Lg Drops 8k, Leaving Only One Manufacturer - Here's What's Next For Tv Technology

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• LG has officially stopped making 8K TVs.
• The exertion was expensive, and location was small content.
• You'll apt spot a push now for image value complete resolution.

Is 8K TV yet dead? Maybe not officially, but nan exertion that ne'er rather caught connected surely seems to beryllium connected nan measurement retired arsenic different shaper has pulled nan plug.

According to a study from flatpanelshd.com, LG is officially halting accumulation connected each 8K TVs. From what I tin tell, this leaves Samsung arsenic nan only remaining shaper -- and its 2026 lineup announcement astatine CES a fewer weeks agone made nary mention of 8K. Speaking to flatpanelshd.com, nan institution framed nan determination arsenic a impermanent clasp and said it would beryllium fresh to resume if customer liking changed. I've reached retired to LG for much details.

Now that LG is out, let's return a look astatine 8K. Where did it spell wrong, and what's next? 

Why 8K TV failed

8K faced respective barriers that prevented consumers from adopting nan tech. 

One of nan biggest was nan deficiency of content. Even though nan first 8K group deed nan marketplace a decade ago, there's still not a batch you tin watch successful 8K (even existent 4K contented is still reliable to travel by). There are immoderate beautiful YouTube demo videos, but a batch of those are conscionable upscaled 4K. Hollywood studios, streaming services, and gaming companies ne'er really showed an interest, and there's not moreover a broadcast aliases disc format for 8K. 

Also: I've been reviewing TVs for 10 years, and these are nan champion of 2026

Additionally, 8K TVs were often importantly much costly than their 4K counterparts of nan aforesaid size. Browsing existent offerings, I recovered that $2,500 seems to beryllium nan absolute lowest price, pinch nan mostly of sets successful nan $3,000 - $4,000 range. I recovered plentifulness of good value 4K TVs for little than half that price. 

On apical of those reasons, there's a statement astir whether aliases not group tin really spot a quality betwixt 4K and 8K. A recent study from nan University of Cambridge pointed retired that for nan mean surviving room TV viewing region (about 8 feet), nan quality oculus can't observe a quality betwixt 8K, aliases moreover 4K, complete a little resolution.  

All of that mixed led consumers to simply not care. 

What's next?

With LG down, only Samsung is left. I've reached retired to a institution typical to inquire astir early 8K plans, but it's difficult to ideate accumulation will proceed if customers aren't interested. While it's clear nan 8K surviving room isn't nan future, I tin still spot 8K having a fewer uses successful master displays aliases possibly immoderate benignant of VR aliases AR show since nan surface is only inches from your face. 

What's adjacent for TV technology? 

Also: We saw dozens of TVs astatine CES 2026: Keep these 5 models connected your radar this year.

4K is nan saccharine spot arsenic acold arsenic resolution. It's reasonably affordable, it has wide support, and you tin find plentifulness of content. Manufacturers look to beryllium prioritizing amended image exertion complete higher resolution. Instead of adding much pixels that we whitethorn aliases whitethorn not moreover beryllium capable to see, these changes do supply visible benefits -- for illustration nan deeper opposition and colour of OLED and QD-OLED and nan improved section dimming of Mini-LED.

You can't disregard AI either. AI upscaling and processing are besides becoming modular features that tin make lower-resolution contented look moreover better, and it's almost definite we'll spot companies put much successful this area. 

I deliberation you'll spot a continued push to amended image value and processing complete nan adjacent respective years alternatively than different solution push. There's still tons of room for innovation, and those innovations won't push prices retired of scope for nan mean consumer.