8K TVs may cost a pretty penny but they offer up some of the best performance on the market with crisp and detailed visuals.
Even though 8K sets are some of the most expensive TVs on the market, their pricing is going down each year. However, due to the ever-changing EU energy laws, 8K TVs may be harder to obtain in the future since they eat up a lot more energy than their lower-definition siblings. You may want to take a look at the laws of your own region to get a clearer picture about the viability of 8K TVs down the line.
Looking past the energy laws of the EU, 8K TVs are becoming more accessible, with brands like LG, Samsung and Sony all having their own 8K TV variations. Our team of experts test out multiple 8K TVs a year, giving us the opportunity to pass on all of our knowledge to you so you can find out which 8K TV suits you best.
Since there isn’t a great deal of native 8K content out there night now, upscaling has become more of a focus as manufacturers look to bring out the best from 4K video and good quality HD sources. We ensure to test out how each TV on this list upscales content and how the picture quality looks overall. We also keep an eye on the audio quality, design and features to ensure that you’re getting the best overall experience.
We endeavour to update this article whenever we find another 8K TV that’s worth including, so make sure you bookmark this page and come back soon for the latest information. If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, be sure to check out our best 4K TV list as well as our best cheap TV round-up for an even broader view of what’s on the market.
Best 8K TVs at a glance
- Best 8K TV: Samsung QE75QN900B – check price
- Best 65-inch 8K TV: Samsung QE65QN900A – check price
- Best LG 8K LCD TV: LG 75QNED99 – 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.
- Irrepressible picture quality
- Well-conceived smart features
- Speedy gaming response
- Superb upscaling of lower quality sources
- Premium construction
- Expensive
- Speakers susceptible to bass distortion
- No Dolby Vision
- Often stellar picture quality
- Groundbreaking black levels for IPS
- Good sound quality
- Some backlight issues with the darkest scenes
- No VRR support
- Expensive versus 4K TVs
- Sensational HDR picture quality
- Excellent gaming features and performance
- Spectacular design
- Hard on the bank balance
- Native 8K content remains elusive
- Aggressive dimming of very small bright objects
- 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
Samsung QE75QN900B
Best 8K TV
Pros
- Spectacularly bright, colourful pictures
- Gorgeous ‘Infinity’ design
- Peerless LCD light control
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Needs good quality sources
- Minor backlight issues
Much like it did with its flagship Neo QLED 4K TV, Samsung has taken the performance it unleashed in 2021 with its QE75QN900A 8K TV and improved upon it for the QE75QN900B.
Like its predecessor, it integrates a Mini LED backlit panel that offers brightness that 8K OLED such as the LG OLED77Z2 wouldn’t get any where near matching, reaching almost 5000 nits in the Dynamic picture mode and a still frankly impressive 2600 nits in the Standard preset. This outstanding level of brightness that feeds into the colour range, our reviewer impressed by the wide range of colours both for watching TV and playing games on the latest gen consoles.
Black levels are an improvement over the QN900A, and we feel better than any other LCD TV can muster at this moment in time. It can almost reach the levels of consistency that OLED produces, the backlight avoiding backlight clouding with bright objects against a dark background from a head-on position. Blooming does become more of an issue at wider viewing angles though, and bright highlights can dim more aggressively than on OLED sets.
With not much native 8K content available unless you like watching nature videos in 8K on YouTube, the 75QN900B’s upscaler a puts in an impressive shift with 4K sources and good quality HD content, though with heavily compressed sources we felt the TV’s processor couldn’t do much more than generate slightly soft images. We wouldn’t recommend feeding this TV with standard definition content if at all possible.
In terms of gaming, all the recent technologies are implemented, with four of its HDMI inputs able to handle 4K/120Hz, ALLM and VRR for game consoles, as well as 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, and Xbox Game Pass is supported. We measured input lag at a rapier fast 9ms, which is the class of the field.
The 75QN900B’s smarts are provided by a new version of Samsung’s Tizen interface, although our reviewed found that while the amount of content provided remains outstanding, this new interface was a step backwards with its less intuitive navigation system and less than help choices for content curation.
