LONDON—New research from IHS Markit reveals the average screen size of TV units shipped in Q3 2018 grew larger than any previous quarter in more than a year.

Worldwide, shipments of TVs with screens 60 inches or larger in Q3 grew by 40 percent year over year, 10 percent higher than in recent quarters. In North America and emerging markets, the growth was even greater as prices hit new lows for 65- and 75-inch screen models, the research group found, the research group said.

“Each year during the holiday shopping season, brands and retailers try to push ever larger screen sizes to keep revenues growing and encourage adoption of value-added features like 4K and smart TV,” said Paul Gagnon, research and analysis executive directors at IHS Markit.

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This year promotional deals are helping to create greater interest in 65-inch TVs, which in turn is shifting the focus from sets with screens that are 50 inches or less, he added.

However, in Western Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa TV shipments were down by double digits in Q3 ’18 –off from the more than 7 percent increase for the regions in the first half of the year spurred on by seasonal promotions for the World Cup, IHS Markit said.

The share of 4K TVs shipped reached a record high of 44 percent in Q3. In terms of dollars and cents, they accounted for 71 percent of all TV revenue in the quarter. Shipments of 8K TVs remains small, with a single brand shipping in Japan and China. More brands are expected to ship 8K TVs by the end of the year, IHS Markit said.

In North America, the average price of a 65-inch 4K LCD TV fell from $1,256 to $1,100 in Q3, In China the average price was $928. Elsewhere the average price remained higher as a result of less competition and a smaller market size.

As relates to display technologies, OLED TV shipments fell slightly in the third quarter compared to Q2, while LCD TV shipments grew 14 percent quarter over quarter, and shipments of quantum dot LDC TV with screen sizes exceeding 60 inches increased to 663,000 units in Q3. Average OLED TV screen size also grew to more than 59 inches for the first time, as the share of 65-inch OLED TV shipments grew to a new high of more than 38 percent, the research group found. 

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.—Shipments of 4K TVs worldwide this year will exceed 102 million units, representing more than four in 10 flat panel TVs shipped, according to a new forecast from market research firm ABI Research.

By way of comparison, 4K TVs accounted for a third of units shipped in 2017, it said.

“As expected, 4K is quickly becoming the standard for TV sales,” said ABI Research industry analyst Khin Sandi Lynn.

The forecast is part of ABI Research’s new “Media Devices: UltraHD, 4K, HDR, 8K, HEVC” report.

According to the report, flat panel TVs are now found in 85 percent of households worldwide, which has slowed growth in the category. However, the transition from HD to 4K Ultra HDTV is expected to spur heightened growth, especially as 4K content becomes more widely available to viewers.

[Read: Bigger Is Still Better (At Least In The Living Room)]

“Just like HD before it, hardware technology reached the market far before any content did, placing an impetus on content creators and providers to catch up, while also allowing for a time of transition,” said Lynn.

Netflix and Amazon Prime are streaming 4K content, and pay TV providers, such as Russia’s Tricolor TV, are launching 4K movie channels. In the United States, Verizon and Frontier Communications are testing 4K services.

“Better visual experience and availability of 4K content together with declining price points are driving 4K TV set shipments,” said Lynn.

By region, Asia-Pacific will represent 37 percent of global 4K TV shipments this year. The Chinese market, where several low-cost 4K models are sold, is the main driver in the region.

When combined, the North American and European regions will account for nearly half of all 4K TV shipments in 2018, the research organization predicted.

The compounded annual growth rate for 4K flat panel TVs will achieve 17.3 percent, reaching 194 million unit shipments in 2022, it said.

As 4K TV becomes the norm, questions about HDR and its numerous flavors will become the focus, Lynn added.

More information about the new report is available on the ABI Research website.