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- Limited Entertainment Offerings
- Support System Requirements
Key Takeaways
- Limited content options and a lack of support systems hinder the value of investing in an 8K TV.
- High resolution doesn’t guarantee better quality; factors like screen size and viewing experience matter.
- In 2024, 8K TVs are overpriced due to limited entertainment offerings and support system requirements.
With the rise of new technology comes the desire to purchase the latest and greatest things. But is it worth it when it comes to 8K TVs? In 2024, probably not.
What Is 8K?
Sharp revealed the first consumer 8K TV at CES 2012. Since then, 8K TVs have become available to the general market—but uptake is slow.
It is currently the highest resolution available on the consumer market, with a pixel ratio of 7680 x 4320, or an approximate width of almost 8,000 pixels. When it comes to 4K vs. 8K, the 8K UHD TV has four times the number of pixels.
Price Considerations
Price is one of the largest issues when purchasing an 8K television in 2024. Because 8K TVs are relatively new technology, the cost compared to a 4K or 1080p TV is exponentially greater. While you can pick up a 4K TV for hundreds of dollars, an 8K TV will set you back thousands.
As 8K technology becomes more common and readily available, the price of an 8K TV is most likely to decrease. For this reason, if you do not need a new TV at the moment, you are probably better off waiting a few years to purchase an 8K TV when the price matches the benefits you receive.
Actual Image Impact
While the pixel quantity of an 8K TV is much greater than that of a 4K TV, that does not guarantee a better picture while in use. Many factors play into the actual resolution and viewing experience a TV provides.
With 8K TVs, a large screen size is needed for the human eye to perceive a difference in the quality of an image compared to a 4K resolution within the same frame size. This problem will no doubt continue as televisions with 16K resolution are developed (but this is a while away!).
You basically have to figure out at what point the TV frame required to host the higher resolution outstrips what can fit in your house. For most, it’ll be a tricky balance.
Limited Entertainment Offerings
One of the largest drawbacks to purchasing an 8K TV in 2024 is the lack of 8K entertainment content currently available. No mainstream streaming services offer 8K content, with only YouTube, Vimeo, and other niche platforms offering anything.
For those who enjoy using gaming consoles with their TVs, none of the major gaming console games are currently optimized for gaming in 8K. So, while you can enjoy your movies, TV shows, or games on an 8K TV, you will not be viewing at an image quality justifying the much higher price of an 8K device.
Support System Requirements
It is important to note that just because you purchase an 8K TV, you will not necessarily receive a greater experience than another TV with the device alone. If you choose to invest in an 8K TV, be ready to ensure you can maintain the correct bandwidth to support it.
8K streaming requires a download speed of at least 100 Mbps, a big increase from 4K streaming requirements of just 25 Mbps.
8K Is Overkill in 2024
Overall, in 2024, the greater pixel quantity of an 8K TV does not outweigh the significantly higher cost to purchase one. In the future, when there is much more content available to consume in 8K, the cost may become worth it. However, with the lack of gaming and streaming options and the high price point, consumers are better off purchasing a 4K TV.