High prices and lack of awareness harming 4K TV sales

SES’s Ultra HD channel

A lack of consumer awareness and high prices are hindering short-term demand for Ultra HD, 4K TV sets, according to new research from The Diffusion Group (TDG). 

The research firm found that 83% of adult broadband users had never heard of or were unfamiliar with 4K/Ultra-HD televisions – “hardly a favourable environment for OEMs looking to grow unit sales.”

With prices for Ultra HD sets generally ranging from around US$1,500 (€1,110) to US$10,000, TDG said that its research suggests that prices are “still too expensive for many consumers”

At a retail price of US$1,499 – the midpoint of the three prices evaluated – only 6% of adult broadband users said they were moderately or highly likely to purchase a UHD TV.

“This explicitly quantifies just how poor the demand for 4K/UHD televisions actually is and clearly demonstrates that current prices are too high to stimulate new sales,” said TDG president Michael Greeson.