8K is the next big step for TVs.
Like 4K before it, 8K quadruples the number of pixels on screen, for a resolution of 7,680 by 4,320.
That means a sharper picture and the ability to sit closer without detecting individual dots.
We're still a few years out from seeing commercial 8K content, and there are no plans for 8K physical media yet, but 8K TVs have arrived.
If you remember the change from 1080p to 4K, you probably know what to expect at this early stage in the transition.
The first 8K TVs are very big and very expensive.
They are bragging-rights TV, the huge screens for early adopters who want all their friends to know they jumped on the 8K train at the earliest possible time.
We're talking five-digit prices and a big reliance on image processors upconverting 4K (and lower-resolution) content to fit on the screen.
There are currently four major 8K TV models available in North America, spread across manufacturers LG, Samsung, and Sony.
Out of those four, we've fully tested and reviewed two, from LG.
We've seen the Samsung and Sony models, but we haven't been able to put them through their paces with our testing procedures.
With that in mind, these are the first 8K TVs you can buy.
LG Signature OLED88Z9P
Size: 88 inches
Price: $29,999.99
This is, quite simply, the most impressive and technically advanced television we've seen yet.
It's also by far the most expensive model we've reviewed.
The LG Signature 88Z9P is the first and only commercially available 8K OLED TV, capable of displaying perfect black levels for incredible contrast.
It's also the largest commercially available OLED TV, period; manufacturing OLED panels over 65 inches is a very tricky and expensive proposal, which is why the 88Z9P costs $30,000 (and even the 4K, 77-inch W9P OLED TV costs $10,000).
That said, it's sleek, bright, colorful, and its 8K upconversion produces some pretty crisp visuals from 4K content.
It also has its own one-piece aluminum floor stand that doubles as its own home entertainment center.
LG 75SM9970
Size: 75 inches
Price: $4,999.99
If $30,000 is too expensive for you, LG still has some 8K options to consider.
The 75SM9970 is the company's 8K NanoCell LCD TV.
It doesn't reach the extremes of contrast or size that the 88Z9P does, but at $5,000, this 75-inch TV is a sixth the price.
It has the same 8K upconversion processor as the 88Z9P, housed in a much more modest package.
Because it isn't part of the LG Signature meta-line, however, it doesn't feature quite as sleek a design, the motion-sensing Magic Remote this TV comes with is the same one you get with the LG C9P, not the slender aluminum wand you get with the 88Z9P.
Samsung Q900
Sizes: 55-98 inches (6 sizes)
Price: $3,499.99 to $69,999.99
Samsung comes in with the most flexible and affordable 8K TV choice.
The Q900 series comes in six different versions, from 55 to 98 inches, with the 55-inch version available for just $3,500.
Of course, in the other direction, the 90-inch model is also the most expensive, at $70,000.
What matters is that there's a wide range to consider.
We haven't tested the Q900 yet, but the 4K Samsung Q90R impressed us greatly with its wide, accurate color performance and excellent picture quality.
And as a flagship Samsung TV, the Q900 features the company's most advanced image processing, design elements, and various other features.
Sony Z9G
Sizes: 85, 98 inches
Price: $12,999.99, $59,999.99
Sony has also jumped into the 8K game with the Z9G, its flagship LCD TV.
We haven't tested this one yet, but both the Z9F 4K LCD TV and the A9G 4K OLED TV performed very well in our tests; the Z9F was the brightest TV we had ever tested at the time, and the A9G showed comparable performance to LG's best OLED models.
As a Master Series TV, it features Android TV with hands-free Google Assistant, Sony's Acoustic Multi-Audio system that incorporates 16 drivers in 8 channels behind the screen, and Sony's X1 Ultimate image processor.
It's packed with features and offers a choice between huge and super-huge: 85 inches for $13,000 or 98 inches for $60,000.
And yes, that means Samsung and Sony are both tied for having the biggest 8K TVs available (each of which costs more than a 2020 BMW 5-Series).
