8K TVs Are Coming to Market, and Your Eyeballs Aren’t Ready

FOR THE PAST few years at CES, we’ve seen 8K TVs from the likes of Sharp, Samsung, and LG. This year, 8K is back, but there’s one big difference: At least one of these super-high-resolution sets will actually be coming to market. The ones on display at past shows have all been prototypes.

LG’s 98-inch 8K set will be prohibitive in terms of size and price, but it’s a glimpse of what’s to come in terms of picture quality a decade or so down the line. If you think 4K is unbelievably sharp, wait till you get your eyes on 8K. Think of it this way: Full HD video has a resolution of about 2 megapixels per frame, 4K footage has a resolution of 8 megapixels per frame, and 8K will have a resolution of 32 megapixels per frame.

But what does that mean to your eyeballs? Quite a bit, actually, especially if you’re interested in buying a really big screen. The images are so sharp that they look like moving printed photographs; there is absolutely no evidence of pixelation even if your face is an inch from the set. That’s not a realistic viewing scenario, but on the production side of the equation, it means digitally zooming an image without affecting picture quality will be a reality.

Of course, it’s way too early to buy in, especially with the lack of 8K content out there. There’s literally none. But networks and cable companies will likely wait for the 8K era to upgrade their equipment, meaning this super-high-def resolution might have a brighter future than 4K for traditional content distribution.