Digital and HD TVs to become the new standard in Latin America

Digital and high-definition (HD) televisions are expected to become the new standard in Latin America by 2018, and 4K TVs will be the new premium products, according to a recent study conducted by Dataxis.

In the report, "Multiscreen Scenario in Latin America," the global business intelligence firm focused on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

In those countries, which are the largest in the region, Dataxis researcher found that there were 78.3 million digital, 75.8 million HD-ready, 24.8 million Connected TVs (also known as Smart TVs) and 60,900 4K TVs (also known as Ultra HD TVs) in use as of the fourth quarter of 2014.

The researchers estimated that by 2018 there will be 135.5 million digital TVs, 120.9 million HD TVs, 58.5 million Connected TVs and 1.3 million 4K TVs.

In 2006, the mobile segment of the multiscreen market included 300,000 smartphones in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, according to the report. By 2010, that figure climbed to 56.5 million.

Dataxis researchers estimated that by 2019 there will be 227.4 million smartphones in those countries, a 302 percent increase from the 2010 figures.

In the five largest Latin American countries, the researchers also found that there were 140,000 tablets installed in 2006, with that figure growing to 27.6 million by 2010. Dataxis estimated that there will be 62.9 million tablets installed in 2018, a 128 percent increase from the  2010 numbers.