4K Content

Operators have been paying more attention to their 4K content delivery strategies this year, and if recent predictions of consumer behavior prove out, providers may need to pick up their UHD pace yet again. This holiday season could mark a bellwether moment for 4K TV sales as CED has reported here and here, and additional findings were released this week indicating that current interest in the technology is going well beyond early adopters. The new research also says that operators offering beefier speeds to their subscribers are primed for growth as attention to 4K streaming devices rises in addition to the TVs themselves.

The NPD Group’s “Connected Intelligence Home Entertainment Report, 2016” indicates steadily growing consumer interest in 4K with 38 percent of those surveyed for the research saying they are very or somewhat likely to use a 4K TV in the future. That marks an increase of five percentage points from just the first quarter of this year, according to NPD.

The research firm also notes that as of Q3 2016, 87 percent of installed 4K TVs had active internet connections, which tends to imply that these consumers are among those who’d lean toward streaming media player ownership. NPD says a limited number of streaming media player owners have used a 4K streamer, but its findings show growth in awareness, interest, and usage − driven by Millennials. More than a third of consumers surveyed for the report are aware of 4K streaming media player availability, and this goes up to 52 percent of Millennials surveyed. Around 39 percent of respondents in the Millennial demographic also stated they have interest in future usage.