Ultra-high definition TV will be big in 2014

The cost of initial television sets plus the lack of native content mean that ultra-high definition technology is off to a slower start than expected.

At this year's National Association of Broadcasters trade show in Las Vegas, which came to a close this weekend, the consensus seemed to be that 3D is dead, and ultra-high definition is off to a slow start.

In a report published on April 12, Fitch Ratings predicted that 2013 would see the first drop in audience numbers for 3D film screenings. Despite the fact that a number of huge 3D blockbusters are scheduled for release this year, Fitch claims that the format is simply a novelty and that 3D box office takings in North America have remained static at $1.8 billion for the last two years.

And, according to IDG News, it appears that the same is true of the small screen and now broadcast professionals and hardware makers alike are shifting their attention away from 3D and focusing their energies on 4K technology and ultra-high definition.

Ultra-high definition, as the name suggests, offers a resolution four times greater than that of existing high definition TV sets and although the images are unlike anything ever experienced on a television display, those displays are still very expensive -- $20,000-$40,000 -- and as of yet there is no mainstream TV channel that broadcasts in the UHD format.

However, research and consultancy firm Accenture believes that the price of UHD TV sets will start to fall this year and will continue to drop by 20-30 percent a year from 2014 onwards.