8K TV is the latest and greatest in high-definition television technology. With four times, the number of pixels as a 4K TV, 8K TVs offer a level of detail that is simply stunning. However, 8K TV is still in its early stages, and there are a few factors that are holding back its widespread adoption.
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If you follow home theater technology, you know that there is a widespread debate about 8K tech and if the human eye is even capable of seeing 8K. The same debate raged when 4K was in its infancy, and it will continue to rage as long as people have opinions.
We’re not going to get into all of that here, the comments sections of our social media pages might be another matter. All I’m going to say is, I’ve used and tested 4K and 8K TVs side by side using 4K and 8K native content and there is a visible difference in clarity and sharpness to my eye. Take that as you will, let’s move on.
Table of contents
8K TV
Current State
The first 8K TVs were released in 2015, and since then, there has been a steady increase in the number of 8K TVs available on the market. However, 8K TVs are still relatively expensive, and there is not a lot of 8K content available. The content that is available is less than mainstream and most users will never actually see it.
One way TV manufactures like Samsung are bolstering the situation is through AI upscaling. The software on the TV takes your HD and 4K content and attempts to upscale the image to 8K. In numerous instances, this works very well, in other cases, it doesn’t. But currently, purchasing an 8K TV may not be the best idea unless you’re an early adopter, or you intend to keep the TV for more than a few years.
The Future?
The future of 8K TV looks bright. Eventually, the price of 8K TVs will come down, in many cases they have already been coming down. As ticked off as the 8K naysayers get, the future of this technology is being pushed hard by TV makers and many experts believe it will be the standard going forward.
Even now, 4K TVs are the norm and 1080p TVs are becoming more rare. I predict that within the next 3–4 years, 8K TVs will become more prevalent on store shelves while 4K TVs get pushed to the side. I don’t see the demise of 4K just yet, 4K still has a long future. Longer than 1080p had, I think.
Where’s The 8K Content?
The availability of 8K content is one of the biggest hurdles to the widespread adoption of 8K TV. However, there is a growing number of 8K content providers, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. These providers are offering a growing selection of 8K movies, TV shows, and sporting events.
It is still too early to say when 8K content will become as ubiquitous as 4K content. However, the trend is clear: 8K is the future of high-definition television. And content creators, filmmakers, and Hollywood will not create 8K content without devices for the content to be viewed on. This is the biggest reason why we see the TVs come to market before the content. The same was true for 4K
Benefits of 8K
- Sharper and more detailed images
- Wider viewing angles
- Improved HDR performance
- More immersive viewing experience
Challenges of 8K
- High cost of 8K TVs – Prices are coming down, not significantly, but they are coming down slowly.
- Limited availability of 8K content – More content is coming, but it has been slow. Hollywood is waiting for more users to adopt 8K TVs.
- High bandwidth requirements – One solution is compressing the content as it travels over the network and unpacking it on the user end.
Overall, 8K TV is a promising technology with the potential to offer a truly immersive viewing experience. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed before 8K TV can become mainstream. Companies like Samsung are working with filmmakers and ISPs to address some of these challenges, and I think they will eventually get through them.
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Portions of this article were written with AI. Images were created using AI.
Last Updated on March 13, 2024.
