A Scramble to Preoccupy 8K TV Market
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will have a showdown again over 8K TVs at CES 2020 in Las Vegas next January as the two TV giants are seeking to preoccupy the North American market, which is the largest market for 8K TVs.
Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are stepping up their efforts for the launch of main 8K TV models at the CES of next year. Samsung Electronics raised the contrast modulation (CM) value of all new products to be released next year to more than 50 percent in order to obtain an 8K grade certificate from the U.S. Consumer Technology Association (CTA). LG Electronics has attacked Samsung Electronics since the IFA in September for the low CM value of its 8K TVs, which remained in the 10 percent range. The CTA's 8K TV standard is a CM value of 50 percent or higher.
As LG Electronics began working to obtain a CTA 8K TV certificate for its new 8K LCD and OLED TVs, Samsung Electronics is also pushing forward with the popularization of 8K TVs after suspending the fight with LG Electronics. In addition, for the popularization of 8K TVs, Samsung Electronics is considering applying 8K TV technology to budget TV models as well as to luxury ones where 8K TV technology was already applied. LG Electronics is preparing for the CES with its 8K TV lineup, including larger models.
Apart from Samsung and LG, the number of 8K TVs to be introduced at the next CES is expected to surge as foreign TV makers recently jumped into 8K TV production. After Sharp released the world’s first 8K TV in 2017 and Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics expanded the 8K TV market later, TCL launched an 8K QLED TV model at the end of last month, signaling 8K TV launches by Chinese TV manufacturers.
Huawei which had announced a plan on the launch of its 8K TV model within this year began a test for mass-production of OLED TVs after receiving OLED panels from LG Display, recently said foreign news sources and sources in the TV industry. However, TV industry experts believe that actually Huawei will not be able to produce and launch 8K OLED TVs. HiSense is also expected to launch 8K TVs early next year.
Thanks to this expansion of the 8K TV market, sales of 8K TVs are on the rise every year in North America, the world's largest TV market. IHS Markit forecast that 8K TV sales are expected to swell 25.9 percent this year, 36.3 percent next year and 40.2 percent in 2021.