A TV as big as a bed? With the holidays approaching, stores stock more supersize sets

NEW YORK -- For immoderate television viewers, size apparently does matter.

Forget nan 65-inch TVs that were considered bigger than mean a decade ago. In clip for nan holidays, manufacturers and retailers are rolling retired much XXL screens measuring much than 8 feet across. That's wider than a modular three-seat sofa aliases a king-size bed.

Supersize televisions only accounted for 1.7% of gross from each TV group income successful nan U.S. during nan first 9 months of nan year, according to marketplace investigation patient Circana. But companies preparing for shoppers to spell large for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa person logic to deliberation nan increasing ultra class will beryllium a agleam spot successful an different tepid tv market, according to analysts.

The 38.1 cardinal televisions sold pinch a width of astatine slightest 97 inches betwixt January and September represented a tenfold summation from nan aforesaid play past year, Circana said. Best Buy, nan nation’s largest user electronics chain, doubled nan assortment of hefty TVs — nan 19 models scope successful value from $2,000 to $25,000 — and introduced displays successful astir 70% of its stores.

“It’s really taken disconnected this year," Blake Hampton, Best Buy's elder vice president of merchandising, said.

Analysts in installments nan emerging request to improved technology and overmuch little prices. So acold this year, nan mean value for TVs spanning astatine slightest 97 inches was $3,113 compared to $6,662 past year, according to Circana. South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung introduced its first 98-inch TV successful 2019 pinch a hefty value tag of $99,000; it now has 4 versions starting astatine $4,000, nan institution said.

Anthony Ash, a 42-year-old proprietor of a wood pallet and recycling business, precocious bought a 98-inch Sony for his 14,000-square-foot location successful Bristol, Wisconsin. The device, which costs astir $5,000 excluding installation fees, replaced an 85” TV successful nan awesome room disconnected his kitchen. Ash now has 17 televisions astatine location and uses immoderate to show integer art.

“We conscionable saw that nan value was affordable for what we were looking for and thought, ‘Why not?’” he said of deciding to upsize to nan Sony. “You get a amended TV acquisition pinch a bigger TV. You’re sitting watching TV pinch a personification connected TV that is nan aforesaid size arsenic you. You tin put yourself successful nan scene.”

The magnitude of clip that galore group walk staring astatine their cellphones and tablets, including to stream movies and TV shows, is different facet driving nan maturation of widescreen TV screens. Overall TV income gross fell 4%, while nan number of units sold roseate 1% from nan January done September period, Circana said.

Most group only put successful a tv each 7 years, but erstwhile they do, they typically take bigger ones, according to Rick Kowalski, nan elder head of business intelligence astatine nan Consumer Technology Association. In nan past 15 years, nan size of flat-panel TVs that were shipped to U.S. retailers and dealers grew an mean of 1 inch a year, Kowalski said.

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated nan elongation trend arsenic group spent much time astatine home. In fact, surface sizes accrued an mean of 2 inches successful some 2021 and 2022, and 85-inch TVs began gaining traction pinch consumers, Kowalski said. Shipments of 98-inch TVs to nan U.S. are picking up gait this year, and models arsenic immense arsenic 110-115 inches are connected nan marketplace correct now, he said.

“You get amended solution complete time," Kowalski said. "You get amended image quality. And truthful conscionable complete time, it’s easier to nutrient those sets and amended nan technology."

Best Buy's Hampton said a use of a colossal TV is nan spectator tin watch aggregate shows astatine once, an acquisition he described arsenic “incredible.”

“If you’re watching YouTube TV contented aliases ‘ NFL Sunday Ticket,’ you tin really get 4 screens up, and that’s 4 48-inch screens connected it,” he said.

Manufacturers are besides adding caller features. Samsung said it designed its 98-inch lineup pinch a constituent that analyzes what nan spectator is watching to summation sharpness and trim visible sound crossed each scene.

James Fishler, elder vice president of nan location intermezo section of Samsung's U.S. division, said nan measurement group watch TV and experience content is shifting.

“It's moreover much truthful astir watching TV arsenic a shared experience,” Fishler said. “They want to big a watch statement and stitchery astir their TV to watch nan large game, aliases group up a cinematic movie acquisition correct astatine home. ”

Walmart, nan nation’s largest retailer, its Sam’s Club division, and Chicago retailer Abt Electronics, besides opportunity they are expanding their TV ranges to meet customer request for supersize screens.

TV manufacture experts opportunity these monster TVs are opening to encroach connected location theatre projectors, which create a 100- to 120-inch image that is little crisp and require rooms pinch blackout curtains aliases without windows.

“A dedicated viewing room for watching movies was exclusively nan purview of projectors,” Andrew Sivori, vice president successful nan intermezo section of LG Electronics, different Korean manufacturer. "But you tin get a overmuch amended viewing acquisition pinch nonstop TV."

Retailers and TV makers said nan buyers trading up scope from millennials and members of Generation X to nan tech-native Gen Z crowd. But arsenic Jon Abt, co-president of Abt Electronics said, “It’s still a niche business.”

“A batch of group conscionable don’t person nan abstraction to put 1 of those in,” he added.

Before dreaming large for nan holidays, shoppers truthful should make judge a 98-inch TV will fit. Best Buy said its Geek Squad squad asks if stairwells and introduction halls are ample capable to accommodate transportation and installation. An augmented reality characteristic connected nan Best Buy app that allows customers to spot if products are nan correct size has been particularly adjuvant for XXL TVs, nan retailer said.

But for those worried astir having nan abstraction for viewing, nan bully news is that nan recommended region for a 98-inch TV is really conscionable 6-12 feet from nan seating area. The norm of thumb is to aggregate nan diagonal magnitude of nan TV by 1.2 to find nan perfect viewing distance, Samsung's Fishler said.

If bigger is amended successful nan TV department, really large tin they go?

“I deliberation we'll person to hold and see,” Fishler said.