Sony hopes to sell between 500 and 850 4K TV sets in Romania during this financial year, from the 100 4K TVs it sold in the country the year before, said Lucian Radulescu, the country head of Sony for Romania and the Republic of Moldova. And the 4K technology will soon become a standard in the industry, the country manager added.

However, estimations about market growth are hard to pinpoint, as the niche, which is still small, has been growing tenfold year-on-year in recent years, so actual results may vary greatly form estimations, Radulescu explained.

The market for 4K TVs is still small in Romania, but is increasing at a speedier pace than any other TV technologies before, he believes. He sees the 4K TV market in Romania for this year at about 2,000 units, from the only 250 units of such TVs sold the year before locally. Of this amount, Sony sold 100 units in the 4K range.

The most expensive were 2 TV sets of 85 inches, which sold for about EUR 26,000 each. Last year, Sony wanted to sell 100 of those high-end TV sets. In Europe, sales for this product reached 1,000 units last year.

The hardest thing is to sell the first product on such high-end ranges, explained the Sony Romania head. Usually after the first one is sold, friends and family, co – workers get interested and sales accelerate. For Sony, the second model sold after four to five months, because the first Romanian buyer kept their newly-acquired TV in the basement while renovating. Which is why the company considers special offers for buyers of the high-end TVs who install and use them immediately after purchase.

Sony recently launched in Romania its latest 4K models, the 4K Ultra D, with diagonals ranging from 49 inches, to 84 inches. Prices vary between RON 7,000 – or some EUR 1,550 for the 49-inch one, and go up to RON 96,000 – or some EUR 21,300 for the high – end 85 – inch one. The company aims for market leader position on TV sets above 55 inches.

The launch comes just before the World Football Championship in Brazil, but Sony does not expect the championship to help boost its sales, as the launch comes a little late, said Radulescu. The new range of 4K TVs will be fully launched after the World Cup will end, so the impact on sales will not be very big.

Sony is the official partner of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which will take place between June 12 and July 13. The new 4K TVs launched on this occasion come with a new Live Football feature, which provides the stadium-feel, in both image and sound quality, according to Sony. The new TVs also include social viewing technology, which allows users to Skype on screen while continuing to watch a movie or a live show.

The 4K resolution is used in digital TVs and in cinematography. 4K devices have a resolution on the order of 4,000 pixels.

Corina Chirileasa, corina@romania-insider.com