More 4K TVs were shipped last quarter than all of 2013

Second quarter global shipments of 4K Ultra HD (UHD) TV sets surpassed all UHD shipments for full year 2013, according to findings released by NPD DisplaySearch. The market research firm said UHD shipments reached 2.1 million sets in the period, compared to 1.6 million sets shipped throughout 2013. The increase was attributed to more brands introducing 2014 model ranges in the second quarter, with a clear focus on 4K as the “must-have” consumer feature for high-end television viewing.

There’s a reason why 4K televisions are becoming more prominent in your local electronics store: Manufacturers are shipping a lot more of them. TV makers shipped more of the ultra-high resolution sets in the second quarter of this year than they shipped in all of 2013, according to new research from NPD DisplaySearch. The second quarter is the period when TV manufacturers typically send to retailers their models that are new for the year. In the period between April 1 and June 30, TV makers shipped 2.1 million 4K sets. By contrast, they shipped just 1.6 million 4K TVs in all of 2013. What’s more, the 4K TVs are being distributed much more broadly. Last year, about 80 percent of these ultra-high definition TVs ended up in China. In the second quarter this year, about 60 percent of 4K TV shipments went to China, with nearly 10 percent heading to North America.