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Like 4K and 1080p before it, 8K is the next big resolution upgrade for TVs and monitors that could herald a new era of hyperrealistic visuals in movies, games, and television. It also promises to be one of the most demanding, quadrupling the number of pixels of 4K. That will stretch the limits of internet connections for streaming content, and graphics chips in PCs and consoles trying to render games at that resolution.
But like 4K, 8K isn't universally defined as the same thing. Just what is 8K resolution, really?
What is 8K Resolution?
Technically, 8K resolution is any display with a resolution width of approximately 8,000 pixels. That loose definition means that there are a number of different "8K" resolutions that have quite distinct horizontal and vertical pixel counts, depending on their aspect ratio.
What is 8K resolution to most, though? It's 7,680 x 4,320, often called 8K UHD. That's the highest resolution defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in its original 2012 Rec. 2020 standard recommendations. That also defined a number of other standards, including 4K (3,840 x 2,160) various frame rates from 120p down to 24p, as well as a number of color bit-depths.
The ITU-defined 8K resolution uses the aspect ratio of 16:9, the most common aspect ratio of mainstream TVs and monitors. With other mediums, platforms, and display types, though, there are also other 8K resolutions that are important too. 16:10 is a popular display aspect ratio for some monitors, and for 8K displays that would mean a resolution of 8,192 x 5,120. Fulldome cinemas, designed to provide a glasses-free, immersive, VR-like experience, utilize a 1:1 aspect ratio, so would use an 8K resolution of 8,192 x 8,192. That works out to more than double the overall pixel count of the UHD 8K standard, so there is some real variance in 8K resolution depending on the setting and display type in question.
At its core though, 8K resolution, as described under the ITU recommendations, has double the pixel width and height of 4K, which means it has four times the overall pixels and 16 times the overall pixels of 1080p. That makes for a more detailed image, a much more nuanced image, and one that gets very close to photo realism when best taken advantage of.
But it is a major investment and the amount of 8K content out at this time is rather limited. If you ever wondered, can the human eye see 8K?, or whether it's worth spending your money elsewhere instead, you need to ask yourself one important question...
Is 8K Worth It?
With every new display technology that becomes available, it's important to ask whether upgrading to it will dramatically improve your movie-watching and game-playing experience. The jump from SD to 720p, and then 1080p HD was huge and well worth it. 1080P to 4K isn't as noticeable, but it's still worth upgrading to and many people already have. While as of 2018, only 31 percent of U.S. households had a 4K display of any kind, the number of 4K TV owners is trending upwards every year, and faster than most expected. By March 2021, the adoption of 4K TVs had significantly increased. Around 44% of U.S. households had a 4K-capable TV. 8K may well follow suit in due course.
But can the human eye see 8K? While that question doesn't take into consideration the different ways in which organic eyes work compared to displays (we don't see in pixels) the human eye can effectively notice differences up to 40 megapixels. A typical 8K image is around 33 megapixels, so there is still room for improvement, even at 8K. But you may want a bigger TV to see all the benefits.
Already on 4K TVs, you'd need to be within a couple of feet of the display to notice the lines between the pixels, and therefore the individual pixels themselves. While 8K does deliver a more detailed image, arguably its best feature is enabling similar detail levels at even larger screen sizes.
This has to do with pixel density, commonly measured in Pixels Per Inch (PPI). If the resolution amounts to the total number of pixels on a screen, then you’re going to need more pixels to fill up a larger screen without losing quality. Otherwise, that same number of pixels will need to be stretched across a larger space. The graph below shows how pixel density (and therefore quality) changes with different-sized screens at a given resolution. You can see that 8K and maybe 4K are the only viable options for a 100-inch display. On a 1080p display that size, there would only be around 22PPI, making for an extremely ugly image. While there is no defined range for optimal pixel density, it is generally agreed upon that 150PPI is the lowest you’d want to go while anything over 400PPI can’t be detected by the eye.
Source: Wikipedia
It is also important to take viewing distance into consideration here. As seen on the chart below, displays of all resolutions look the same at longer distances. Higher-resolution displays allow you to sit closer while still noticing the quality of a display. Sitting 15 feet away from a 105-inch 4K display will give you the same quality experience as sitting 15 feet away from a 50-inch 1080p display but that seems a little too far away, doesn’t it?
Source: carltonbale.com
8K has the potential to offer a better quality picture at larger display sizes and for those who like to sit very close to their display for added immersion. While 8K content is still quite limited, many 8K TVs provide upscaling, which helps bridge the gap between content and screen while the technology becomes more ubiquitous.
What Do You Need for 8K?
Whether you want to be on the cutting edge, or just want to buy the biggest TV possible and don't want to sacrifice image quality in doing so, 8K is the display tech to opt for. But you'll need to make sure that your hardware is up to snuff, as you need some specific equipment, like 8K capable cables, to enjoy the full richness of an 8K TV or display.
The first step is getting hold of an 8K display. There are a few 8K TVs around and a couple of 8K monitors, all of which are super high-end and worth considering. They're expensive, but reviewing them based on their capabilities and specifications goes beyond the scope of this article.
You then need an 8K source. There are no 8K physical media – and quite likely never will be – but streaming is the future of entertainment, and 8K is very much part of that future. While most of the major streaming platforms, don't support 8K content at this time, it is coming down the pipe. The new Xbox Series X and PS5 were advertised as being able to support 8K content, however true 8K gaming at reasonable refresh rates is still unattainable on both consoles. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was broadcast in 8K though, which was live-streamed by Intel over the public internet.
YouTube has become the first streaming service to actively support 8K. While it's not present on Amazon Prime or Netflix just yet, it's only a matter of time. 4K is becoming more common all the time, so expect some showcase 8K content in the future as filming for it increases in popularity.
