When 4K UDTVs were introduced a couple of years ago, many speculated that it will take a very long time for the market to shift to the new technology because of so many reasons.
Among them is the scarcity of 4K content that can be shown and enjoyed on the high-res TVs. Second, only large-sized TVs will have greater benefit from a higher resolution, somewhere in the range of 55 inches and larger. The third and perhaps the biggest reason is the price tag. Most of the first and second-generation UHDTVs are very expensive, almost more than twice the retail price of their equivalent full HD models.
It took the market about 3 to 5 years to transition from HD (720p) to full HD (1080p) and, as such, it made a bit of sense that the shift from full HD to 4K (quad-1080p) will take much longer than that.
Nevertheless, TV manufacturers continue to produce different variants and sizes starting from 32-inch right up to 105 inches.
Recently though, we’ve seen some aggressive pricing adjustments for 4K TVs.
The bigger and more expensive ones, with price tags between Php500,000 to Php1.5 million, are still beyond the reach of the mid-tier market and the movement in that segment is quite slow but noticeable.
However, the entry-level models have seen pretty sweet deals lately. These are the 42-inch to 55-inch models that are priced below Php100,000.
In our recent visits to several appliance stores within Metro Manila in the last two months, we’ve personally observed the drastic adjustments in this price category.
Perhaps the most attractive offer we’ve seen is a 42-inch LG 4K UHDTV being sold for just Php32,990 from the previous price of Php49,990 (the discounted price is based on cash or straight credit card purchase).
With a similar promo, the store was also offering the same 42-inch UHDTV along with a 32-inch full HD 3D TV for a bundled price of Php43,000. That puts the price of the additional 32-inch HDTV at just Php10,000. That’s already a good deal right there.
Scouting around for other promos, the one above is perhaps the best bang for the buck. It was such a good deal we immediately took the second offer and bought the two TV sets on my second visit to the appliance store.
The sales rep who assisted us with the purchase commented that it was their more popular TV bundle for some time and have sold quite a number of units that month.
As a comparison, about 12 months ago, we also bought a 42-inch Sony HDTV for the almost the same price tag as the current 4K UHDTV of the same display size. In just a year, the price adjustments from 1080p to 4K TVs have somewhat evened out.
That right there is a good indication that mass adoption of 4K TVs is coming sooner than later.
For the longest time, most TV buyers are leaning towards bigger display sizes when looking to upgrade. However, the ceiling for comfortable and affordable TV sizes has already plateaued.
Perhaps the next major factor when upgrading to a new TV set is 4K resolution rather than display size. That remains to be seen but the trend is already starting.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
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corn says:
PALON Actually when you can’t see the difference is when there is something wrong with your eyes. Or if the content is NOT 4k or is a store splitting the same signal 50 times! Which makes the image not good enough for 4k. I have a 55 inch 4k and a 65 inch samsung UN65JS9000 which I did not pay 3,5000 (USD) 168,000 peso for for NOTHING. Once you get a 4k tv home and play a blu ray on it you will see how wrong you are. Especially if you still have your 1080p to compare it side by side.
But if your over 65 years old or have bad eyes and no treatment or glasses then you will not notice much of a difference.
Jacob says:
Tons of 4K content can now be downloaded. Further, high resolution blu-ray movies play better in Ultra HDTV than Full HD. 4k has arrived. Even mobile phones can now record 4k videos, and they are stunning when played back on UHD TV. Got a 55-inch Samsung 4K TV three months ago. I have two Full HD TVs at home as well. The difference is night and day.
palon says:
I guess there is something wrong in your eyes. You described their difference as night and day somewhat like a 240p vs.1080p. I’ve seen a demonstration of 4K TV in their full glory, yes, it is superior than full HD but not too far away.
ulvadu says:
my humble opinion gentlemen, lets wait for content to arrive first before upgrading. Ive scouted for UHD last year yun mga refresh and contrast ratio are atrocious compared to their 1080p counterparts. Ako I settled for a 1080p gaming monitor. Comparing it wiht my LG 55″ na 3 year old 1080p. Nakahilo maglaro sa malaking screen since there is blurring and lag. This is the same situation with fast moving movies. So lesson learned na ko. Top of the line 1080p than entry level 4K na walang mapanood na content. Same as Honda Jazz na may gas kaysa sa Porsche na nasa garahe lang. :)
maka mura says:
mas mura pa dyan ang western dito sa ptuazon cubao
ansonata says:
Based sa price tag sa picture. Mukhang Ansons ung store. :p
ww.kusina101.com says:
eto ba yung model # nyan? LG 42UB820T. may mga nakita ako sa olx na 29.5k lang. but i still prefer to buy at sights and sounds. pwede mo pa itrade yung old tv mo for an upgrade. :)
Frank says:
What content is available that takes advantage of 4K?
themonyo says:
youtube is already capable of streaming 4k contents. you just need to have a crazy fast internet connection to do it or just pre-load the content and wait for it to finish considering the internet speeds here in the Philippines. For me, I’ll use it as a PC monitor.
Yoga says:
Hey abe! Which appliance store did you get this? If you can’t mention the name, just please tell me what mall. Thanks
Themonyo says:
Hhhhmmm… I seem to have missed the store’s name in the article :/
JM says:
Sir Yuga if it’s okay to ask, Which store did you bought the TV set? I am scouting for a television also. Thanks in advance.