You may have heard Samsung's got a new 8K TV coming out. Well, it's true. The new screen is called the Q900R, it's QLED and it will most likely hit Australian stores around March next year. But with the availability of 4K content still limited and 8K content practically non-existent, you may be asking yourself, what exactly is the point of an 8K TV?
We were asking ourselves that question too, so we got ourselves a preview demo at the international innovation showcase, IFA Berlin.
What is 8K?
Until now, 4K has been the newest standardised HD resolution display, called '4K' because it offers a 4,000 pixel horizontal display. 8K offers double that horizontally and the end result is 33 million pixels on the screen. Or, as Samsung Australia's Head of Audio Visual, Hass Mahdi put it, "a ridiculous amount of pixels".
We're sure he meant that in a good way, and 8K does look good. Really good. But it is a bit ridiculous to have an 8K TV without any 8K content to watch. Which is why Samsung is bringing out the new TV with AI upscaling. The AI intelligently fills in the missing pixels from lower resolution content in real time to produce a sharper, more detailed viewing experience.
The AI in action
The AI works best when upscaling 4K content, for obvious reasons – there are just fewer pixel gaps to fill. However, where the 8K TV was perhaps most impressive was in its upscaling of SD and HD content.
If you own a 4K screen in a large size like 75 inches you may have found that non-AI upgrading of low resolution content can look kind of crappy sometimes. You can end up with poor detail, jagged lines and blurry bits. But when Samsung's AI upscales SD and HD content, a lot of those imperfections are removed, producing a much cleaner, sharper image. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a big improvement.
Is Australia ready for 8K?
Australia is a large screen country, according to Hass Mahdi. "In 2018 in Australia, the sale of 75 inch screens has expanded massively. For most people you'd look at that and say 'wow, that's too big'. But Aussies love it and they're taking it up in droves."
In fact, Mahdi told WhistleOut that in Australia today one in five dollars spent on a TV is spent on a 75 inch screen, while one in three dollars is spent on a 65 inch screen.
But while 8K is definitely at its most impressive on a really big screen, there is still the question of content availability. Mahdi conceded that if you're looking to watch high quality 8K content on your new screen, 4K is still "the ideal content for the AI to upscale".
And that's still limited in its availability in Australia. Streaming services like Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime do have 4K content but you have to pay more for it and it's not available for every show or movie you might want to watch. Foxtel, meanwhile, only launched its first 4K channel this month and offers no 4K content on its streaming service, Foxtel Now.
How much will it cost?
There's no info on Australian pricing for the Q900R yet but we're guessing it will cost a bomb, although competition from LG's 8K screen, also unveiled at IFA, may help a little. Nevertheless, we recommend investigating just how much 4K content you have access to before rushing out to buy.
However, the new technology could mean a price drop for 4K TVs, which may be a better bet for some. 4K still offers pretty impressive clarity and resolution and there's an array of native content available and ready to watch, no AI upscaling necessary.
Jacqui Dent travelled to IFA Berlin with travel and accommodation costs contributed by Huawei.
Jacqui Dent
Editorial Strategist
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