Gone are the days when 1080p was the best resolution you could get on a TV. The most cutting-edge televisions out there today offer incredible quality, vivid colors, and crisp sound. While TVs come in many forms, two of the most common display types are 4K and 8K. But how do these two differ, and which is best for you?
4K vs. 8K: A Quick Comparison
Before getting into the details about 4K and 8K, let’s look over a quick comparison table to iron out the main differences.
Number of pixels
Approx. 8.3 million
Approx. 33 million
First introduced
First made accessible
2012 and onward
Mid-to-late 2010s
Price range (for 55-inch)
$300 - $2,000
$1,200 - $5,000
Availability of content
Common (with up-scaling)
Very limited (more user-generated than professional), available through upscaling
Now that you know the basics, let’s explore 4K and 8K in-depth.
What Is 4K?
A true 4K display has a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels (over eight million pixels in total), meaning it has more than four times the pixels of a 1080p screen (which has just over two million pixels).
4K displays date back to the turn of the century. In 2001, 4K technology made its debut in the commercial market with the IBM T220 display monitor. Though this is the first display capable of supporting 4K, this technology took quite a while to enter the mainstream. At the time of its release, the IBM T220 cost $22,000, a price point out of the question for consumers. Even today, a $22,000 display monitor is unheard of, so it’s easy to see why it didn’t catch on among the masses two decades ago.
It wasn’t until 11 years later that the first 4K televisions would hit stores worldwide. In 2021, a number of companies, including Sharp and LG, released their own 4K television models.
While 4K TVs were very pricey at the time, they’ve since become far more accessible. you may now get a 50-inch 4K television for as little as $500, which is why many of us already own 4K models today. All the major brands, including Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sky, Sony, and Panasonic, offer a range of 4K televisions to choose from, so you won’t be stuck for variety.
However, despite the rising popularity of 4K TVs and monitors, the majority of content is still shot in 1080p or 2K. As the majority of folks are still using 1080p screens (or worse), the additional costs and hardware requirements of shooting in 4K currently aren’t worth the additional expense.
Instead, many people with a 4K televisionwatch 4K content via upscaling, which makes the video output closer to the native screen resolution. Just because you have a 4K TV doesn’t mean you’re automatically watching 4K content. Sure, you’re watching a 4K-capable TV, but the content itself may have been shot in 1080p or even lower. Therefore, upscaling is used to bring lower-quality content closer to 4K.
Both a TV and a separate device can be used to upscale content. To do this, the 4K upscaler boosts the pixel resolution of the content so that the signal is considered to be 4K. However, it’s important to note that this still won’t give the same quality as content that was originally shot in 4K.
What Is 8K?
An 8K screen has a total of 33 million pixels, quadruple that of a 4K screen, offering a significantly improved picture quality. Today, you can also get4K monitors for gaming, as well as 4K laptops.
The first 8K television was exhibited by Sharp at CES 2013, just around the time when 4K televisions were becoming mainstream. A year later, Sharp introduced its own 8K TV to the consumer marketplace. But this 85-inch television cost an incredible $133,000, which made it a totally inaccessible product for most.
Over a decade after the first 8K TV showcase, these displays still cost a pretty penny, especially when compared to their 4K predecessors. you’re able to now get smaller 8K displays that can neatly fit into your home, though it’s rare to find anything under 50 inches. This is because a certain screen size is required to house the thousands of pixels.
Though there are many 8K displays out there today, 8K content is still extremely limited. It’s hard to find a movie or TV show that was shot in 8K, though there are some out there. Most of the 8K content out there is made by smaller or casual creators, such as those on YouTube.
This is because 8K video requires a much higher data bandwidth compared to 4K or 1080p. To stream or transmit video in full 8K resolution requires tech infrastructure that is still evolving. Producing and distributing 8K movies and shows is also a major undertaking that hasn’t fully caught up yet.
As a result, much of the 8K video content today relies on upscaling. Upscaling is a process that takes lower-resolution video and uses advanced algorithms to extrapolate and enhance it to a higher resolution. For example, a 4K or 1080p video can be upscaled to near-8K quality. This allows 8K TVs to display content that approaches their max resolution, but it isn’t true or native 8K footage.
The Rise of 16K
That’s right, things don’t stop at 8K. There are now16K resolution displaysin development.
At the moment, there aren’t any 16K televisions available on the market, but that may not be the case for much longer. In March 2023, BOE unveiled its 16K television at Display Week. With a 110-inch screen and over 132 million pixels, this television isn’t for your average living room. In fact, it was designed more as an informational display screen than a home entertainment device.
Regardless of this, BOE showcased the possibility of 16K displays with its Display Week Exhibition. It will likely take some time before there are any 16K televisions on the market and even longer before they hit an accessible price. But nonetheless, 16K televisions are on their way.
4K vs. 8K: Which TV Display Is Best for You?
If money is no object, then you’re likely going to prefer an 8K display. With a significantly increased display quality, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t opt for 8K if your wallet allows it. What’s more, a lot of 8K TVs also come with cutting-edge sound quality, so you’ll have an all-around great product for your home entertainment needs.
We have a handy guide on thebest 8K TVs out there todayif you’re currently shopping around for one.
However, many of us do, indeed, have a budget to stick to. Even the cheapest 8K televisions start at over $1,000, so you may be better off opting for a 4K television that has all the features you need. Don’t forget, there are many other factors to consider when buying a TV outside of resolution, such as sound quality, available ports, and refresh rate. Just because a TV is 8K doesn’t mean it’ll be a top-quality product, so it’s important to keep other specifications in mind before making your purchase.
If you don’t have much space in your home, an 8K television may be out of the question. With the smallest 8K TVs starting at around 50 inches, you’ll need a decent amount of space to house one. If you want a smaller television, you’re better off shopping for a 4K model.
It’s also important to note that 8K TVs have a significantly higher energy consumption than 4K TVs. Astudy by InterDigitalfound that 8K TVs can use more than double the electricity of 4K TVs, with the former’s CO2 emissions being 2.6 times higher than that of the latter. So, if you’re trying to keep your energy bills low or want to remain eco-friendly, an 8K television may not be the right choice for you.
Make Sure You’re Buying the Right TV Set
Buying a television can be a confusing venture, especially when it comes to choosing the right display quality. If you’re confused about 4K and 8K, keep the above pointers in mind, so you know exactly what you’re looking at before making a big purchase.
