8K TV Sales in Europe at Risk of Suspension... Samsung and Other Korean Companies Seeking Countermeasures

Korean Companies Hit Hard as Strengthened Energy Efficiency Takes 70% Market Share

Samsung Electronics 2022 NeoQLED 8K TV

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] As the European Union (EU) strengthens energy efficiency standards applied to TVs, the sale of 8K TVs that exceed the power consumption threshold will become difficult in Europe starting from March next year. Korean companies such as Samsung and LG, which dominate the next-generation premium 8K TV market that delivers the 'dream resolution,' are taking a direct hit. Korean companies are currently negotiating with the EU, along with our government and the 8K Association, regarding the flexibility of energy efficiency measurement standards.

According to the electronics industry on the 19th, the EU will tighten TV power consumption regulations across its 27 member countries starting March 1 next year. If the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of 8K and MicroLED TVs does not meet 0.9 or below, sales within the EU will be generally prohibited. Initially, Europe planned to apply the EEI 0.9 standard only to 4K TVs, but from March 1 next year, the scope will be expanded to include 8K and MicroLED TVs.

The industry realistically believes it is impossible to maintain the current 8K specifications while matching the power consumption of 4K TVs. An 8K TV is an ultra-high-resolution TV with 7,680 horizontal pixels and 4,320 vertical pixels, regarded as a premium product capable of delivering the 'dream resolution.' Since 8K theoretically offers four times the resolution of 4K, it inevitably consumes more power, and currently, no 8K TV on the market meets the EU's power consumption standards.

The U.S. IT media outlet Digital Trends stated, "To pass the standard, currently manufactured 8K TVs would need to reduce their EEI by half," and predicted, "if no changes occur before the regulation amendment takes effect, there will be no 8K TVs available for sale in the EU." It also called the EU regulation "not only inelegant but disastrous," effectively urging its withdrawal.

If the standards are not relaxed immediately, Korean companies, which control 70% of the global market for 8K and MicroLED TVs, will be directly impacted. The 8K Association said, "We support the EU's efforts to reduce power consumption for the ecosystem, but we advocate a reasonable approach to achieving power consumption targets based on a realistic assessment of technological advancements in this field." The technical standards set by the EU are based on 4K TVs, and applying the same standards to 8K TVs with much higher resolution is inherently unfair.

Korean companies, together with our government and the 8K Association, plan to request the EU to consider easing the EEI measurement method applied to 8K and MicroLED TVs and to postpone the enforcement of regulations before the March implementation next year, and will proceed with negotiations.

The TV industry is concerned that the EU's regulatory attempt on 8K TVs not only hinders technological innovation and consumer choice but could also negatively affect related industry ecosystems requiring high resolution, such as medical, video conferencing, and content sectors. Furthermore, considering that the emergence of new technology like 8K has significantly lowered prices for products using previous technologies such as 4K, benefiting consumers, the industry plans to emphasize that these regulations could harm both the industry and general consumers.

An industry official said, "If the EU regulations are finalized as is, we will release products accordingly, but there could be issues such as performance degradation," adding, "The distinction between 8K and 4K could become minimal, and the already sluggish growth of the 8K market will face yet another barrier."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.