Ultra HD Blu-ray sales continue to rise

The growth of Ultra HD Blu-ray shows no sign of slowing down, according to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), with Ultra HD capability being the most wanted feature in a television set.

More than 80,000 UHD Blu-ray players have been sold since February 2016, with 90 titles being released on disc so far.

MORE: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray: all the 4K discs on sale and coming soon

In the USA, Ultra HD TV shipments are expected to rise by 80 per cent this year and another 40 per cent in 2017, according to research by Futuresource and reported by HDGuru.com.

A forecast from Strategy & Analytics states that by 2020, half of US households will have a 4K Ultra HD television - however, it's possible that Japan will see broadcasts of 8K television by that time.

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There are currently eight Ultra HD Blu-ray players available, including the Panasonic DMP UB-700 and UB-900, the Samsung UBD-K8500 and Philips BDP7501.

Microsoft's gaming console, the Xbox One S, plays Ultra HD discs; Sony and Oppo are also expected to bring out their own players.

Of course, the biggest challenge to Ultra HD Blu-ray is streaming services. Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video already show many 4K Ultra HD titles, with the BBC looking to launch 4K content on the iPlayer.

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Adam was a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?, reviewing consumer gadgets for online and print publication, as well as researching and producing features and advice pieces on new technology in the hi-fi industry. He has since worked for PC Mag as a contributing editor and is now a science and technology reporter for The Independent.