The transition to larger and larger 4K displays continues at a strong pace, which is good news for integrators.
According to IHA Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), a market research firm, nearly half (44 percent) of all TVs shipped in the Q3 2018 were 4K displays.
Also, driven by strong growth in North America, global shipments of 60-inch+ screens leaped by 40 percent compared to Q3 2017, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to recent quarters.
Overall, the number of TVs shipped in Q3 was flat following 7 percent growth in the first half of 2018, driven by the World Cup, according to IHS. The only thorn in the report is that prices fell to new lows for 65-inch and 75-inch sizes.
“Each year during the holiday shopping season, brands and retailers try to push ever larger screen sizes to keep revenues growing and encourage adoption of value-added features like 4K and smart TV,” says Paul Gagnon, research and analysis executive director, IHS Markit.
“This year, there’s higher interest in 65-inch 4K TVs for many of the key promotional deals, leading to less focus on smaller screen sizes under 50 inches.”
4K Transition Complete
The report notes that in terms of larger size TVs, the transition from 1080p to 4K is nearly complete. As noted, the share of 4K TV shipments in the third quarter reached a record high of nearly 44 percent. Moreover, due to sustained premiums and larger average size, 4K TVs made up more than 71 percent of all TV revenues during the quarter.
According to the upcoming 2019 CE Pro State of the Industry report, due out in January, integrators indicated 4K TVs will be their hottest selling product category next year.
Related: Integrator Sells $286,000 in Samsung 8K TVs in 4 Hours
Meanwhile, 8K TV shipments are still very small, with just a few brands currently shipping a very small number of units. IHS Markit expects additional brands to start shipping 8K TVs by the end of 2018.
Display Prices Drop
Prices of 65-inch 4K LCD TVs fell to an average of $1,110 in North America during the third quarter, from $1,256 in the previous quarter.
OLED TV shipments were down slightly in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, with the anticipated promotional focus shifting to LCD for the holiday season. LCD TV shipments increased by 14 percent, quarter over quarter.
Quantum dot LCD TV shipments rose to 663,000 units in the third quarter, with an average size exceeding 60-inches. The average size of OLED TVs increased to more than 59 inches for the first time, as the 65-inch shipments share grew to a new high of more than 38 percent.
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