Keeping up with the pace of technology, 4K content is exploding

4K TV is also called ultra-high definition TV. Its physical resolution reaches 3840×2160 pixels, which is 4 times that of full HD and 9 times that of high definition. At present, prices have dropped significantly, especially many domestic 4K TVs are priced around 5,000 yuan. In 2015, 14.5 million 4K TVs were sold in the domestic market, with a penetration rate of 38.3%. But in comparison, the content has been left behind by several blocks: there is currently no 4K TV station in China that has started broadcasting. According to institutional research, the domestic 4K market content demand in 2015 was 30,000 hours. However, the actual content that users can see is less than 300 hours, and the supply rate of 4K content has only reached 1%. The 4K industry is faced with the embarrassment of "having no rice to cook".

Data show that in 2015, the total global movie box office was US$38 billion, with China's US$6.78 billion, accounting for 17.8%, becoming the second largest movie market after North America. Domestic movie box office has repeatedly broken records. On the other hand, IP dramas continue to heat up, online dramas continue to be popular, unlicensed and uncopyrighted content has been cleared, and licensees have begun to try to provide differentiated content services for paid members. All signs indicate that the spring of the content service industry is about to arrive or has already arrived. As 4K TVs become more popular, the demand for 4K content will grow. Forecast data shows that the retail sales of ultra-high definition TVs will reach 20.46 million units in 2016, accounting for 43%. Faced with such a high market share, 4K content is far from keeping pace. There are no official statistics on 4K resources yet, but major mainstream video websites have not yet launched video resources. Many users have said that "it is difficult to buy 4K movies if you have money." This shows how scarce the video sources are.

While many people are still complaining about small screens taking over the large screen market, the charm of large screens is bringing users back to the living room. Data from Aowei Cloud Network shows that in December 2015, the average viewing time of users increased by 1.5 hours, and the activation rate increased by 11 percentage points. Peng Jianfeng, deputy secretary-general of the China Electronic Video Industry Association, predicted at the "2015 China Electronic Information Industry Economic Operation and Color TV Industry Research Conference": "By the end of 2016, the total number of TVs and boxes with network ports sold will exceed 200 million. Calculated based on an activation rate of 50%, the number of large-screen users will also exceed 100 million." The resulting information consumption will detonate the trillion-dollar TV content market.

Of course, many people have already seen the future imagination of 4K business. On January 20, China's interactive TV content platform operator Youpeng Pule officially announced that the company has cooperated with Hollywood companies to successfully introduce China's first batch of truly high-end 4K content. True 4K content will officially meet users after the Spring Festival in the Year of the Monkey. On the 21st, Youku Tudou teamed up with Huawei to hold a 4K press release and technical seminar, and jointly launched the 4K technology platform "4K Joint Laboratory" and the 4K content service platform "4K Garden" to establish a new 4K video ecosystem. It plans to produce and provide more than 3,000 hours of 4K content every year starting from 2017.

Wu Yi, chairman and founder of 4K Garden, said that 4K development has achieved technological breakthroughs, China’s network environment has also supported it, 4K terminals have gradually matured, and content production is a huge bottleneck. He believes that the 4K profit model has also matured, and Netflix (the first online video rental provider in the United States to provide 4K video resources) charging users will become mainstream. Currently, Internet video users are willing to pay when using smart TVs, and users are gradually accepting paid content such as videos, games, education, and shopping.

According to the latest news released by Korea Telecom, South Korea will start promoting 4K TV programs before the end of 2016, and will invest 320 billion won to strengthen promotion. This news also means that soon, Korean viewers will be able to watch 4K TV programs with clearer images.

Korean telecom operator KT is a company owned by Korea Telecom. This company has been committed to promoting IPTV and other related services. Recently, the company stated that it will conduct testing of 4K online audio and video transmission through satellite live broadcast. The company it cooperates with is SK Broadband, which is also a subsidiary of Korea Telecom. The company will invest 320 billion won in infrastructure construction for 4K audio and video program transmission, and will also be used to invest in 4K content production.

It is understood that in the news statement, David Godfrey, regional vice president of Korea Telecom, said that 4K TV programs have become a trend, and South Korea is confident to achieve better 4K audio and video program content. Moreover, through the continued operation and promotion of KT and SK, 4K audio and video content will be better delivered through satellite transmission. According to the plan, after South Korea launched 4K TV services at the end of 2016, it is expected to launch more advanced 8K TV services in 2018.

In addition to South Korea, the Japanese government has also begun to promote plans to commercialize 4K TV services. In the future, it also plans to broadcast higher-quality 8K TV programs. It is planned to help the Japanese 4K TV market continue to grow through such promotion. According to recent sales figures in the Japanese market, the sales volume of 4K TVs in Japan continues to rise. If we look at the sales proportion of large-size TVs above 50 inches, 4K sales have exceeded 50%, which is equal to when two consumers buy a TV, one of them chooses to buy a 4K TV.

Recently, Waoo, a well-known Danish cable TV operator, announced that it will jointly launch a 4K ultra-high-definition box product with Netflix. In other words, Danish consumers will no longer have to hesitate whether to choose 4K TV due to the shortage of film sources, and it is estimated that they will soon be able to watch 4K ultra-high-definition TV programs. It is understood that the 4K ultra-high definition machine box is equipped with a 4K exclusive button. Users only need to press the exclusive button on the remote control to quickly enter the 4K video area provided by Netflix. The operation is very simple. In addition, it is reported that Waoo also attaches great importance to the box, saying that after the CES2016 exhibition, it established an in-depth cooperative relationship with Netflix and tested the exclusive 4K ultra-high-definition box customized by Netflix. What's more worth mentioning is that when this 4K ultra-high-definition box is officially released, all Waoo users (using cable TV networks and IPTV Internet TV) will be able to watch a large number of genuine 4K programs provided by Netflix. And the program content is quite rich, such as House of Cards, Narcotics Special Police and other film and television dramas.

Recently, news from Portugal Telecom showed that 4K programs have been officially launched and successfully broadcast during the European Cup. Portugal Telecom stated that it has now officially promoted 4K ultra-high-definition boxes, which are realized through its MEO three-network-in-one technology and uses optical fiber access. The monthly viewing fee is 5.5 euros, equivalent to RMB 40, and users can watch 4K ultra-high-definition TV program content. It is worth noting that in order to take care of users who have not purchased 4K ultra-high-definition TVs at home, Portugal Telecom has also taken great pains. Launched a plan to rent 4K TVs for free. Specifically, it is still very affordable. That is, users only need to pay 13.99 euros per month, equivalent to 103 yuan, to move home a new Samsung 4K ultra-high-definition TV. The size is 43 inches, which is enough for viewers with limited living room space. In terms of program content, through the MEOBox 4K box, users can watch many ultra-high-definition programs with a resolution of 4K. A lot of sports event content will be provided in the early stage, and the content will be richer later. In the future, we will also consider cooperating with satellite TV operators to transmit 4K TV signals through satellite to benefit more Portuguese residents.

As an inevitable trend in the development of video streaming media, 4K has become one of the main battlefields of the next Internet TV industry, and this industry with unlimited imagination is still waiting for people to enter the game. Some industry experts commented that today, as hardware conditions such as technology, terminals, and bandwidth have become more and more mature, users' demand for high-quality video images has become a rigid necessity. It is believed that as giants from all walks of life start 4K research, the 4K industry will usher in a milestone explosion point in 2016.