New study highlights one of the biggest issues with 4K TV − finding things to watch
A new study has put one of the main issues with 4K technology into sharp focus − actually finding 4K content to watch.
Hub Entertainment Research carried out a survey on 4K TV owners over May and June, and a staggering 43% of respondents claimed to have never actually watched any 4K content on their 4K TV. Just let that sink in.
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The sample size wasn’t the biggest − the study involved 2517 US consumers − so it would be foolish to consider this figure a fair representation of 4K TV owners worldwide, but that figure is so big it’s impossible to ignore.
30% of those that claimed to have never watched 4K content on their 4K TV said they didn’t know where to find 4K content.
22% of them, meanwhile, said that they don’t have access to 4K content; 18% of them said that they were happy with the quality of HD; and 15% of them blamed it on pricing (via Digital TV Europe).
In the tech industry at least, 4K is now generally accepted to be a mainstream technology, but the findings of this study suggest that it hasn’t really been explained well enough to general consumers – even to some of those that have stumped up the cash for a 4K telly.
4K content is growing more and more accessible by the month, particularly through streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, but it’s still a case of slim pickings on traditional TV.
Related: How to find 4K HDR content on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
“As smart TVs, connected TVs, connected devices, and TV voice-control devices proliferate, many new services and features have suddenly become available to TV set users,” said David Tice, co-author of the study.
“But TV manufacturers and services have a long record of inadequately educating consumers on their offerings. TV brands and content distributors need to work together to increase consumer awareness, as these great new features won’t help sell TV sets or services – or command a premium – if people don’t understand them.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
