Definition: 8K TV

The highest-resolution TV set in production. An 8K TV has a screen resolution of 7,680 horizontal and 4,320 vertical pixels (4320p). Advertised as 8K Ultra HD, it has four times as many pixels as a 4K TV (2160p). Prototyped in Japan as early as 2003, Sharp, Samsung and LG demonstrated 8K TVs in the 100-inch range in 2016. Such TVs were first used by companies for product demos and advertising. However, in 2018, Samsung debuted an 85" 8K TV for home use, and 65" and 75" models followed.

Why 8K When There Is No Content?
There may not be 8K content commonly available for many years; however, there is value in 8K today. A large 8K TV is sharper because all TV screens with the same resolution have the same number of pixels, no matter their size. For example, a 42" 4K TV has the same number of pixels as an 85" 4K TV.

On the larger screen, the size of each pixel is naturally larger, which causes the image to be less sharp. However, pundits claim that in order to truly take advantage of original 8K content, it has to be viewed on at least a 15-foot screen, making it only viable for commercial advertising.

8K TVs Fill in the Blanks
Using algorithms to fill in the extra pixels, an 8K TV automatically upscales the 2.1 million pixels in 2K video frames and the 8.3 million pixels in 4K video to the 33.2 million pixels in an 8K screen. The result is a less grainy image on 8K TVs that are 65" and above. See upconvert.

Terabytes of Storage for 8K Content
Each frame of uncompressed 8K content requires nearly 100MB of storage. Thus, a full two-hour movie at 60 fps would take 43 terabytes. Needless to say, extremely advanced compression is necessary to transmit and store native 8K content (see HEVC). See 8K monitor.

   High-Definition Resolutions

   2K    1920x1080 (see DTV)
   4K    3840x2160 (see 4K TV)
   5K    5120x2880 (see 5K monitor)
   6K    6144x3160 (see 6K resolution)
   8K    7680x4320

Samsung's 8K QLED TV

In 2018, Samsung debuted an 85" 8K TV based on its QLED display technology (see QLED). (Image courtesy of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd.)

8K Cables in 2019

Cables designed to handle 8K resolution became available at the Micro Center store in Wayne, Pennslvania in 2019.