Throughout the 2010s, technology companies invested in convincing consumers of the eventual need for 8K displays.
In 2012, Sharp unveiled the first 8K TV prototype at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. By 2015, 8K TVs were available in Japan for 16 million yen (approximately $133,034 at the time). Samsung introduced the first 8K TVs in the US in 2018, with a starting price point of $3,500. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) had developed a specification supporting 8K (Display Port 1.4) by 2016, followed by the HDMI Forum's HDMI 2.1. Dell launched an 8K computer monitor in 2017, and by 2019, LG had released the first 8K OLED TV, further solidifying the industry’s argument that 8K was “the future.”
Despite these advancements, 8K never demonstrated its essential benefits or practicality to consumers.
TV Companies Backing Away from 8K
LG Display, as per reports from FlatpanelsHD, has ceased production of 8K LCD and OLED panels. A representative from LG Display conveyed that the company is evaluating current market and 8K content ecosystem trends. “With our technical readiness complete, LG Display is prepared to respond immediately whenever the market and customers determine the timing is right,” the representative stated.
LG Electronics was at the forefront, offering the first 8K OLED TVs with the 88-inch Z9 in 2019 and later reducing the cost for an entry-level 8K OLED TV by $7,000 to $13,000 for a 76.7-inch version in 2022. However, according to FlatpanelsHD’s unnamed sources, LG Electronics plans to discontinue restocking the 2024 QNED99T, marking its last LCD 8K TV.
The move by LG mirrors a broader retreat by other brands from 8K. TCL, after releasing its last 8K TV in 2021, indicated in 2023 that it would halt further 8K production due to weak demand. Sony also discontinued its final 8K TVs in April and is unlikely to revisit the market as it intends to sell the majority ownership of its Bravia TV brand to TCL.