Smart TV Buying Guide: What’s the Difference Between 4k and 8k Technology?

Television is one of the first and most powerful mediums even today, and has the power to enable shared social understanding. The history of TV evolution is long and dates somewhere from 1924. Shortly after that in 1929, the first television broadcast happened in Australia at the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne with the use of an electro-mechanical radiovision system.

Over the years, TVs have evolved a lot. Companies continued to invent new technologies and nowadays we can enjoy the newest, flattest, most powerful and most appealing TVs in history. They use the newest 4k and 8k technology that offers the clearest picture and highest contrast in colour. Who would have thought that TVs would come this far, right?!

What Does 4K Mean in a Smart TV?

4K is a TV resolution that refers to the number of pixels that are displayed on the screen of your TV. The letter “K” in 4K stands for Kilo (1000) and TVs with this resolution have 3840 pixels x 2160 pixels which is 8 million pixels and four times more than the resolution of TVs with Full HD. When compared to high definition, full HD and quad HD, a smart 4K TV with an impressively detailed picture offers better naturalistic picture quality.

This TV technology shows better and more natural colours that can be seen with the naked eye even when sitting far from the TV. Simply said, a smart 4K TV produces content with higher definition, more clarity, details, and texture which is far better than any other technology. This technology is so great that now a lot of movies, TV shows and sports games are being produced in 4K.

Some streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Rakuten have an upgraded option that allows you to pay a reasonable price and watch tons of its programs in 4K. The greatest thing about 4K smart TVs is that they can improve the picture quality even on programs, TV shows and movies that aren’t created in 4K. These TVs will give you the best possible colour, sharpness, contrast, and brightness in order to improve your watching experience.

What Is 8K TV Technology?

As you may assume by now, 8K technology offers an even better and sharper picture, however this technology is pretty new and less developed than 4K. According to studies, it may take a few more years for producers to improve it, which is why 4K TVs are still the first choice by users.

Speaking of details, 8K TVs have 7680 x 4320 pixels resolution which is 33 million pixels and four times as many pixels as 4K TVs. This ensures an incredibly vivid and natural picture with crisp details. While this is awesome, until manufacturers improve this technology, you’ll be pretty safe by picking a 4K TV.

What’s The Main Difference Between These TVs?

Well, aside from their pixel resolution, picture quality and details, one of the greatest differences between a 4K and 8K TV is in the price. New technologies always come with a higher price tag, so until 8K TVs are fully developed, sticking to 4K is enough. Unless you’re a real fanatic who wants to own everything new straight away, having a 4K TV is more than enough for providing you with the best picture quality.

Things to Look for in a 4K TV

When in the search of the right smart TV 4K there are some things that you should have in mind. In the end, this technology and picture quality can differ from one manufacturer to other, which is why you should take into account some important pointers that can help you make the right choice.

The first thing you should have in mind is to look for one with built-in apps that support 4K. Such are Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Disney+, YouTube TV and so on. You should compare different 4K TVs from different manufacturers in order to see which one of them offers the quality and picture crispiness you’re looking for.

Instead of following the ‘Bigger is better’ logic, when it comes to technology, bigger isn’t always better. Not all big TVs and manufacturers can provide you with the best picture, so quite often, it’s best to buy a size down with a better panel and better picture processing than buying bigger. Moreover, be sure to find something that would be suitable for your entertainment unit so the TV can blend in with the décor.

And lastly, you should learn the difference between mini-LED and OLED technologies in order to pick the one that’ll provide you with the best picture. Luckily, nowadays, you can find a large selection of them coming from eminent brands that won’t fail you in providing you with the highest quality TVs and TV technology.