In the current home appliance industry, Liang Zhen, a seasoned observer, believes that the color TV market is in a slump, and 8K TVs are more of a marketing gimmick at this stage. He predicts that the 8K market won't mature for another three to five years. Industry professionals also point out that the average household fiber-optic broadband still struggles to support full 4K content, let alone 8K videos. Even if someone buys an 8K TV, there's little 8K content available to watch.
A common question from customers during a visit to a TV store was, “Why not just go for a 4K TV, which is only a few hundred dollars more than a regular one?†This reflects the growing interest in higher resolution displays.
However, as 4K TVs were beginning to gain traction in households, Sharp launched the first consumer-grade 8K TV on August 31st. Unfortunately, the price—68,888 yuan—was far from being accessible to most consumers.
According to a report by CCTV earlier this year, the entire color TV industry has entered a "winter period," with average profits below 1%. In a highly competitive market where product differentiation is limited, companies have been battling over 4K technology for two years. Now, they’re moving into advanced technologies like OLEDs and quantum dots, aiming to reach the 8K market.
So what exactly is an 8K TV? Technically, it offers a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels—4.3 times that of the human eye. It delivers four times the clarity of 4K and 16 times that of standard HD.
At a Sharp 8K TV conference, Foxconn’s Vice President Chen Zhenuo said that Sharp is transitioning from being "the father of LCD" to "the father of 8K." With optimistic expectations, Sharp raised its global TV shipment target for 2017 from 10 million to 14 million units, a 40% increase.
Other major brands, including Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Hisense, Skyworth, and Konka, have also showcased their 8K TVs. For example, LG demonstrated a 98-inch 8K TV at the 2016 AWE Expo, while Skyworth introduced its 8K model at CES 2017. At the recent 2017 Berlin Electronics Show, Hisense unveiled a 4.9 mm-thin 8K TV.
According to Nielsen’s "China's Second Quarter Consumer Confidence Index Report," Chinese consumers are increasingly seeking high-quality products. Up to 75% of first-tier city consumers are willing to pay more for advanced electronic technologies. This may be one of the key reasons behind the industry's bet on 8K.
As a result, many industry insiders believe 2017 is the "first year" of 8K TVs, and more brands are expected to launch consumer-grade 8K models throughout the year.
However, Liang Zhen, a senior home appliance industry observer, remains skeptical. He argues that due to the downturn in the color TV industry, 8K TVs are currently more of a brand gimmick and will likely take three to five years to mature.
Despite the hype around 8K, it seems too early to talk about its popularity. Its predecessor, 4K TV, is still the dominant force in the market. Since LG introduced the world’s first 4K TV in May 2012, 4K has become the mainstream.
Times Finance visited several offline appliance stores and found that 4K TVs and curved TVs occupied the best display spots in all branded showrooms. A salesperson at Suning’s e-shop told Times Finance: “We’re definitely pushing 4K TVs now. Most customers who come in don’t buy immediately, but 90% are willing to try 4K.â€
The salesperson also noted that 4K TV prices have dropped significantly. A 49-inch high-definition TV costs 3,299 yuan, while a similar-sized 4K TV is priced at 3,599 yuan—just a 300-yuan difference.
When asked about 8K TVs, many salespeople admitted they knew about them but confirmed they weren’t yet available for sale.
According to Ove Cloud data, from January to July 2017, 4K TVs accounted for 57% of domestic LCD flat-panel TV sales, and 77% of total sales. A 2016 white paper on the Chinese TV industry showed that among consumers, 26% considered 4K the most useful technology after "smart" TVs (28%).
A color TV retail insider told Times Finance that 4K TVs are still in their "golden years." Even with the launch of 8K TVs, the 4K market is expected to remain popular for another three to four years.
One of the biggest barriers to 8K TV adoption is transmission technology and high prices. Compared to 4K TVs, 8K requires significantly more storage and bandwidth. A compressed 4K movie is about 200GB, and watching it online needs a speed of 40 Mbps. However, the 200 Mbps fiber widely used in China only offers a theoretical download speed of 25 Mbps. As a result, even advertised 4K content often gets downgraded.
Industry sources explain that 8K video is extremely data-heavy. One minute of 8K footage can require over 100GB, and 20 minutes could reach 4TB. This is a huge challenge for personal computers and smart TVs with limited storage.
Yi Qiyi, Senior Vice President of Galaxy Internet TV, and Duan Youqiao, Deputy General Manager, both agree that 8K development faces significant challenges. While the resolution doubles, the data volume increases exponentially, creating obstacles in transmission, production, and broadcasting.
Beyond technical issues, price remains a major obstacle. When 4K TVs first launched, they were priced in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. It took five years for prices to drop below 5,000 yuan. Sharp’s first consumer-grade 8K TV is priced at over 60,000 yuan, which is not surprising given the current state of the supply chain.
Liang Zhenpeng, a senior home appliance observer, explained that 8K panels are not yet mass-produced, so costs remain high. Additionally, supporting 8K playback requires more advanced CPUs and components, making it difficult to lower overall prices.
JDI in Japan was the first to develop an 8K panel in 2015, followed by Samsung and BOE. After acquiring Sharp, Foxconn invested 6.1 billion yuan to build a 10.5-generation LCD panel line in Guangzhou, with 8K panels expected to start production in 2019.
Ove Cloud predicts that 8K panel production will see a large-scale outbreak by 2019, with output reaching 6 to 7 million units annually. According to QunZhi Consulting, 8K panel shipments are expected to reach 8.2 million units by 2022, with a penetration rate of 3.3%. At that point, 8K TV prices are expected to drop significantly.
Although the high price of tens of thousands of yuan still deters most consumers, some industry insiders say it’s not too high compared to high-end 4K TVs. For instance, some 70-inch 4K TVs on Jingdong Mall sell for over 50,000 yuan, and Sharp’s 8K TV isn’t much more expensive.
“Achieving widespread adoption of 8K TVs might happen faster than 4K once prices drop,†said a color TV retailer to Times Finance.
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