Understanding the importance of UHD in Europe

As 4K and UHD become common in content production and distribution, understanding how consumers value UHD in video services is essential. Omdia’s Consumer Research gives us insights into this area and explores what aspects of video services are most important to viewers. This article focuses specifically on findings from four European markets—France, Germany, Spain, and the UK—where nationally representative samples of online adults aged 18–64 were surveyed. Respondents were asked to rate how important various features were to them in a TV or video service using a 1–5 scale (5 being "very important").

The trend towards multi-device content consumption, particularly among younger viewers, creates challenges in delivering consistent quality across televisions, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Display capabilities vary significantly between devices in terms of brightness, contrast, and colour. HDR standards address these variations through different approaches: HDR10 uses static metadata for broad compatibility, while standards like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR Vivid employ dynamic metadata for frame-by-frame optimisation, helping maintain creative intent across diverse modern displays.

Against this backdrop of technical complexity and innovation, the latest survey, conducted in November 2024, found that 45% of European respondents rated 4K/UHD content as important (a score of 4 or 5). This figure forms the baseline for exploring which groups of consumers are driving demand—and where future opportunities may lie.

The most notable variation by age shows that younger consumers are significantly more likely to rate UHD as important. 54% of 18–24-year-olds and 55% of 25–34-year-olds rate UHD as important—around 9-10% higher than the European average. These younger audience segments, raised as digital natives, are more likely to expect premium, high-quality visual experiences as standard. This generation is likely to be considering their first major TV purchase or an upgrade, making them a crucial group of consumers for manufacturers and content platforms promoting UHD capabilities.

Older demographics, by contrast, rate UHD as less important. Only 37% of 45–54-year-olds and 36% of 55–64-year-olds scored it as a 4 or 5. While this suggests that there is a decline in UHD interest with age, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Among older consumers, those who use newer video services or own premium devices (as explored later in this article) also tend to rate UHD as more important than their age peers, highlighting that behaviour and engagement can outweigh age alone.

Audiences using certain types of video services are also more likely to rate UHD as an important factor compared to the European average. FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV), TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand), and AVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand) users rated UHD as important at 60%, 59%, and 61% respectively. Survey data shows that respondents who use these services tend to skew younger on average, reflecting those who place a premium on visual quality. This suggests that UHD may serve as a competitive differentiator for platforms in these fast-growing segments.

Pay-TV users also rated UHD as important, with 54% rating it a 4 or 5. This group may already associate Pay-TV with premium content and expect UHD as part of that value proposition.

In contrast, users of SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand, 50%), social video (48%), BVOD (Broadcaster Video on Demand, 47%), and free TV (49%) rated UHD less important than users of the aforementioned services, though still above the European average, and may be linked to these services’ broader appeal to more age groups.

Analysis of different consumer profiles shows clear differences in the importance of UHD for certain groups, being well above the average. Cinema-goers (61%) and sports fans (57%) are groups conditioned to high-quality visual experiences and naturally place higher importance on UHD. Gamers (52%) are also a key group, though this is likely reflective of owners of UHD-capable consoles and PCs. Password sharers (60%) and video pirates (63%) also emerge from analysis, and while these groups pose monetisation challenges, their appreciation of UHD could signal an opportunity for platforms to attract through enhanced legal offerings.

Unsurprisingly, owners of premium hardware tend to rate UHD as more important than average. Among owners of PS5 and Xbox Series S/X consoles, 62% rated UHD as important. Similarly, looking at premium streaming media devices, 63% of owners of Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, Apple TV 4K, or Chromecast with Google TV 4K said the same.

The data points to an evolving UHD landscape, where premium content and device users are driving adoption. As visual expectations continue to rise, particularly among younger audiences, UHD appears poised to transition from a premium offering to a fundamental requirement in content delivery.