Buying a new TV can be a bewildering experience, but if there's one big question you'll have to answer, it's this:
OLED or 8K?
Why? You certainly can't afford to have both. You see, televisions are getting bigger, thinner and more detailed. New features appear every year: some are gaining traction and some are fast disappearing (remember 3D TVs?). However, when you decide to buy a new TV, you usually can't have it all, especially if you want to cut costs. Then,
what's it gonna be? OLED or 8K?
The OLED vs 8K debate is not a straight fight; one is the display technology that offers the best color and image quality, while the other refers to the latest and highest resolution. Then,
Why can't you get an 8K resolution OLED TV? Technically speaking, it's possible, but the cost is prohibitive for most of us, if not all of us. You'll pretty much have to make a choice between the two. So here's everything you need to know about OLED and 8K to help you make the right buying decision.
What about Black Friday?
If you are looking for
a new OLED TV or a new 8K TVBe sure to check TechRadar for the biggest and best discounts ahead of Black Friday (November 27) and Cyber Monday (November 30). It's never possible for us to say what tech will be in sales, but there's a good chance some high-end TVs will see significant price cuts.
OLED vs 8K explained
What is OLED?
The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a
display technology that has been around for a decade and has only recently matured for use in big-screen televisions. It's nothing short of the best TV viewing technology out there. If you're not convinced, read our OLED vs QLED guide for more details. It works by using a carbon-based film between two conductors that emits its own light when an electrical current is passed through it. This means that it is "self-emissive" and that each pixel is controlled individually, so that two pixels next to each other can separately produce a deep black and a bright white. The resulting contrast ratio is incredibly high. Pixel level control also means super high refresh rates, so there's no motion blur. There are other advantages;
the lack of a backlight to provide illumination, such as in LED televisions, it also means an ultra-slim design is possible. Simply put, if you want the best picture and the best TV, it has to be OLED.
(Image credit: LG)
What is 8K?
It's the sharpest resolution available on a TV, but the name suggests it's twice as sharp as a 4K TV. This is not really true. In fact, it is a magnitude sharper. It may help to think of the TV's resolution in megapixels. Most TVs on the market now offer a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is equivalent to an 8-megapixel image. However,
an 8K TV has a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels, creating an impressive 33 megapixel image. That's four times sharper than a 4K TV and 16 times sharper than the TV you probably own right now. If you want the sharpest images possible, 8K TVs are not to be ignored.
OLED vs 8K: the case of organic LEDs
Advantages and disadvantages of OLED
Pros: Lighter and thinner (2,57mm) Self-emissive pixels More convincing blacks Faster refresh rate (0,001ms) Judder and no blur Cons: Minimum 48-inch screen size Muted brightness (up to 1000 nits) Expensive Sensitive to Image retention Once you've watched a movie on an OLED TV, it's very hard to go back. We're talking vivid, lifelike colors, excellent contrast and brightness control, with deep blacks to die for, camera pans that don't shake, and high-octane action scenes that look incredibly smooth (with some variance depending on the processor used). In general, you get a more realistic image in the midst of an exceptionally cinematic image.
OLED TVs may appear slightly darker than LED or QLED TVs, although new light sensors improve OLED's performance in bright environments. Another reason to invest in an OLED TV is that the quality is pretty consistent, largely because only LG makes OLED panels. Despite this, they are used by third-party brands like Sony, Panasonic, and Philips, who tend to make the best OLED TVs, though Xiaomi, Vizio, and Sharp have also embraced OLED technology of late. You're paying for this privilege, though: OLED technology is only found in high-end TVs, but it's becoming more affordable, not least because it's available on smaller TVs. For example, the LG CX OLED and Sony A9G 2019 pack a new 48-inch size, which should make the technology more accessible. Smaller sizes of OLED TVs can be expected in the future.
(Image credit: Samsung) Samsung Q800T QLED is an entry-level 8K TV
OLED vs 8K: the case of 8K resolution
Pros and cons of QLED
Pros: More details 4x pixel density of a 4K TV 33-megapixel images High-end 4K to 8K ``Real'' home theater Cons: Very little native 8K content Requires a large TV to see detail Extremely expensive With With 4K TVs still on board, it seems strange that TV manufacturers are investing in next-generation 8K resolution. However, having four times the pixel count of 4K TVs has quickly become the flagship technology in the lines of some TV manufacturers. It was made possible by a breakthrough in processing power behind 4K to 8K upscaling and AI image processing. This is crucial, as there's almost no 8K source material and certainly Netflix and Amazon don't stream any, but HD or 4K images can still be viewed as 8K, whereas HDMI 2.1 support made this possible. 8K pass from game consoles. The main benefit of having super-sharp video resolution is that you can sit closer to an 8K TV than a 4K TV without seeing the pixel grid, although an 8K TV is primarily aimed at those looking to perpetuate their TV setups. There's the weird 8K OLED, but
most 8K TVs use LCD technology, and the LG Nano97 and Nano99 8K TVs challenge Samsung, which is currently the leading 8K TV brand. Its current 8K TVs include the Q950TS, Q900TS, and Q800TS QLED TVs.
OLED vs 8K: can you put them together?
OLED and 8K are not competing technologies, but they do compete for your wallet. That said, some TVs do combine an OLED screen and 8K resolution. The crops are rare (in more ways than one) and expensive; Check out the best 8K TVs and you'll only find the LG Signature ZX series.
The future of OLED and 8K technologies
OLED TV technology is more mature than 8K TV technology. The former has gradually grown, become more dexterous, and has recently become available in many more sizes. OLED TVs seem to be on the cusp of something really big. Now firmly established as the TV technology of choice for discerning viewers, OLED seems likely to enter mainstream living rooms within a few years, though with only one manufacturer, OLED needs time to become affordable. . 8K technology is much less mature. Its audience, for now, is exclusively early adopters with money to spend. After all, there's very little source material available in 8K, though upscaling from 4K to 8K, video quality, and AI image processing all work without a hitch. However, it is inevitable that the launch of 8K TVs in a few years will be much more successful and native 8K video will emerge.
OLED TV vs 8K TV: which should you buy?
You don't need an 8K TV. 8K resolution is still very early and the only reason to invest now is to be in the first wave of early adopters. If that's your thing, go for it, but a 4K TV will also impress you immensely. While this is definitely a pamper purchase, an OLED TV is a more real purchase. A 4K OLED TV is arguably the best place for anyone looking for the best picture quality, but 8K TVs can be harder to avoid. Are OLED and 8K TVs on a Collision Course? They sure are, and there will only be one winner: us.
