Will Ultra-Large TV Sets Accelerate A UHD Future?

This year has seen a surge in the availability of XXL size (85” and larger) TVs. Initially offered by Hisense and TCL in North America, they have catalysed other brands to launch their own ranges. The category has long been led by China, where almost all (over 90%) of shipments occurred until 2023. The relevance for UHD is that ultimately, screen size is a big driver of increased resolution. The sharpness difference with HD becomes clearly visible in screen sizes of 40” and larger. In turn, sizes over 80” will benefit greatly from UHD resolutions, but a continuing emphasis on HDR especially across all screen sizes needs to be maintained as it creates impact regardless of screen size. The difference in the demand of large screens by region creates different landscapes for consumers to benefit from UHD resolutions, and thereby require different approaches.

In Western Europe, with smaller homes and therefore a preference for smaller sets, consumers are happy to spend more than those in the US, choosing higher- performing sets in smaller sizes. Thereby, HDR and immersive audio carry more weight than out-and-out resolution in homes with smaller screens. Nevertheless, IFA’24 saw a serious push by Hisense and TCL into 100”-class sizes in the region.

North America isthe potential growth story: we expect that 2024’s shipments of 98”+ will be four times 2023’s level at just under 100,000. But caution is necessary: such very large sets are complicated to transport, requiring either delivery by a van with a lift and two staff, or if by consumers then a large pickup truck – and even then, the tailboard will need to stay down. US consumers are more likely to want to collect in person, unlike China where home delivery is considered normal (and advantageous when you live in an apartment). Such large sets are also heavy, so wall-mounting is not so much a decor decision as a necessity to prevent the risk of injury from the set toppling. Many consumers will want the service of installation of such an unwieldy set. Exactly how much more growth is possible is an open question.

We surveyed consumers in the US to investigate the level of willingness to purchase such sets. The research ran in parallel with researching custom installers’ views. The surprising finding was that the most popular location for such giant sets was in the bedroom (confirmed by installers’ reports). The broad conclusion though was that US consumers were open to the idea of 100”-class sets, the main obstacle being cost. And China is then an outlier: consumers are much more comfortable with enormous sets, even in quite modest rooms. The average size of TV shipping in China, at over 60”, is the largest in the world. Furthermore, TV prices are low, not least because all such sizes use LCD panels manufactured locally in China. For UHD, screen size significantly influences resolution benefits, with sizes over 80” greatly benefiting. However, HDR remains crucial across all sizes for impactful visual quality and should be also promoted.