The advent of 8K broadcasting in Japan for the 2020 Olympics is expected to spur a new round of resolution increases, even though shipments have not yet started in serious commercial volumes. According to IHS, shipments of 8K ultra-high definition (UHD) resolution (7680 x 4320 pixels) TVs are expected to increase from 2,700 shipped worldwide in 2015 to 911,000 in 2019. The IHS 8K TV forecast hinges on the 65-inch screen size, which has by far the highest volume in production and will account for almost 80 percent of 8K TV shipments in 2019.

The biggest inhibitor to the growth of 8K TV will be consumer screen size preferences, said Paul Gray, principal analyst for IHS. "8K requires a very large screen or the higher resolution becomes invisible at normal viewing distances. The average screen size in the TV market has grown by an inch each year over the past decade, but it is still a long haul before sizes over 70 inches become commonplace."

New LCD fabs in China are scheduled to come online in the next three years, so the capacity to make 65-inch 8K TV displays will increase dramatically. At the same time, Chinese consumers have proven to adopt new TV technologies early, as evidenced by their recent uptake of 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution. "We can be confident that a combination of enhanced local panel production and consumers eager for the latest technology will make China the driving factor in 8K television growth," Gray said.