We have not satisfactorily exploited the 4K TVs, but already the 8K TVs are lined up in the market. The 8K TVs offer better resolution and picture quality than the 4K TVs. But are these sufficient to have a good cinematic experience?
To answer that, you need to check what the TV offers you and whether it can meet your personal viewing needs. For instance, as 8K is a newer technology, there is only less 8K content available. Furthermore, 4K TVs have great picture quality too. So, you have to decide whether the extra money you spend on 8K TVs is worth it or not.
We have written a detailed article on the different parameters of 4K and 8K TVs to help you choose the one that best meets your viewing needs
Table of Contents
Resolution
Both 8K and 4K are commonly referred to as Ultra HD. But, 8K has a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. On the other hand, 4K has a resolution of 3,480 x 2,160 pixels. In these, the first value represents horizontal pixels and the second value represents vertical pixels.
The fact that 8K has 4 times the resolution of 4K indicates the impact in resolution difference.
Pixel Count
The number of pixels determines the resolution or picture quality of a TV. In general, an 8K display TV has a pixel count of 33 million. Contrarily, a 4K display only has 8 million pixels.
Frame Rate
Frame rate refers to the number of images displayed on your TV screen in a second. An 8K display can support a frame rate of up to 120 fps. On the other hand, a 4K display can support only up to 60 fps.
Brightness
8K TVs come with a brightness of 4000 nits. Contrarily, the 4K TVs have an average brightness of 2000 nits. In most models, they have the same number of backlight LEDs. It is generally 500. But the intensity of these LEDs vary.
8K TVs use backlight LEDs that have high intensity making them brighter. The extra brightness ensures that you do suffer from eye fatigue.
Audio Signal
Apart from the picture quality, 4K and 8K TVs come with standard audio signals to improve the sound experience. You will get an audio signal of 22.2 with an 8K TV. If you opt for a 4K TV, you will get the 5.1 audio channel.
Standard Viewing Angle
To have an optimum viewing experience, you have to sit within a certain angle from your TV. Changing the distance and your position from your TV will alter the viewing angle. We recommend you sit at an angle of 55-600 for 4K TVs and 1000 for 8K TVs to have the best viewing experience.
Availability of Native Content
Watching content in their native resolution is what gives you the best viewing experience. That is watching 8K content in an 8K TV and 4K content in a 4K. Currently, there is very less native content available for 8K. This is because making a film in 8K requires advancement equipment that makes it expensive.
When you consider 4K, there is a lot of content. Major OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu support 4K content. So, you won’t have any problems finding content to watch on your 4K TV.
| Platform | 8K | 4K |
|---|---|---|
| UHD Blu-Ray | No | Yes |
| Netflix | No | Yes |
| Prime Video | No | Yes |
| Vudu | No | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Game Consoles | No | Yes |
| PC Games | Yes | Yes |
Upscaling Content
It is possible to watch 4K content on an 8K TV. But you won’t get the same viewing experience. This concept is applicable for 4K TV as well.
Higher resolution TVs use a process called upscaling to improve the resolution of non-native content. 4K TVs are not good at upscaling. They do a poor job in increasing the resolution of the native content.
8K TVs can vastly improve the resolution of non-native content and display. But, still, it is not as good as the native 8K content.
Processor
Both 4K and 8K TVs come with strong processors to deliver a powerful performance. Among them, as 8K TV has higher resolution and pixel density, it needs stronger processors. One of the reasons to use the strong processor is to upscale not-native content. Almost all TV brands have proprietary processors and constantly improve them.
HDMI Compatibility
8K TV requires a higher bandwidth for data transfer as it has more pixels that have more information. Hence, the data transfer cables and source devices should have at least HDMI 2.1. The latest version being HDMI 2.2.
HDMI 2.1 has a bandwidth of up to 48Gbps and supports up to 4K120 video. Besides, it supports native 8K video at 60 frames per second. For a 4K TV, HDMI 2.0 will suffice.
Comparison Chart: 4K vs. 8K TV
We have created a table by comparing the 8K and 4K TVs against different parameters.
| Specifications | 8K | 4K |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 7,680 x 4,320 pixels | 3,480 x 2,160 pixels |
| Pixel count | 33M | 8M |
| Frame rate | 120 fps | 60 fps |
| Brightness | 4000 nits | 2000 nits |
| Audio channel | 22.2 | 5.1 |
| Viewing angle | 1000 | 55-600 |
| Availability of native content | Very less | More |
| Upscaling native content | Good | Poor |
| Processor | Stronger | Strong |
| HDMI Compatibility | 2.1 or higher | 2.0 or higher |
8K in Gaming?
The future of 8K technology looks more promising in the gaming sector than in the film industry. This is because it is easy to improve the resolution of games.
Microsoft and Sony, the leading gaming-console companies have already announced that their products will support 8K content. But they still target the 4K category as well.
AMD and Nvidia will release new graphics cards that support HDMI 2.1. The graphic cards are powerful enough to run games at 8K resolution.
Is now the time to buy an 8K TV?
8K TV far outwits the 4K TV in all categories, except the price and available content. But these two reasons are enough to postpone your decision of buying an 8K TV.
The reason is that 8K TV is a futuristic technology. You won’t be able to enjoy your favorite shows in native content. Even if the 8K TV upscales the content, it is doubtful if it can match the resolution of 4K native content. Furthermore, you have to pay extra money for it. The whole thing just doesn’t make sense.
If not now, then when?
With time and the emergence of newer technologies, electronic appliances including TVs will become cheaper. During the course, you will have enough 8K content as well. Industry experts believe that within 2 years, buying an 8K TV will become a more realistic choice.
Conclusion
To sum it up, an 8K TV delivers a powerful performance and offers a better cinematic experience than a 4K TV. But as of now, 8K TVs are not feasible for practical use. There is not enough 8K native content. You have to pay double the money and only get less content to watch. Until the time 8K TVs become a practically viable option, we recommend you go with the 4K TVs.
If you have any further doubts or queries, let us know using the comments section. Our team of experts will help you out. You can also post your thoughts and opinions regarding the topic in the comments box.
