Event: LG Display unveiled technologically advanced 8K OLED TV at CES 2019
On January 8, 2019, LG Display, one of the leading providers of large OLED displays, introduced a technologically advanced OLED TV with a massive 88-inch display screen and 8K resolution. The company, to strengthen its position in the display industry, is focusing on developing technologically advanced OLED display panels, primarily used for TVs. The OLED TV has advanced features such as superior picture and sound quality, a powerful processor that automatically upscales non-8K content using AI algorithms, wide-viewing angles with no image distortion irrespective of the viewing angle, and advanced 3.2.2-embedded sound system that analyzes sound source to improve and enhance sound effects. AI elements in this OLED TV provide the viewer with the most realistic experience, with improved sound quality, sharp images, and minimal blur.
Additionally, at CES 2019, the company introduced another 8K OLED TV with a 65-inch display screen and faster motion picture response time of 3.5ms. Besides, the company not only showcased a 12.3-inch transparent OLED display for automobile applications but also a 27-inch 4K monitor with 0.11-inch thin bezels, as well as a 13.3-inch 4K screen for laptops.
Analysis by MarketsandMarkets™:
Rajeev Rajput – Team Lead Research : Electronics & Semiconductors, at MarketsandMarkets™, shares his Point of View as mentioned below:
The 8K resolution, the successor of 4K, is now the highest ultra-high-definition (UHD) resolution in television and film restoration/mastering and is 16 times detailed than the 1080p resolution. In the display market, 8k display technology is still in the evolving phase; however, in the future, the demand for this technology is projected to increase significantly for several applications including televisions, digital signage solutions, and monitor devices. 8k display panels could be ready this year; however, actual 8k content production will start to tickle out when major manufacturers will pour their major resources in upscaling technology and strive for making everything look better in 8K. Major companies involved in 8K display manufacturing are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), LG Electronics (South Korea), Sharp Corporation (Japan), NEC Display (Japan), and Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Sony Corporation (South Korea), Dell (US), Hisense (US), Leyard (China), ViewSonic (US), Changhong Electric (China), TCL Corporation (China). On January 8, 2019, Sony showcased 98-inch and 85-inch LCD TVs with an 8K resolution that deliver excellent details and contrast for a realistic picture. On the same day, Samsung introduced 98-inch (along with 85-, 85-, 75-, and 65-inch) QLED TVs having 8K resolution with Quantum Processor to manage all the on-screen action including recognizing and upscaling contents. Earlier on January 5, 2017, Dell launched a 32-inch 8K monitor capable of displaying 4 times more content than Ultra HD 4K monitor.
Samsung Display (South Korea), LG Display (South Korea), Innolux (Taiwan), BOE Technology (China), Sharp (Foxconn) (Japan), and Japan Display (Japan) are among a few major display panel manufacturers.
8K displays are primarily based on LCD, QD-LCD, and OLED technologies. The rising demand for displays with superior picture quality and attractive design is expected to propel the growth of the market for 8K displays. High brightness, attractive and thin panel design, and low power consumption are some of the key features offered by advanced technologies such as OLED and QLED over other available technologies. The OLED technology is already penetrated in the display market and witnessed significant growth in the recent past.
- LCD is one of the most common technologies used in displays. LCD has witnessed rapid growth in the last decade owing to its advantages such as low cost and high resolution. LCD technology is posing challenges to newer display technologies due to its advanced features such use of QD enhancement films, LTPS substrates, and mother glass for production, along with thin form factor.
- OLED is a type of LED in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound that emits light in response to an electric current. OLED displays are light in weight, deliver better picture quality, consume less power, and have a fast response time. OLED is a relatively new technology but has started dominating the display market and is slowly replacing LCD in several applications, including smartphones and TVs.
- QLED display refers to an LCD that uses quantum dots material to offer better picture quality. QLED displays have multiple advantages, including high brightness capability, vivid colors, high contrast, and improved off-angle viewing.
- Micro-LED is an emerging display technology that is self-emitting in nature; micro-LEDs can have fast response times and make it possible to develop displays having high brightness and low power consumption. The potential for a thinner, lighter, and brighter display with improved color gamut, fast response time, and longer battery life makes micro-LED the ideal display technology for HMDs.
8K displays can be used in various products, such as televisions, digital signage solutions, and monitors. However, the television segment is likely to dominate the market for 8K displays. The global television display panel market was valued at USD 34.14 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 43.73 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period. LCD technology dominated the TV segment by capturing ~94% of the market share in 2018. This is mainly due to the maturity of LCD technology and the presence of a large number of LCD-based display panel manufacturers in the market. QD-LCD, a type of LCD with QD enhancement films, is expected to be the growth factor for the overall LCD panel market in the television segment during the forecast period. However, the market share of LCDs is likely to decline to 80% by 2024 due to the adoption of OLED technology in televisions and development of micro-LED displays for televisions (expected to be commercialized by 2020).
8K displays can also be used in digital signage solutions or professional displays. These include video walls, whiteboards, and standalone displays. The digital signage display market was valued at USD 10.75 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 16.19 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.6% during 2019–2024. The rising demand for high-quality displays with crystal clear images and attractive, modern design fosters the growth of digital signage display market. Technologies such as fine-pixel direct-view LED and OLED are expected to surge the demand for digital signage displays in the next few years. Direct-view LED displays are expected to dominate the digital signage market by 2024. Average selling prices of direct-view LED display panels have sharply decreased in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and a similar trend is expected to continue till 2024, which would boost the adoption of direct-view LED displays in the coming years.
Conclusion:
Leading display panel manufacturers and brand product manufacturers are releasing technologically advanced products to respond to the ever-changing demands of the customers in the market. Though 8K technology can be targeted for limited products, such as display products (televisions, digital signage solutions, and monitors), cameras, and projectors, it has huge growth potential in the coming years as 8K displays are capable of demonstrating extremely detailed or crystal clear image and are ideal for delivering contents in entertainment, sports, advertisement, other applications in which even the slightest bit of unintended blur can make the viewer upset. However, the unavailability of 8k content and the infrastructure including processors, converters, and switches required for broadcasting higher bandwidth data pose a challenge for the 8K display market growth at present.