What is the Difference Between a 4K and 8K TV? [And Other FAQs]

Chances are, you’ve come across the terms “4K” and “Ultra HD” (or “UHD”) in reference to modern TVs. Lucky for us, what was once viewed as a high-end feature has become the standard for contemporary TV-and movie-watching. Here’s a little history lesson.

As early as 2004, Sony was producing 4K projectors (eight years before the company released the first-ever 4K home theater projector in 2012). Around 2011, movie theaters across the U.S. began projecting movies in 4K resolution.

Late in 2012, LG released the first flat-panel UHD display in the U.S. with an impressive resolution of 3840 x 2160—the 4K standard. Then, it retailed for an astounding $16,999.

Throughout 2013, television-broadcasting titans like Comcast and ESPN announced they would experiment with 4K picture quality.

In 2014, the popular streaming service Netflix began streaming UHD content—including nature documentaries and the award-winning dramas House of Cards and Breaking Bad—in 4K resolution for compatible televisions.

And in early 2016, the first media players and discs for Ultra HD Blu-ray arrived on the scene.

In fewer and far-in-between instances, you might have heard of 8K TVs. At the start of 2018, Samsung teased the first 8K TV before this product was sold the following year. Since then, leading manufacturers LG and Sony have followed suit.

Now, onto the question on everyone’s mind.

Here is a quick rundown of how 4K and 8K TVs each deliver breathtaking picture quality:

4K TVs

Considered synonymous with stunning picture quality in vivid colors, 4K TVs are driven by a super-fast processor that unlocks hidden detail at four times the quality of full HD. That’s really as simple as it gets without getting deep into the esoteric (i.e., super “techy”) side of things.

But I guess we’ll still try.

To put it in a different perspective, whereas 1080p television screens have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 4K TVs double those numbers to 3840 x 2160. Basically, you can think of high-resolution TVs as having more pixels within pixels, with individual pixels becoming harder to spot the closer you get to the TV.

While “4K” or “8K” indicates the number of pixels on the screen, HDR—or high-dynamic range—defines what each of those thousands of pixels shows. In other words, each pixel is set to display a specific level of brightness through red, green, blue, and (sometimes) white subpixels.

To sweeten the deal, 4K content is widely distributed across popular streaming services and newer Blu-ray releases.

So, to answer the question of, “Should I buy a 4K TV?” You have a resounding “yes” from us. But when it comes to a natural follow-up question, “Or should I wait for an 8K TV?” Now, that one is a little more complex.

8K TVs

As you might have guessed from nomenclature alone, 8K resolution doubles the number of 4K pixels—to a gargantuan resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels! With the number of pixels being the largest distinguishing factor, is an 8K TV worth it? It depends both on your patience and level of interest.

A considerable drawback of purchasing an 8K TV is that, as of mid-2020, there isn’t any 8K content available; however, in the meantime, these ultra-high-resolution TVs offer a lifelike viewing experience so you can appreciate details as slight as a speck of dust or as sharp as an individual strand of hair.

Not only that, besides an 8K-compatible screen, future 8K content will require high-speed processing. With four times as many pixels as 1080p TVs, 8K media—whether it’s streaming content over 5G Internet connectivity or the yet-to-be-invented disc format—takes up a lot of bandwidth. You would need HDMI 2.1, both in terms of cables and other home-theater devices.

In short, if you are a tech-savvy person that enjoys following up on the latest electronics and gadgets, an 8K TV might be the product for you. Otherwise, if you crave instant gratification, a 4K set is currently the more prudent purchase.

How much is a 4K TV?

4K TVs are priced on a broad spectrum—anywhere between $400 and $5,000 for a 65-inch screen, currently.

As previously mentioned, the first generation of 4K TVs were priced at five figures. Today, many models go for as low as three figures. This is to say, prices for 4K TVs are subject to dipping as consumer interest diminishes and as upgraded technology steps into the fray.

And there are always Black Friday deals that could dwindle that price tag even lower.

Does a 4K TV require a special HDMI cable?

Unlike 8K sets, most mid- to high-end Ultra HD 4K TVs (that, in some cases, now also support HDR) do not require special HDMI cables.

Some cable manufacturers may advertise higher priced “4K” HDMI cables as a marketing tactic, but truthfully, we’d pass.

How much is an 8K TV?

Currently, 8K TVs don’t offer the same range of diversity as 4K TVs when it comes to pricing. Today, a 65-inch 8K TV starts at around $2,500 and can cost upward of nearly $6,000.

Industry experts predict that prices for mid-end 8K TVs might fall between $1,000 and $2,000 sometime in 2021.

When will 8K content be available?

In 2020, this is still a broadly unanswerable question.

Industry experts also assess that native 8K streaming content won’t be available anytime in 2020, with 8K disc formats not being available until even later.

Slowly, video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo have been supporting 8K content, but by and large, 4K content still has a long way to go before it reaches the popularity and influence of Full HD.

But if you’re a bit of a gamer, you’re in luck. Video gaming might reach 8K before television programming does, as the upcoming consoles from Microsoft Xbox and PlayStation are projected to support 8K graphics.

Shop for a 4K TV today! Whether it’s over the phone, via e-mail, or in person, our experts at Spencer’s TV & Appliance are always happy to help.

From our catalog, Samsung offers a wealth of high-quality screens in a variety of sizes to suit any home theater. With Adaptive Picture that adjusts the TV to your room’s lighting conditions and 4K AI upscaling that automatically restores lost detail and defines edges around objects and text, Samsung is a stand-out purveyor of 4K excellence.

Not one to be left in the dust, LG stocks a self-lighting OLED TV that showcases perfect blacks, intense color, and high contrast. Infinitely customizable, the LG CX Class 4K Smart OLED TV also lets you set alerts for upcoming sports games and connect Bluetooth® speakers for a true surround-sound experience.

And who knows? Maybe 8K resolution will drive 4K TVs to extinction. The question is, are you willing to take the plunge to find out?