The technological evolution of TVs has been extremely fast. We bought High Definition, or HD, thinking that it would be a fantastic medium / long term investment, but shortly afterwards Full HD, 2K, 4K, 8K and 10K are even mentioned.
Suddenly, the fantastic HD TV in the room looks like a museum piece, which can no longer even meet the graphic demands of the latest console games. This technological evolution was (fortunately) accompanied by a significant reduction in the price of equipment, and by several attractive promotional campaigns aimed at selling older models.
The 1,500 euros that, until recently, would buy a generously sized HD TV, are today enough to buy a good 4K equipment. But, at a time when 10K resolution is already being discussed, is it worth investing in 4k equipment? Wouldn't it be more logical to buy an 8K TV that will be able to respond to the evolution of the gaming, gadget and content industry in the coming years?
Check the photo gallery for some suggestions.
8K TVs have twice the resolution of 4K – images of 33 million pixels (7680 x 4320 pixels), that is, four times more than 4K models (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 16 times more than Full HD TVs ( 1280 x 720 pixels) – and offer several benefits:
The advantage in terms of Image quality unquestionable, both in terms of sharpness, contrast, depth, color, texture, precision, contours, among other parameters. a resolution that conveys the feeling of perfect reality.
THE pixel density it is much superior, that is, being able to buy a larger screen without compromising image quality (pixelated effect on the display). As a rule, 8K TVs have large screens.
Opening for gaming : The console and streaming games industry promises to take full advantage of this resolution, which means that titles played on lower resolution TVs will not be able to deliver their full potential, in terms of image quality and levels of detail. The long awaited PS5 promises graphics in 8K, and Google will also bet on this resolution with the gaming platform Stadia.
Use mobile content:The high-end smartphones that will be launched this year already support 8K video recording. the case of the Galaxy S20, the Nubia Red Magic 3 and the next Xiaomi model.
All advantages or some problems?
What is the problem now? The advantages of this resolution can only be really visible in contents created for 8k films, games, videos, sports and musical events, etc. that are gradually reaching the market. The Guardians of Galxia Vol. 2, from Marvel Cinematics, will be recorded in 8K, and services like Netflix (which already have 4K content) have already indicated that they will make content available in this resolution.
Traditional TV channels do not yet support this resolution. To overcome this barrier, TV manufacturers have integrated in their equipment upscaling technology a solution that uses artificial intelligence to optimize the quality of images to levels very close to 4K or 8K, depending on the model. This optimization is done scene-by-scene and in real time. The difference is visible, and it can be a strong argument for those who prefer image quality and are waiting for the contents in 8K.
To enjoy the 4 or 8K in streaming services, you will also have to guarantee a generous bandwidth. As with the PC and mobile phone, the higher the resolution, the greater the demand on bandwidth.
