As retailers and TV vendors hype 4K TV analysts are tipping that Ultra High Definition technology will only make up 8% of the market next year with Chinese TV brands such as Hisense snaring a large share of the market.Global shipments of Ultra HD LCD TVs in 2014 will be small with the Australian market set to be less than 5%.

Component makers in Taiwan said that the global market will increase to 15-20 million units to take up 8-10% of all LCD TVs, with a large portion to be direct-type LED-backlit models.

Asian manufacturers claim that China-based vendors will account for over 50% of the global shipments, South Korea-based vendors 20% and Japan-based vendors 15%.

China-vendors will mainly launch less expensive direct-type LED-backlit Ultra HD LCD TVs, while Japan-based vendors will focus on relatively expensive edge-type LED-backlit models, the sources indicated.

The difference between direct-type LED-backlit LCD TVs and edge-type models is that diffusion sheets are used in the former and light guide plates in the latter, the sources explained. Prices for light guide plates are 2-3 times and more than three times those for diffusion sheets for use in 50-inch and 60-inch TVs, respectively, the sources said.