Ultra HD's Main Vehicle Remains Streaming, nScreenMedia Says

Ultra HD video's main delivery will be via streaming, at least through 2020, due to "broadcaster foot-dragging and falling disc sales," nScreenMedia said in a blog post Sunday. It said UHD Blu-ray discs are selling well for now, but the long-term trajectory of disc sales is downward as more people opt for subscription VOD over ownership. It said Japan is alone in having a firm timetable for converting to UHD broadcasts, and there's no hard deadline in the U.S. for the rollout of ATSC 3.0, which includes UHD support. Also, major cable companies haven't said anything about supporting UHD in their traditional cable delivery. The firm said strong UHD TV set sales and the growing number of 25 Mbps broadband connections mean the number of people able to watch UHD is growing quickly, but people will still mostly watch HD video in 2020.