[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] “8K TVs,” once touted as the next-generation TVs set to succeed 4K, have struggled to gain widespread adoption. Although SamsungElectronics and LGELECTRONICS launched 8K TVs in quick succession in 2018 and 2019, sparking a race for ultra-high definition, 4K remains the market mainstream even now, seven to eight years later. While LGELECTRONICS, Sony, TCL, and others have halted the release of new 8K models, SamsungElectronics is effectively the only major global TV manufacturer still maintaining a lineup of new 8K products.

According to industry sources on the 23rd, LGELECTRONICS currently has no 8K TVs on sale in South Korea. On LGELECTRONICS’ official website, the “LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K” is listed as a discontinued product. It appears LGELECTRONICS has determined that the 8K market has not yet fully taken off and that, at this point, the specifications are excessively high—nearly “over-specified”—compared to consumer demand. The company believes that, given that 4K OLEDs are already capable of delivering sufficient picture quality, there is limited demand for 8K products that require consumers to pay a higher price.

Sony has also not released any new 8K products since the Z9K launched in 2022, and TCL is not currently selling any 8K models either. In contrast, SamsungElectronics is keeping the 8K market alive by launching new Neo QLED 8K models this year as well. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the 2026 model “Neo QLED 8K QNH990” 85-inch (214 cm) TV, available on Samsung.com, is 13.7 million won. This strategy aims to cater to a niche audience seeking ultra-high-definition picture quality while simultaneously targeting the premium TV market with its top-tier product lineup.

Market figures also clearly show the decline of 8K. According to market research firm Omdia, global 8K TV shipments peaked at approximately 386,800 units in 2022, then fell to 214,400 units in 2023 and are estimated to have dropped to about 136,800 units last year. This represents a decline of approximately 65% over three years. Considering that total TV shipments last year were approximately 208 million units, the share of 8K TVs fell short of even 0.1%.

High prices and a lack of content are cited as the reasons why 8K has not gained as much traction as expected. An 8K display consists of approximately 33 million pixels—7,680 horizontally and 4,320 vertically. With four times as many pixels as 4K (3,840 × 2,160), it enables more detailed and sharper imagery. However, to truly experience this, content must also be available at the 8K level. Currently, major over-the-top (OTT) services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video do not offer native 8K content. SamsungElectronics is addressing this limitation by using artificial intelligence (AI)-based upscaling technology to improve the picture quality of lower-resolution content.

As the widespread adoption of 8K has been delayed, the competitive landscape of the TV market has shifted. Instead of the “resolution race” that previously moved from 4K to 8K, color reproduction technologies such as OLED and Micro RGB, ultra-large screens in the 100-inch range, and AI-based picture and sound enhancements are emerging as new premium competitive factors. In fact, according to Omdia, Mini LED TVs accounted for 13% of the 48.8 million global TV units shipped in the second quarter of this year.

An industry official stated, “To fully enjoy 8K, the content must also meet that level of picture quality, but the infrastructure for enjoying 8K on a daily basis has not yet been sufficiently established.” The official added, “Although it has not expanded into the mass market, there is still demand from premium consumers seeking ultra-high definition, so it appears the technology will continue to survive in a niche market for the time being.”