8K TVs produce the highest quality performance with their detailed and colourful images.
There are, however, expensive compared to their 4K rivals, although the pricing is reducing every year. Although, there aren’t as many 8K TVs being sold – Sony’s last 8K TV came in 2022 – we always strive to test as many 8K TVs as we can so we can inform you of the best 8K TVs to buy.
Upscaling has become a big focus for TV brands as they look to wring as much performance as they can from 4K video and good quality HD sources. We test out how each 8K TV upscales content from standard definition to high definition, as well as gauging its HDR performance.
We also make sure to review the audio , design and features to ensure that you’re getting the best overall experience.
We’ll update this article whenever we feel there’s an 8K TV that’s worth including, so be make sure to come back if you’re still looking for a new 8K TV.
If 8K isn’t what you’re interested in our best 4K TV list might be of better use. If you’re looking to get an OLED TV, then check out our best OLED TV or for a round-up of the best models on the market then there’s our best TV page.
Best 8K TVs at a glance
- Best 8K TV: Samsung QE75QN900C – check price
- Best value 8K TV: Samsung QE75QN800C – check price
- Best 8K OLED: LG OLED77Z2 – check price
How we test
Every TV we review is put through the same set of tests to gauge its picture performance, usability, and smart features.
Tests are carried out over several days and are done by eye but supported with technical measurements. Testing by eye involves an expert watching a wide range of material to understand and determine a TV’s performance in fields such as brightness, contrast, motion processing, colour handling and screen uniformity.
We’ll consider the design of the TV in terms of build quality, study the spec sheets and see if the TV’s connections are up to spec, as well as playing video and audio content to ensure that the set handles playback as it claims. We also take note whether a product’s compatible formats and features are in line with industry trends or not to gauge whether it’s relevant for you.
Comparison to other related and similarly priced products is also important, to see if it’s missing any vital features and whether it impresses as a whole. After all this, we’ll come to a judgement on how the TV performs as a whole.
If you want to learn more, please visit our detailed page about how we test televisions.
- Looks great with Dolby Vision content
- Minimalist design
- Well-suited for gaming
- Big-screen viewing
- Seriously expensive
- Not as bright or as sharp an image as you might expect
- Upscaling could be better
- Some apps hidden behind LG account sign-up
- Spectacularly bright, colourful pictures
- Gorgeous ‘Infinity’ design
- Outstanding LCD light control
- It’s expensive
- No Dolby Vision support
- But still some minor backlight issues
- Impressive black levels for an LCD TV
- One of the better-sounding flatscreen TVs
- Punchy, bright HDR performance
- Excellent upscaling and motion
- Fast gaming performance
- Aggressive dimming of small, bright objects
- Little 8K content to watch
- Still pricey for most
- Atmos sounds better on internal apps than 4K Blu-rays
Samsung QE75QN900C
Best 8K TV
Pros
- Spectacularly bright, colourful pictures
- Gorgeous ‘Infinity’ design
- Outstanding LCD light control
Cons
- It’s expensive
- No Dolby Vision support
- But still some minor backlight issues
Samsung continues to be 8K’s biggest fan and in the QN900C it has produced another spectacular TV. At £6799 / $6299 at the time of review, it remains an expensive just like its QN900B predecessor. This even more especially felt as there is still a dearth of native 8K content to enjoy on an 8K TV.
So the main selling point about the QN900C is that it’ll make 4K and lesser quality video content better through upscaling, and on this TV, pictures enjoy more density, smoother edges, and a better sense of three dimensionality. Given how much information the TV is having to make up to upscale to 8K resolution, our reviewer found it to be a stunningly impressive performance.
And it’s no slouch with HDR content either. We measured peak brightness at over 2000 nits, delivering richer and more vibrant images than the QN95C 4K TV can muster. It also produces images that are sharper and denser than its 4K counterpart, able to produce a higher level of brightness with black levels that approach the depth and consistency of OLED. We found there were still some backlight issues especially with bright objects set against dark backgrounds, but overall the QN900C does its best to minimise blooming.
Gaming on this screen is excellent, especially for those who want a premium performance from the PS5 and Xbox Series X. We observed gaming latency to be 10.5ms, which is fast in light of the 8K resolution you’re playing at. There’s VRR technology in HDMI VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to help PC gamers, while all four of its HDMI inputs support 4K 120Hz gaming.
The lack of Dolby Vision whether for films or gaming is disappointing, but we don’t imagine Samsung will be changing its tack anytime soon, and our reviewer did find that with HDR10 content, the Samsung’s tone mapping was good enough to negate the need for Dolby Vision.
The sound system is better than the usual flatscreen TV: clean, clear and well balanced with effects and dialogue matching their placement on screen. A bit more bass would have been nice, and the soundstage isn’t enough to meet the demands of a high quality Hollywood film, but we did enjoy listening to this Dolby Atmos compatible system.
Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: Samsung QE75QN900C
Samsung QE75QN800C
Best value 8K TV
Pros
- Impressive black levels for an LCD TV
- One of the better-sounding flatscreen TVs
- Punchy, bright HDR performance
- Excellent upscaling and motion
- Fast gaming performance
Cons
- Aggressive dimming of small, bright objects
- Little 8K content to watch
- Still pricey for most
- Atmos sounds better on internal apps than 4K Blu-rays
The QN800C is the step down the flagship QN900C in Samsung’s 2023 8K line-up, that offers a similar proposition in terms of picture and sound, but at the less expensive price of £3799 / $4499.
