Display panel makers in South Korea, Taiwan and China are expected to start mass production of 8K ultra high-definition TV panels in the fourth quarter of this year, but their final decisions will depend on market conditions, according to industry watchers on Friday.

The 8K TVs feature four times the resolution of the 4K TVs, which are on sale by TV makers such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Japan's Sony Corp.


Commercial broadcasts for 8K TVs are not available and Japan is currently doing a trial run of the 8K broadcast ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

According to market researcher WitsView, Taiwan's two panel makers -- AU Optronics Corp. and Innolux Corp. -- are said to start mass production of the 8K TV panels in the fourth quarter of this year.

The reported plans are believed to be discussed at a display fair in Taiwan this week.

BOE Technology Group, a Chinese display maker, is also said to be preparing to produce the 8K TV panels.

Samsung Display Co. and LG Display Co., the two South Korean panel makers, are likely to produce 65-inch and 98-inch 8K TV panels at the end of this year, according to a forecast by WitsView.

An official at a local display industry said South Korean panel makers are technically ready to begin mass production of the 8K TV panels.

"A decision to start mass production depends on market conditions and demand," the official said.

The 4K TVs accounted for 50.7 percent of global TV sales for the second quarter of this year, according to another market researcher IHS. Conventional high-definition TVs took 36.5 percent of the quarterly sales. (Yonhap)