8K TV – everything you need to know

As ever in consumer electronics, there is always something new on the horizon and that new thing is 8K. So here’s what we know about the latest format to trouble the TV market.

What is 8K?

8K refers to resolution – the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. Pixels equals information, so more pixels should, in theory, make for a better quality image. 8K, has a horizontal resolution of 7680 pixels and a vertical resolution of 4320 pixels. 4K has half the number of horizontal and vertical lines (3840 x 2160) and Full HD is 1920 x 1080. Count the pixels up and 8K has four times as many as 4K and 16 times more than Full HD.

Who is making 8K content? Filmmakers use cameras with sensors that range from 4K to 8K, though films will be finished at either 2K or 4K. The Japanese

Broadcasting Corporation, NHK, ran a series of 8K trials in 2015 and in 2016 announced it had successfully demoed a broadcast in 8K. The Korean Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) is researching 8K broadcasts too, working with LG on content, possible broadcasts and displays, with 4K and 8K broadcasts mooted for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Streaming site Vimeo is one of the first to offer 8K HDR support.

What about 8K TVS?

LG and Samsung revealed 8K prototypes at CES 2015, while Sharp went a step further with an 85in 8K TV on sale in Japan that year. LG ignored that and claimed the title of the world’s first production 8K TV in 2016, with Sharp returning the favour a year later by saying its LC-70X500 TV was the first consumer-ready 8K effort. LG volleyed back at the start of 2018 with the announcement of an 88in OLED 8K TV, that’s not just the largest OLED screen ever made, but the first in 8K. Situne became the first brand to release an 8K TV tuner module, which will support the 8K Super Hi-vision plans of Japan’s NHK broadcaster, which aims to be in place by the 2020 Olympics.

When will we be watching 8K?

If you’re in the UK, Europe or US, it’s unlikely you’ll be viewing proper 8K content any time soon, and we don’t think an 8K TV should affect your buying decisions now or in the near future. Plus, content needs to be created, the infrastructure for distribution realised and the equipment to watch it, so, for now, 8K is not a guarantee, but never say never…