4K Ultra HD televisions are expected to double sales to 15 million units in the U.S. in 2016 and the next-generation TVs are now being adopted at a faster rate than predecessor high-definition TVs. Sales of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players are also selling at a fast rate, according to Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, the big tech lobbying group.

At a press event in San Francisco, Shapiro said that 62 percent of consumers plan to buy a consumer electronics viewing device in the next 12 months. 33 percent plan to buy a smartphone, and 29 percent plan to buy a TV.

“Consumers are showing a strong preference for 4K,” which has four times as many on-screen pixels as HDTVs, Shapiro said. “It’s faster and more robust than HDTV.”

By 2017, 4K UHD TV sales will hit 20 million a year in the U.S. That number will grow to 23 million in 2018, and 26 million by 2019, Shapiro said. The 2016 growth rate is 105 percent above the units sold for 2015.

More than 700,000 4K Blu-ray players have been sold so far in 2016, Shapiro said. Blu-ray is now 10 years old as a technology, launched in support of HDTV content. Now all of the major studios are releasing content on the 4K UHD format. Netflix is also streaming movies in 4K formats online. More than 500,000 4K Blu-ray discs have been sold so far, according to the Digital Entertainment Group.

It will be a $1 billion business by 2019 in the U.S. alone, the DEG’s president, Amy Jo Smith said.

Shapiro said that four of 10 TVs that ship this year will be 4K UltraHD, so sales of HDTVs remain strong as well. Almost every TV set over 50 inches diagonal is a 4K set, Shaprio said.

Meanwhile, prices are dropping. The average 4K TV price in 2015 was $1,048, and that is dropping to $861 in 2016. Shapiro said that the new ATSC 3.0 television standard is being finalized for 4K transmission over Internet Protocol and on mobile devices, and he expects to see TVs that use the standard at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2017.

The Consumer Technology Association, which puts on CES every year, expects to have about 3,800 exhibitors at CES 2017, which takes place from January 5 to January 8 in Las Vegas. About 165,000 attendees are expected from 150 countries. About 6,500 media are expected.

4K UHD TVs are growing sales at 105 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.

Good news for Sony and MS.

Surprised really, the difference is great but not as dramatic as the jump from standard to HD.

Probably get one for next gen, should be some attractive prices around by 2019/2020

What I don't understand is the marketing. Back when high definition was coming out, it was marketed as HD. Then when those 720P and 1080i tvs were in homes, they decided to lie to people by telling them they didn't have "full" hd, which was 1080P. After everyone went out and got themselves "full" hdtvs, then they decided to sell 2160P sets as "ultra"... even though they already told them 1080P was "full".

Here is the definition of full.

1.
containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space.

2.
not lacking or omitting anything; complete.

If full means holding as much as possible, then 1080P is the highest resolution mankind will ever produce and therefore, 2160P is pointless.

4k totally doesn't matter guys. The adoption rate is clearly terrible. Consumers can't tell the difference!

/s

A couple of main driving factors of selling 4K tvs is that tv manufacturer are making them out of competition, and that's pretty much all you can find on the market these day at a decent size.

A meaningless stat since 4k tvs are cheap, same price roughly as regular hd yet 4k content is no way near being adopted as high as blurays.

But Microsoft doesn't make TV sets.  :p

"More than 500 000 4K blu-ray discs have been sold so far"



.....That's it?

HDTV was way more expensive when it first came out, I remember the only person I knew that had a flat screen plasma (HDTV) was a really rich dude (circa 2002/2003). You had to pay $3000-$4000+ minimum for a 50-inch set. 

4KTV's are already under $1000, which kinda makes it a situation of, if you need a new TV, you might as well spend a tad more on the 4K set.