Television in 2025

The only technical deficiencies in current TV technology are in brightness (OLED) and viewing angle (QLED). Micro LED is being touted as the technology behind 8K but the panels will be so expensive and, for most people, so marginal in resolution improvements, that I wobder if they will also be marketed at 4K,

3D without glasses is probably a longer-term proposition. Lenticular screens dont really cut it so a new technology must be developed.

The final area that needs a good look is TV audio. Sound bars are OK but are not really convincing for surround use. I suspect that wi-fi enabled active surround speakers will start to appear. They need AC power but thats usually easier to arrange than unpowered wired units.

Most technology improvements will be aimed at streaming services. Traditional broadcasters will be churning out low-cost game shows and talk shows. Live sports will migrate to streaming platforms just as soon as audience fragmentation is reduced as streamers merge. My guess is that Netflix will be the home of high value drama and documentaries and Prime will be the home of live sports. This leaves cable companies out in the cold and those who value national/local news will dust off their terrestrial antennas or subscribe to these on local Telco IPTV platforms as a value-add.

Within 10 years cable and terrestrial UHF broadcast will be dead in the water. Satellite DTH may struggle on longer in order to service remote locations still waiting for broadband connectivity.

More than likely

What television looks like today when viewed from 2015.

In 2015, you had the first flat screen TVs starting to take hold and some people were venturing out into HDTV.

In 2025, you might have ‘flatter’ screen TVs with slightly more people venturing out into 4K.

But, in all, I think technology has hit a roadblock.

You see, there’s this thing in physics known as a Planck Length.

It’s the smallest possible size for, well, ANYTHING.

In other words

You can’t make infinitely small processors, pixels, components etc.

Pretty much like they look today. It’s only five years in the future and I think most consumers are happy with their screen purchases. So most won’t be eager to rush out and replace these large pieces of hardware for one with another gimmick, such as, edge-to-edge picture, a display that ships rolled up to lay flat on a wall, or a return of 3D (without having to wear the glasses this time).

However if there are any improvements, they’ll be evolutionary not revolutionary. By 2025, ATSC 3.0 (OTA 4K UHD) signals should be broadcasting widely from local network affiliates and independent stations. Between now and then, more TVs will be gradually equipped to be ready for this new technology. And for those who don’t have this technology in their sets, they’ll need to get a converter, if they wish, to make their existing 4K televisions compatible.

Eventually 8K will be more affordable for the biggest of the screens but I believe that will be farther down the road.

I am going to take a alternate route and think you meant TV programming. A lot depends on what happens as the Covid-19 pandemic ends (if it does). I expect more use of CGI, competition shows to increase and even more competition for the networks and premium cable suppliers from the streaming services and for just about every production source to have a streaming service.

what we have to look forward to 5 years from now - other than 8K of course - is 21:9 (2.35:1) TVs. We’ve had 16:9 TVs since the mid-to-late 1990s believe it or not, and I think I’ve already seen LG roll out a series of 21:9 flat-panel displays in recent months.