Shipments of 4K TV panels in April 2015 exceeded three million units for the first time, comprising 14% of all TV panels shipped globally during the month, according to IHS.
Of all TV panels forecast to ship in 2016, one in five is forecast to be a 4K TV panels – sometimes marketed as ultra-high definition (UHD) – due to the trend toward higher resolution panels in the high-end TV segment and improved production efficiency of panel makers.
Said Linda Lin, senior analyst at IHS Technology: “Prices for 4K TV panels continued to decline in 2014 and early this year, causing a rise in their adoption”.
“Most global TV brands have now launched 4K UHD products and are introducing more 4K models to their television offerings,” she added.
IHS noted that when AU Optronics introduced the first 55-inch 4K TV panels in Taiwan in 2012, fewer than 100 units were shipped each month.
That same year, Innolux introduced the first 50-inch 4K TV panels but due to higher manufacturing costs, shipments still totaled fewer than 10,000 units per month.
In 2013, panel makers managed to improve their 4K TV panel yield rates, but shipments still made up less than 2% of all TV panels shipped.
“South Korean panel makers are now leading the 4K TV panel market,” Lin said. “LG Display and Samsung Display have risen to become the largest global manufacturers of 4K displays.”