Driven by demand in China, approximately 14 million Ultra HD TVs are expected to ship globally in 2014, penetrating 6-7% of the overall TV market, according to a report from TrendForce.

The six largest China vendors, which include Konka, TCL and Haier, will achieve a 13-15% penetration rate in the UHD TV market in 2014, the report said.

Meanwhile, DisplaySearch recently noted that 2.1 million sets were shipped in the second quarter of 2014, compared to 1.6 million in 2013, adding that with the introduction of the 2014 models, the shipment balance by region has shifted. In 2013 China accounted for approximately 80% of shipments in each quarter, as China vendors introduced low-priced Ultra HD TVs. However, in China there were few sources of Ultra HD content, and TV brands were largely marketing the higher pixel count to consumers. New Ultra HD TV models from global brands have been introduced in every region in 2014, and there has lately been an increase in Ultra HD content available from streaming providers.

In terms of panels, global Ultra HD TV panel shipments grew 154% sequentially in the second quarter. The top-two suppliers, Taiwan-based Innolux and Korea-based LG Display, both shipped about 1.5 million Ultra HD TV panels during the quarter.

Most market observers believe that Ultra HD TV shipments will reach around 15 million in 2014, with some estimates as high as 20 million.