IHS upgrades Ultra HD TV forecast

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — In light of swift reductions in pricing, IHS has boosted its forecast for UHD liquid-crystal display (LCD) television sets. IHS now predicts 38.5 million UHD LCD TV sets will ship in 2018, up from 1.5 million in 2013, according to the TV Systems Intelligence Service at IHS. Shipments will fly up more than 500 percent to reach 10 million in 2014.

“While television brands will show off their massive new ultra-high-definition sets at CES, the real focus for UHD makers in 2014 will be cost reduction,” said Jusy Hong, senior analyst for consumer electronics & technology at IHS. “Lower pricing will enable the market to expand—but UHD sets still have a long way to go before they command a major share of the overall market. In 2018, UHD will account for only about 16 percent of all LCD TV shipments.”