Press Release | August 22, 2024

New 4K and 8K Ultra HD Television Resources Unveiled for Integrators, Retailers and Sales Associates to Navigate Features

by 
Patrick Pannett
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today announces new resources designed to educate retailers, integrators, and sales associates about the features and benefits of 4K and 8K Ultra HD televisions to enhance sales and knowledge of the latest Ultra HD technology.

The content includes an in-depth glossary of 4K and 8K terms, and feature comparisons to demonstrate the superior picture quality of Ultra HD TVs to customers. The glossaries cover the essential features defining the latest TVs, such as resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), and wide color gamut (WCG), providing a useful resource for industry professionals.  

“With rapidly advancing television technology, including on-device AI, the retail and integration sectors need to know about the latest features and benefits of 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs," said Steve Koenig, Vice President, Market Research, CTA. "Our new resources are designed to equip frontline workers with the knowledge they need to share with consumers the clear advantages of these cutting-edge products.”

“The introduction of 8K televisions into the home environment has redefined the level of immersion and super realism possible for consumer entertainment,” said Juan Reyes, Director of Operations for the 8K Alliance.

“Thanks to 8K's exceptional resolution and clarity, viewers can experience a depth and detail that was previously unattainable, making every scene feel more lifelike and captivating. The 8K Association is committed to ensuring that our industry fully grasps the transformative nature of this technology.”

“The volume of content intended for home viewing, sometimes only for home viewing, makes the developments in display technology very meaningful for consumers, and education is an essential mission of all of us in the industry,” noted UHD Alliance Promotions Chair, Michael Hoog. “Features like HDR, WCG and Filmmaker Mode are integral to bringing the director’s intent out of the editing bay and into living rooms.”

Consumer preferences and AI are driving the need for these resources. According to CTA Research:
  • U.S. streaming services continue to add content with enhanced features, including 4K UHD, HDR and object-based/spatial surround audio capabilities.
  • The fastest growth will occur among extra-large LED TVs (75" and up), where unit sales will approach five million in 2024.
  • With 4K Ultra HD TVs now the dominant format in more than 50 percent of U.S. households, CTA predicts growth in 8K sales for 2025 as a new upgrade cycle and preference for extra-large screens deliver welcome growth.
Key features of 4K Ultra HD TVs include a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is four times the resolution of Full HD, and support for HDR, which enhances the contrast and color accuracy of the display. 8K Ultra HD TVs take it a step further with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels, offering an even more immersive viewing experience with greater detail and clarity.

CTA's initiative is part of a broader future toolkit, which aligns with the goal to drive awareness of the evolving video and content ecosystem. The resources are freely available to members, retailers and integrators and can be accessed through CTA.tech.

About Consumer Technology Association:  
As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA® is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators – from startups to global brands – helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES® – the most powerful tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech.  

About 8K Association:
The 8K Association (8KA) is a not-for-profit organization composed of key technology companies in the consumer and professional 8K ecosystem. The 8KA has been organized to educate, promote and evangelize on the many aspects of the 8K ecosystem from content creation and production to distribution and consumer consumption. The 8KA mission is to accelerate industry-wide adoption of 8K content, products and services. The 8KA has established a number of Work Groups to help provide information about the state of the 8K ecosystem to consumers, organizations and standards development groups. For more information about the 8K Association, please visit 8kassociation.com.

About the UHD ALLIANCE:
The UHD Alliance (UHDA), comprising more than 35 member companies, is a global coalition of leading film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, content distributors and technology companies aligned to foster the creation of an ecosystem that fully realizes and promotes the next generation premium in-home entertainment platform. Key characteristics of a robust next generation experience should offer 4K resolution as well as a mix of other features that include high dynamic range, wide color gamut, high frame rate and immersive audio, among other features. UHDA Board members are executives from: The DIRECTV Group Inc, Dolby Laboratories, LG Electronics, Netflix, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, Technicolor, The Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment. To learn more about the UHD Alliance, please visit: www.uhdalliance.org.