of the services quickly adopted UHD 4K format to help fuel 4K TV sales.

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With new technologies that include microLED, QLED and OLED, as well as advanced image processing solutions and increasingly affordable TV prices, the public’s desire for large-screen displays has surged. 

What Are Experts Saying?

Robert Zohn, president and founder of Value Electronics, a N.Y.-based specialty retailer and integration company that is known for its TV Shootout events, says this is a trend that he’s seen balloon recently. 

“The trend for larger-screen TVs did become more aggressive since COVID,” says Zohn. “The increased trend for larger TV screens has also developed because the new TVs have greatly improved upscale processing so the picture quality when rendered on a large screen looks stunning. Even low-resolution cable, OTA [over the air], and all streaming services that are compressed look like beautiful native 4K HDR.”

Zohn attributes consumer demand for bigger screen sizes to several factors that are highlighted by major advancements in technologies. He points out that both OLED and LCD display tech have improved, and video processors are now powerful to mitigate artifacts and improve regular 1080p HD and lower resolution.

“These significant advancements were seriously needed when you blow up the image to fill 98-inch plus screen sizes. You will easily see all the benefits of how the larger picture gives you a far more enjoyable and immersive experiences with all content,” he notes. “The technology advancements have also helped to lower the cost that has also helped with the higher demand for larger screen size TVs.”

As a dealer helping to reap rewards of these sales trends, Zohn says that he advises Value Electronics customers to purchase larger TVs when possible. 

“I tell this to every client and frequently include my suggestions for larger screen sizes on everyone’s next TV purchase,” he says.

A Word of Warning on Those Bigger Displays, Though

Using his many years of experience in the market, as well as his professional video background, Zohn says anyone interested in installing a TV should make sure that the height of the image area should be 1.5x the height of the TV.   

Zohn explains the human visual capability can’t differentiate individual pixels when watching a 4K TV from 1.5x the image height viewing distance. The digital video display’s pixels effectively disappear when viewing 4K images, he underscores, to create the impression of watching the image with the same detail and resolution as real life.

TVs Aren’t the Only Ones Benefitting from Bigger Screen Sizes

Zohn is quick to point out that the UST (Ultra Short Throw) market has also been trending up because of the increased demand for larger display sizes. 

“UST projectors are designed to perform beautifully in multipurpose rooms, like the family room. End users who like 3D content are also attracted to the new UST projectors as most now support 3D, which has also had a very significant upgrade for this new model year of UST projectors that are just starting to launch,” Zohn comments.

“For the most serious enthusiasts, Leica now makes an ultra-premium triple laser 4K HDR UST Projector with their famous and best Leica Summicron Lens.”

The TV Shootout creator adds that unlike some home technology trends, the public’s desire for bigger TVs will only continue to grow over the next several years. 

“Prices have come down on the best large-screen TVs, especially on the new QD MiniLED TVs, which has greatly increased the market share for larger TV screen sizes and the higher-end models that deliver the very best [performance]. Finally, this [2024’s] early starting and longer-term Black Friday promotional prices that now match many more of the customers’ budgets,” Zohn estimates. 

This article is part of our coverage for the Top 5 Home Technology Trends of 2025. To see a list of all the trends we see affecting integrators in the new year, follow the link to the article above.

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