We don’t often expect from a TV’s speakers, but the QE75QN900B does a good enough job with its eight woofers and OTS+ sound system with Dolby Atmos support. The OTS system places effects onscreen with admirable accuracy, with the woofers providing a decent amount of bass though unlike Sony’s Surface Acoustic audio system, the QN900B doesn’t push sound into the room. As an 8K TV, we rate this model as good as you can currently get, and Samsung’s aggressive pricing has made it more affordable.
Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: Samsung QE75QN900B
Samsung QE65QN900A
Best 65-inch 8K TV
Pros
- Irrepressible picture quality
- Well-conceived smart features
- Speedy gaming response
- Superb upscaling of lower quality sources
- Premium construction
Cons
- Expensive
- Speakers susceptible to bass distortion
- No Dolby Vision
The Samsung QE65QN900A is still on the market and serves as a great choice if you’re looking for an 8K model in the 65-inch bracket.
Its upscaling is particularly top-class with some incredibly vibrant colours alongside immensely detailed shots, with clarity beyond what any native 4K TV could manage. Alongside the brilliant upscaling comes some impressive contrast with OLED-level deep blacks, complete with very little backlight bleed or blooming, instances where the brighter parts of the image ‘leak’ into the darker parts.
The brightness on offer here is especially vibrant thanks to the Mini LED backlight. We measured around 2000 nits, which helped to make colours especially varied. The only real issue with the QE65QN900A’s panel is its handling of motion. Turn on the Auto Motion Plus feature and there’s stuttering alongside a processed, glossy look. If you don’t care for processing you can turn it off, of course.
The QN900A’s frame is a slender one with a depth of just 15.2mm thanks to the Mini LED-backlight, and there isn’t a noticeable bezel thanks to Samsung’s Infinity Screen which allows images to grace the entire screen. Tizen OS offers a simple and familiar user experience with a good range of streaming apps well-represented including Disney+, BBC iPlayer and NOW. There isn’t Freeview Play here, but Samsung’s TV Plus is a free-to-watch alternative.
Gamers out there will be particularly pleased with the QN900A’s assortment of four HDMI 2.1 ports that allow for 4K/120Hz for smoother, more responsive gameplay with compatible games. We measured input lag 10.1ms, which is super-fast and with VRR in play input lag can be close to zero with this TV. This TV is available a year on from release at a more affordable price, but there is also the step down 2022 8K QN800B model that’s available for similar money.
Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Samsung QE65QN900A
LG 75QNED99
Best 8K LG LCD TV
Pros
- Often stellar picture quality
- Groundbreaking black levels for IPS
- Good sound quality
Cons
- Some backlight issues with the darkest scenes
- No VRR support
- Expensive versus 4K TVs
The LG 75QNED99 sits as the flagship offering within the South Korean manufacturer’s line-up of 8K TVs.
Its contrast is spectacular thanks to its Mini LED backlight that provided an experience that compares well against OLED. On top of this, LG’s NanoCell colour tech provides some marvellous images that are wonderfully rich and vibrant, the Mini LED panel allowing higher brightness though not as bright as the Samsung models on this list as we measured it to be just shy of 1200 nits. That’s still ahead of the brightest OLED TVs, and means you’re getting some immense looking colours.
The 8K resolution wrings out outstanding fine detail from images with upscaling also particularly good, as images appear natural with no exaggeration or unwanted noise. Motion is a forte of this TV too, with the new Cinematic Motion mode alleviating the worst forms of panel judder or motion blur without causing the overall image to look too processed.
There are some useful functional improvements to the interface with webOS is perfectly usable, and the marvellous new content search feature proving comprehensive. The redesigned Magic Remote feels especially comfortable to use.
The 75QNED99 isn’t the best option for gamers compared to the Samsung QN900A. Even with support for HDMI 2.1 there’s a lack of VRR options, which is strange considering how feature-packed LG’s TVs usually are for gaming.
Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: LG 75QNED99
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
There aren’t many 8K OLEDs on the scene, and the ones that are available come from LG. If you love the picture quality delivered by OLED and have deep pockets to afford it, then the OLED77Z2 should be on your wishlist.
It does accrue a high asking price at $9999 / £11,999, which in our opinion doesn’t make it the best value 8K TV available especially with Samsung aggressively slashing the price for its QN900B and Sony’s 85-inch Z9K starting at £9499. 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 that Samsung’s 8K LCD TVs can dig up.
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, a decision we hope LG will reverse in time.
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 75QN900B 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.
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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 and no. 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.
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.