The market for 4KTV, or Ultra HD (UHDTV), is limping along at the moment despite comparatively low set prices, due to a lack of content that adheres to the 3840 pixels x 2160 lines spec for broadcast. While no one is really sure of the format's future, several market studies predict that consumers will come around a lot sooner than they did in the early days of HDTV. One such research firm, Parks Associates, has said that 4K TVs will follow a similar, but faster, growth pattern as HDTVs, which have reached 82% of U.S. households after 15 years on the market.

FOR-A's new URC-4000 4K up converter will help ease the lack of programming for new UHDTV sets. The research report, entitled "4K Today: Bringing Ultra HD to Market" predicts 4K TVs will reach mass-market pricing in the next 2-3 years and top 80% of households in approximately 10-12 years.

Of course, Parks Associates analysts also predict that UHDTV will initially be delivered via online services from companies like Netflix, Comcast and Amazon. Many experts will tell you it won't come from an over-the-air signal any time soon.

From the article, "NAB 2014: Addressing the 4K Content Gap" by Michael Grotticelli. 

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