Brightness isn’t as high as its QN900C stablemate, but in our measurements it managed to hit above 1000 nits. What’s impressive about this LCD TV is the strength of its black levels. Blooming is minimal, with blacks strong and full of depth. With its high peak output, the QN800C can offer some excellent contrast.
We do have some quibbles with its picture performance. The Movie mode is arguably too bright, with clipping (loss of detail in the brightest parts), visible in the films we test with. Skin tones can look too orange at times, and there’s also the issue with aggressive dimming of small bright objects that takes away the impact of the black levels and brightness that the QN800C can achieve. It is a little softer in terms of than we recall on previous 8K sets.
Nevertheless, 4K content can look excellent on this TV, with a wide range of colours, and impressive levels of detail and clarity available. Upscaling is very strong given the QN800C is having to guess at what information is there, with HD content looking sharp and detailed, while lower quality SD content looks decent, though we wouldn’t advise watching too much content at that resolution on your brand new 8K TV.
In terms of gaming little has changed compared to previous models. Four of its HDMI inputs can to handle 4K/120Hz, ALLM and HDMI VRR for game consoles, as there is AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for PC gamers. PC gamers also get the Ultra Wide GameView that elongates the image to 21:9 or 32:9 ratios, with cloud gaming supported in Xbox Game Pass is supported. We measured input lag at fast 9.8ms, which is quick for an 8K screen.
The Samsung Tizen interface feels quicker and more responsive than it does on the 4K models, though it still suffers from the way it is organised. We feel it could be neater and tidier, rather than the disparate way it functions at the moment.
We don’t expect much from a TV’s speakers, but the QE75QN900C puts in a good shift with audio. The soundstage is big and spacious, there’s good levels of detail and sharpness, and it handles dialogue clearly too. Dolby Atmos sound from the Samsung’s internal apps sounds better than it does from off-board sources, and in general, bass isn’t particularly strong. We also feel the volume could be better. It tends to tap out at around level 60 or so.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Samsung QE75QN800C
LG OLED77Z2
Best 8K OLED TV
Pros
- Looks great with Dolby Vision content
- Minimalist design
- Well-suited for gaming
- Big-screen viewing
Cons
- Seriously expensive
- Not as bright or as sharp an image as you might expect
- Upscaling could be better
- Some apps hidden behind LG account sign-up
If you love the picture quality delivered from an OLED and have deep pockets, then the OLED77Z2 should be on your wishlist.
It does accrue a high starting price of $9999 / £11,999 that doesn’t make it the best value TV, especially with the QN900C and Sony’s 85-inch Z9K both being less expensive. Nonetheless, you get the typical high quality construction from LG with the Z2 exuding a minimalist vibe and minimalist bezel that ensures the screen is the main focus.
And at this size it is an epic viewing experience, the scale of the content we watched on the OLED amped up by its 77-inch size. Picture quality, however, didn’t feel a big step from LG’s 4K OLEDs; brightness is around the same performance as the LG C2 OLED while sharpness and detail levels appeared better with the 65-inch G2 model.
The Z2’s performance with Dolby Vision content is rich and quite beautiful at times, while its motion processing has improved to be more natural and with few noticeable artefacts and detail levels are high, especially with good quality 4K content, but it lacks the degree of sharpness and clarity of Samsung’s 8K LCD TVs.
The smart experience is much the same as what you’ll find on the rest of LG’s webOS tellies, with a wide range of apps to enjoy, lots of connectivity options and a new Gaming Shelf that promotes cloud gaming apps such as Nvidia GeForce NOW. A less welcome change is the decision to lock some apps such as YouTube behind sign-up for an LG account.
On the gaming front you’re not short of options with cloud gaming apps, Dolby Vision gaming (with Xbox Series consoles) as well as 4K/120Hz, 8K/60Hz, VRR and ALLM supported across all HDMI inputs. We measured input lag at 13.5ms, which is not as fast as the QE75QN900C but with VRR support that will drop down to even lower figures.
The audio performance is better than either the G2 or C2: clearer, sharper and able to conjure up a better stereo image. Bass is more punchy than weight, but this is a decent enough sound system for flatscreen TV. You will want to upgrade to a external sound system can do the scale of the images on screen justice.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: LG OLED77Z2
We also considered…
FAQs
8K carries four times as many pixels as a 4K TV. That’s a jump from eight million pixels to 33 million, and a resolution bump from 3840 x 2160 to 7680 x 4320.
That makes for a sharper, more detailed and clearer image. Watching 8K is akin to peering through a window, such is the level of clarity it offers.
Yes, in the sense that 8K content can be found on YouTube – although, while it looks beautiful, it’s mostly animals and helicopter shots of cities.
No, in the sense of any broadcast, physical media or content from streaming services. The issue of 8K’s lack of content has been brought up many times, but in order for 8K to get there, the infrastructure and end-user experience needs to be in place to stimulate demand.
You could. The 8K effect works best for big screen sizes, and it’s best to sit near enough so that the majority of your view is taken up by the screen.
Yes, it does, and that’s important as HDMI 2.1 supports higher video resolutions and frame rates, including 8K at 60fps. The specification also supports Variable Refresh Rates (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which supported by the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. eARC is bundled there too, and with the higher bitrate that HDMI 2.1 allows for, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X can be piped through the TV to external devices from streaming services and apps.
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Specs comparison
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
