וייs there any point in buying an 8K TV?" is a question that I'm asked regularly. And with very good reason: we have been reviewing 8K TVs since 2018 (the first was the 85in Samsung Q900R, if you're interested) and yet, seven years on, there is still essentially no native 8K content available.
Sure, you can watch some lovely 8K demo content on YouTube (though watch out for the videos that play in 8K but are really just upscaled 4K), and there is a dedicated 8K TV channel in Japan, but those aside, there's essentially nothing to watch in native 8K. What's more, there is still no sign of a current or new streaming service going 8K, nor any hint of an 8K disc format ever appearing. While the worthwhile introduction of 8K one day seems inevitable, it barely seems closer now than it did in 2018.
So, is there any point in buying an 8K TV now? Very many people say ‘no’, including some of my colleagues here at What Hi-Fi?. TV and AV staff writer Lewis Empson has told me that he has no interest until proper 8K streams or discs materialise, and our esteemed editor in chief, Alastair Stevenson, has cited that same issue, as well as a couple more (including a lack of David Attenborough), as barriers to him going 8K.
My personal take on all of this is a little less definite. I have flip-flopped slightly in my opinion on 8K over the years, but the new Samsung QN900D is comfortably the strongest case yet for buying an 8K TV in a non-8K world. Does that mean I would buy one? Probably not, but let’s come back to that.
This story is from the June 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
System of the month
A superb set-up that will bring you equal joy whether playing games or watching movies
I SPENT 24 HOURS IMMERSED IN DOLBY ATMOS MUSIC - THESE ARE 8 KEY THINGS I LEARNED
What Hi-Fi? deputy editor Andy Madden gained some interesting insights from the world of immersive audio on a visit to a Dolby Atmos studio
Philips Fidelio L4
Philips adds another good pair of headphones to its Fidelio line
Sony HT-AX7
Bird? Plane? No! It's Sony's... portable theatre/360-degree music thingy
Final ZE8000 MK2
Your Final destination for great sound - or a sonic dead end?
BenQ X3100i
BenQ's latest gaming projector is surprisingly good with movies too
MINI MARVELS
While positively tiny in today's TV world, these compact, 24in sets could be just what you need
RAISING THE BAR
Elevate your home cinema sound with this trio of convenient soundbar packages
INDOOR PLANTS IN FULL BOOM
These premium wireless speakers are designed for use in the home - where they will raise the roof
TAKE TO THE FLOOR
From pumping dance music to grand orchestral heft, these pillars of strength will deliver in spades