Introduction
4K TV vs. 8K TV: Which one is worth my money?
The debate between 4K and 8K, which one is better and which one is worth the price tag, has continued to gain much momentum over the years that choosing which one to go for becomes a challenge in itself. People see the two types as just being the same or that the difference in resolution is actually too subtle for the pretty different price tags.
4K TV Characteristics
A 4K TV is a TV set with a 4,000 pixel resolution. The “K” in 4K stands for Kilo (1,000), essentially that means the TV has approximately 3,840 horizontal pixels and 2,160 vertical pixels, for a total of about 8.3 million pixels. That is quite an astonishing amount when we consider that just a few years ago this was unthought of. At this kind of resolution you are able to not only sit really close to the screen without the individual pixels becoming obvious, but the experience as a whole becomes much more immersive and closer to real life.
8K TV Characteristics
An 8K TV is a TV with an 8,000 pixel resolution. This TV registers 7,680 horizontal pixels and 4,320 vertical pixels for a total of approximately 33 million pixels. This is a pretty mind blowing 4x the amount of a 4K TV. Some 8K TVs integrate upscaling technology to improve the viewer experience. Even further, making it almost more real than real life itself. The colours are deeper and richer, and the picture is crisper. Of course, it does come with an appropriate price tag, and currently many smart devices don’t support it. Although that is very likely to change in the near future.
4K vs. 8K Compared
So, to help you to decide between 4K or 8K, we have set up a few handy categories.
Screen Size and Pixel Resolution
To really get the most out of UHD imagery, the Pixels Per Inch (PPI) on your screen should be at least 50. A 75″ 4K TV is 59, while the PPI on the 75″ 8K TV is 117, which is pretty close to double. So that is the first major difference between 4K and 8K. With regards to screen size, 4K TVs are generally available from 32 inches upwards, while 8K TVs tend to only start at 65 inch, which will greatly affect your budget.
Availability of content
According to Cabletv, the 4K content library is growing nicely, with recent movie titles, TV shows, radio services, and other interesting apps being added all the time. There are many channels worldwide that broadcast in 4K, many of which are super popular, such as Amazon, Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, Rakuten, and YouTube.
The gaming world has also joined the 4K bandwagon with Sony offering 4K gaming content on its Sony PS5. Microsoft is also offering Great 4K content on its XBOX Series X.
8K on the other hand lacks content availability as there’s limited 8K streaming content available at the moment. YouTube and Vimeo are the only well-known apps that offer 8K streaming services. PC Gaming has also utilized 8K content by using NVIDIA Geforce 30 Series graphics cards. But, in general, it’s not popular and supported technology at this point. If you want access to wider content choices, then 4K is the way to go for now.
Price
Price or budget for many people is a huge factor and could well be the deciding one. Prices for 4K TVs vary according to brand and size, making it a better option for those on a limited budget. While there are smaller or mid-range options from budget-friendly brands for around R5 000, most new bigger 4K screen models from the top brands cost no less than R10 000
When it comes to 8K TVs, the prices jump to such an extent that you would be forgiven for falling over. You can expect to fork out between R40 000 to R50 000, and that’s on special on Takealot. This makes 8K TVs completely out of the budget for most people.
What you get for the price
OK, but what do you get for the different prices? If you are willing to cough up to and beyond R100k for a TV, you want to know that you are getting an amazing product. So the question remains, can you justify paying that much?
4K offers a wide array of content readily available for viewer experience. The screens are available in smaller options, and you have access to content from streaming platforms to Internet browsing capabilities. The picture is good, although not as crisp as 8K due to a half of the PPI. But for most people, 4K is a very good resolution and there really isn’t much need to go higher for now.
8K on the other hand will give you very limited content. The prices range from about R50 000 for the smallest 55″ screen to a mind blowing R160 000 for an 85”. The picture quality, however, is incredible. The blacks are deep and dark, the colours are amazing. Overall, it is a better experience than going to an actual cinema.
Conclusion
4K and 8K TVs are both magnificent examples of state-of-the-art technology. With its wide array of content, screen sizes and price tags, 4K, however, pips 8K to the post. That being said, if you do have a larger budget, we will not stop you from investing in an 8K TV. You are likely to be absolutely blown away by the picture quality. And set up in a well built media room, you may never leave it.
If you want any sort of advice on which TV is right for you, or how to install a new one in your media room, don’t hesitate to give us a call!