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Affordable 8K TVs Have Arrived, but Common 8K Content a Decade Away
Samsung, LG, Sony, and TCL all have 8K models with sizes that start at 55 inches and prices that begin at around $2,000.
In November 2017, video-streaming site Vimeo added support for 8K, and it now has over 10,500 videos tagged as 8K. YouTube has thousands of 8K videos —although search filters put 4K resolution as the maximum resolution. NHK launched a test channel dedicated to showing 8K content in December 2017, and in 2019 made the channel permanent. NHK broadcast roughly 200 hours of 8K UHD coverage, including the opening and closing ceremonies and seven events, including swimming, athletics, and judo.
Sharp announced the first 4K TV, the 70” LC-70UD1U in June ’13 and there still no transmission standard for cable, satellite of broadcast. 8K content is narrowly available and stacked behind 4K, which has yet to be implemented by ATSC for broadcasting.
What exists is the tired argument that video produced in 4K is more compelling when viewed upconverted to 8K. The argument convinced few consumers when FHD content was upconverted to 4K and is unlikely to work for 8K. What did work was a wide product line of competitive 4K TVs that made FHD old fashioned. There are 8K cameras availableand they are being used by filmmakers.
LG has added Contrast Modulation © as a measurement of how precisely contained each pixel’s color and brightness is from its neighboring pixels. The higher a CM value, the sharper the perceived image. CM is measured as a percentage, from 0 to 100. LG claims that its 8K TVs have the highest CM values in the industry — up to 90%. Variables such as brightness, contrast, color gamut and accuracy, and viewing angles all play a larger role in how good an 8K screen (or even a 4K screen) looks. The CTA’s 8K specification requires a minimum of 50% CM and some of Samsung 8K TVs don’t meet the CM minimum.
Samsung, LG, Sony, and TCL all have 8K models with sizes that start at 55 inches and prices that begin at around $2,000.
- TCL’s 2021 8K 6-Series mini-LED TVs has just gone on sale, starting at $2,200 for the 65-inch model and y $3,000 for the 75-incher, TCL uses mini-LED backlight technology giving the 2021 6-Series an edge over older 8K models
- LGE’s flagship $30,000 88-inch ZX OLED 8K TV rolled out in 2019. But the company now has a stellar lineup of affordable 8K sets for 2021, including the latest in their 8K NanoCell 99 TVs: An 86-inch model for $4,999, a 75-inch model for $3,499, and a 65-inch model for $2,999. Alternately, LG has also launched their 2021 line of mini-LED TVs, dubbed QNED MiniLED, with their 99 Series coming this month starting at $3,499 for the 65-inch model, $4,799 for the 75-inch, and $6,499 for the 86-inch.
- Samsung’s top-of-the-line Q950TS 8K QLED TVs has a $13,000 price point, but the company’s 2021 range is more affordable with its QN900A and QN800A versions of their 8K Neo QLED TVs. Both models use mini-LEDs and share several common features, including edge-to-edge picture, 120Hz viewing in 4K, and support for HDR10+ Adaptive, with the QN900A ranging in price from $5,000 to $9,000 and the cheaper QN800A lineup ranging from $3,500 to $6,500.
- Sony’s picture processing was on display with 2020’s Z8H Ultra 8K HDR LED TV, which is available in 75-inches $3,999 or $8,999 for the 85-inch. In 2021, Sony is slated to release the Z8H’s replacement, the Sony XR ZJ9, currently on pre-order for $7,999 and $9,999 for the 75- and 85-inch models, respectively. The ZJ9 will use Sony’s contrast boosting tech and will feature audio improvements with their Acoustic Multi-Audio that makes it feel as though the sound is coming right from the screen.
In November 2017, video-streaming site Vimeo added support for 8K, and it now has over 10,500 videos tagged as 8K. YouTube has thousands of 8K videos —although search filters put 4K resolution as the maximum resolution. NHK launched a test channel dedicated to showing 8K content in December 2017, and in 2019 made the channel permanent. NHK broadcast roughly 200 hours of 8K UHD coverage, including the opening and closing ceremonies and seven events, including swimming, athletics, and judo.
Sharp announced the first 4K TV, the 70” LC-70UD1U in June ’13 and there still no transmission standard for cable, satellite of broadcast. 8K content is narrowly available and stacked behind 4K, which has yet to be implemented by ATSC for broadcasting.
- Streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Fandango, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, UltraFlix, VUDU, and YouTube offer 4K streaming, and there’s a large and growing collection of 4K UHD Blu-ray discs, but 4K has a long way to go before it reaches anywhere near the ubiquity of HD.
- The ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast standard (also known as NextGen TV) will eventually lead to 4K broadcasting over the air and through cable and satellite providers, but the standard was only finally approved by the FCC in November 2017. Technically, 8K is compatible with ATSC 3.0, but t most cable, satellite, and other content providers are focused on rolling out programming for viewers eager to make the most out of their 4K TVs.
- It could be gaming that ushers us into an 8K world faster than movies or TV shows. Sony’s PlayStation 5 game console will support 8K graphics in future updates, and it looks like the Microsoft Xbox X Series console will, too, at least in theory, although some game experts are saying it’s not worth their time.
What exists is the tired argument that video produced in 4K is more compelling when viewed upconverted to 8K. The argument convinced few consumers when FHD content was upconverted to 4K and is unlikely to work for 8K. What did work was a wide product line of competitive 4K TVs that made FHD old fashioned. There are 8K cameras availableand they are being used by filmmakers.
LG has added Contrast Modulation © as a measurement of how precisely contained each pixel’s color and brightness is from its neighboring pixels. The higher a CM value, the sharper the perceived image. CM is measured as a percentage, from 0 to 100. LG claims that its 8K TVs have the highest CM values in the industry — up to 90%. Variables such as brightness, contrast, color gamut and accuracy, and viewing angles all play a larger role in how good an 8K screen (or even a 4K screen) looks. The CTA’s 8K specification requires a minimum of 50% CM and some of Samsung 8K TVs don’t meet the CM minimum.
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