How 4K TVs are becoming the new standard

4K TVs are becoming increasingly popular around the world and are projected to replace Full HD TVs. This is according to data published by Statista.

The 4K (or UHD) label signifies a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, which is four-times the quality of Full HD (1080p).

The increased resolution relates to a higher-quality image, especially with larger screens.

According to Statista, it is expected that 28.8% of total TVs shipped worldwide will be 4K units at the end of 2017, an increase of over 8% percentage points from 2016.

Since 2013, the market share of 4K TVs has increased, with almost a third of global TVs shipped now 4K.

If the popularity of 4K TVs continues to increase at the current rate, it is expected that 4K will overtake Full HD as the new resolution standard for TVs in the coming years.

4K TV market share

New standards

4K not only offers a higher resolution than 1080p, but a higher colour gamut and can support higher contrast ratios.

Many modern 4K displays support high dynamic range (HDR) standards such as HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

To meet these standards, displays need to offer good contrast, rich colours, better lighting, and better colour depth.

High-end OLED 4K panels often offer HDR support by default, due to the high contrast ratio offered by their lack of a backlight.

Thanks to the steadily-decreasing price of 4K displays, more consumers are gaining access to high-resolution TVs.

This allows them to take advantage of new media on offer, such as the latest shows on Netflix – which offer 4K support – and 4K videos on YouTube.

Video games are also driving 4K display adoption, with high-end gaming PCs, the PlayStation 4 Pro, and Xbox One X all capable of delivering 4K visuals in games.

This article first appeared on MyBroadband and is republished with permission.

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