Your 8K TV may have some smart features that allow it to stream 8K natively from YouTube, but for the most control over your 8K experience – and one that will open up the potential for 8K gaming too, if you want it – you should connect your TV to an 8K ready PC.
The most important component you'll need is a high-end graphics card. At least an NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti, and preferably something even more powerful like the NVIDIA 30 series or better yet, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. AMD graphics cards now support 8K resolution as well, and both the Radeon RX 6000 series and 7000 series are capable of high-quality 8K resolution gaming.
You'll also want a high-end processor, plenty of memory, and if you plan to download 8K content for later playback, the fastest storage you can buy. That's going to be a PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD.
Once you have your 8K capable PC ready to roll, you'll need to connect it to your 8K display. The cables that support 8K resolution are high-end DisplayPort 2.1 cables, or HDMI 2.1 cables, from a reputable seller like Cable Matters. HDMI 2.1 has become more mainstream, and almost all 8K TVs support it as the standard. DisplayPort 2.1 is now available with greater bandwidth capabilities for future-proofing, and 8K DisplayPort monitors are becoming more widely available. Cable quality for such a data-dense stream is of paramount importance, as you'll want to guarantee that your cable isn't causing any signal degradation, which would really take away from your 8K experience. The protocols of DisplayPort 1.4 or newer & HDMI 2.1 are a strict requirement because previous generations don’t support the bandwidth required for an 8K display.
You could also opt for an active DisplayPort cable if you want to have your display at a greater distance from your 8K machine. Forgoing even further, there are DisplayPort repeaters you can use, and if you find yourself needing to use a different cable type for whatever reason, there are USB-C adapters and options for splitting the signal between multiple outputs.
If you're planning to stream 8K content from the internet too, you'll need a high-speed internet connection, as a minimum of 50Mbps download speed is required.
What's Next?
So, what is 8K? It’s the next stepping stone on the ever-onward march towards photorealistic visuals in movies, television, and games. But even the best 8K TVs aren't quite like looking through a window just yet.
So, what's after 8K TV?
No one knows for sure, but there are some ideas about what we can expect. There's the possibility of even greater resolutions – 16K is one such potential eventuality. We've already seen some examples of this from technology companies like Sony and Touch Taiwan, both of which have debuted massive 16K displays. We also saw a 110-inch 16K TV debuted by BOE in May of 2023.
AMD has suggested it will target 16K support with its future graphics cards to make it possible to not only render video at such resolutions but even eventually support virtual reality headsets that leverage such pixel-dense displays.
Other visual enhancements could prove more popular instead, though. HDR and high frame rates have been more of a focus for movie viewers and gamers in recent years, so it could be that added contrast, color depth, or augmented reality are of more interest to potential buyers than yet another giant leap in resolution.
What's after 8K? More of the same, but also a little extra. There is lots to be excited about in the display space, but it's going to be a while before 8K is as commonplace as 4K has become, and 16K is still in its infancy.
16K: The Next Frontier
As the world revels in the marvels of 8K television, tech enthusiasts and industry experts are already casting their gaze toward an even more astonishing technological milestone: 16K resolution. Representing the pinnacle of visual fidelity, 16K promises to deliver an unparalleled viewing experience that could revolutionize various sectors including entertainment, advertising, and virtual reality (VR).
What is 16K Resolution?
A 16K display boasts a resolution of approximately 15,360 x 8,640 totaling roughly 132.7 million pixels, which is four times the resolution of 8K and sixteen times that of 4K. This astronomical increase in pixel density translates to incredibly sharp, vivid, and lifelike images that blur the line between digital display and reality. At this level of detail, viewers are likely to experience visuals with astonishing clarity, virtually eliminating any visible pixelation, even on the largest screens.
In practical terms, jumping to 16K can revolutionize industries reliant on high-detail visuals such as filmmaking, medical imaging, and design. For filmmakers, it means more flexible post-production, allowing for more extensive cropping and zooming without loss of quality. In medical fields, surgeons and radiologists will benefit from sharper images, enhancing precision in diagnostics and procedures. Designers and engineers could also see a dramatic improvement in the detail and scalability of their visual work.
Although consumer-level 16K TVs may still be years away, industries are already exploring its potential. Companies like Sony have showcased 16K displays, primarily targeted at commercial and professional settings. For instance, Sony’s Crystal LED 16K display can be found in innovative installations, providing immersive experiences impossible with other screens.
As technology continues to advance, the possibilities for 16K become more tangible. AI-driven upscaling, advancements in data compression, and more robust processing capabilities are likely to pave the way for broader adoption.
In addition, brands such as Samsung and LG are also investing heavily in developing advanced display technologies like MicroLED, which could support the high pixel density and brightness levels required for 16K screens.
The shift to 16K will necessitate significant advancements in content production and storage. Filmmakers, game developers, and streaming platforms will need to adopt new tools and processes to create and distribute 16K content. High-resolution cameras, enhanced rendering software, and expanded bandwidth are crucial components that will facilitate the production of 16K media.
One of the most promising applications of 16K technology is in the realm of virtual reality. The enhanced resolution could dramatically improve VR experiences by providing ultra-realistic environments that enhance immersion. AMD has indicated plans to develop graphics cards capable of supporting 16K displays, which would be essential for rendering the complex visuals required for high-end VR systems.
Despite its immense potential, 16K technology faces several hurdles. The cost of production, limited content, and the lack of immediate consumer demand are significant barriers. Additionally, the hardware required to support 16K—such as GPUs and storage solutions—must evolve to handle the enormous data flow and processing power needed.