What is 8K TV?

8K TVs are made by some of the biggest names in TVs, including LG, Samsung and Sony. Of course, just because the tech world is eager to introduce something new, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to scrap your 4K TV. 

Although 4K technology has been around for a while, and the first 4K TVs were released back in 2012, many UK broadcasters still don't have 4K channels.

The introduction of 4K content has been glacial in terms of speed - but can the same be said of 8K shows and movies? Or will Hollywood, streaming services and UK broadcasters be quicker to react this time?

Read on to find out more about 8K TV and when it's worth buying one.

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What is 8K resolution?

Unlike some other TV technologies (HDR TV, we're looking at you), 8K is easy to understand. An 8K TV has four times the number of pixels of a 4K TV. Which, in turn, has four times the number of pixels of an HD TV.

The resolution on an 8K TV is 7,680 x 4,320 for a total of 33,177,600 pixels. 

This enormous number of pixels means an 8K TV can display incredibly sharp, crisp images that show more detail than a 4K TV can manage.

We're in the early stages of 8K TVs. Only LG, Samsung, Sharp and Sony have announced 8K sets you'll be able to buy, and it will come as no surprise that they are extremely expensive. Samsung's cheapest range starts at around £2,000 for the 55-inch set while models from rival brands are all bigger and cost more as a result.

What can you watch in 8K?

Here's the elephant in the room - there's no 8K content. No 8K Blu-rays, no 8K streaming services and no 8K channels. There have been a handful of one-off 8K streams, and some proof of concept style videos on YouTube - slow pans around beautiful countryside type stuff - but not regular programming of films.

The only way to watch regular 8K content would require you to move to Japan, where national broadcaster NHK is trialling an 8K channel, or buy an extremely expensive 8K camera, hire some actors and make your own show. 

This isn't unexpected. The companies making the content are always playing catch-up with the TV technology. It was the same when 4K TVs were first released.

Streaming services are usually quickest out of the blocks; it only took Netflix three years from when 4K TVs were widely available to start offering some of its programming in ultra-HD. Now most streaming services have plenty of 4K films and shows to watch.

To stream 4K content, you need a good internet connection. Netflix recommends at least 25Mbps to get a reliable stream. 8K streams could feasibly require double that.

Whatever TV you buy, make sure it's worth your money - see all of our best TVs.

Is 8K better than 4K?

The short answer is yes. We all know someone who swears they can't tell the difference between HD and 4K content, so is it the same deal when moving from 4K to 8K. 

The main issue here is that there is so little 8K content to watch, but when you are watching something you can see an improvement. It's not an earth-shattering upgrade that will stop people in their tracks, but native 8K footage is sharper.

You need a TV of a certain size to really the difference and it's the same with 4K TVs, too. You don't get 4K 32-inch TVs because it's hard to pick out the extra detail and for now you can't get an 8K TV smaller than 55 inches.

This might change, but we'd be surprised if 8K comes in TVs much smaller than 50 inches.

A note on 120Hz

Most of these 8K TVs have screen capable of displaying 120 frames per second to make compatible content (usually games) look as smooth as possible.

The catch is that they can only manage 120Hz when you're watch 4K content. If you watch 8K resolution the resolution will reach 60Hz. This isn't an issue if you're watching a film or TV, which is usually 24 frames per second, but you can't play an 8K game at 120Hz just yet.

Should you buy an 8K TV?

No, buy a 4K one instead and use our TV reviews to pick the best for your budget. Given that 4K content isn't that widely available, it will be several years before you'll be able to easily watch something in 8K.

But also, maybe. The ability of these TVs to upscale any content to somewhere near 8K quality is intriguing. If this makes a significant difference to how good standard definition, HD and 4K video look, then it may be worth considering, assuming you can afford one.