When purchasing a TV, you want to educate yourself on the latest TV technology trends, so you can invest in the features that will get the most use in your household, and will be compatible with your favorite content, programming subscription(s), and devices. In our last blog post, TV Technology Trends: The Death of the 3D TV, we discussed a TV trend that we believe is on its way out. Now, let's talk about two trends that we expect to gain popularity in 2014.

4K TV

High-definition is a TV feature that manufacturers have continued to build on, and its popularity has proven that high-res picture quality is worth the investment for most consumers. 1080p technology has become standard, and it is now highly affordable to purchase a brand new, brand name 1080p TV. The next step in this TV technology trend is 4K television technology, which has already started to permeate the marketplace. 4K TV boasts screens with pixels so small that they cannot be distinguished by the human eye at typical viewing distances. The Consumer Electronics Show was filled with larger 4K screens, and it appeared as though they received a warm reception. As these screens become more affordable, it is likely they will eventually replace 1080p as the HD standard in the television industry.

Smart TV

Smart TVs are another growing TV technology trend, one that is actually a response to a shift in how consumers access TV shows and movies. Subscription-based television is has become increasingly popular for consumers, content creators, and distributors because it is flexible, inexpensive (compared to cable programming), and compatible with multiple devices. Although the major television networks and cable channels have fought the transition to having consumers pay only for the specific content that they want, consumer interest in services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and Amazon Prime continues to grow. Much like the music industry changed due to services like the iTunes Store and Pandora about a decade ago, consumers now have the ability to watch and pay for only the specific content they are interested in.

Year after year, we see advancements in TV technology, and 2014 will be no different. But, even with all of this change, one thing is for certain: the TV technology trends that will endure are the ones that universally enhance the way that we access, consume, and engage with media.