The best 8K TVs for 2024: from Samsung, LG and Sony

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VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
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REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
A composite of some of the best 8k tvs you can buy today on a grey background
Parhaat 8K-televisiot tarjoavat ensiluokkaisen kuvanlaadun ja edustavat televisioteknologian kärkeä. (Image credit: Future)
Editor's Note: March 2024

This best 8K TVs guide reflects the current state of 8K TVs, though we’ll be looking to make updates to it after we get a chance to review Samsung’s announced 2024 models, the QN900D and QN800D. We expect both TVs to hit the market in April-May, if not sooner.

Aside from Samsung, the only other brand to announce a new 8K TV at CES was LG. The QNED99T is an 8K mini-LED model that will be sold in 77 and 86-inch screen sizes. Pricing and availability for LG’s 8K TV have not yet been announced.

Al Griffin, Senior Editor – Home Entertainment

The best 8K TVs are capable of delivering incredible images and bringing you four times as many pixels as the best 4K TVs currently do. Until recently, packing those extra pixels into a screen has proven to be expensive. But the best 8K TVs are more affordable now the tech has matured, so there's no better time to buy one.

Even though you won't find all content made to suit the high-end resolution, this isn't an issue considering the best 8K TVs have powerful processors to upscale content, so 4K and even HD content looks better than it originally did. Along with advanced picture processing, OLED, QLED, QD-OLED, and regular LED 8K sets have similar features that are important for 4K TVs such as a smart interface for streaming and 120Hz display panels for gaming, and we’ll guide you through those features for each set in our guide.

Each of these TVs has been tested by our expert reviewers with careful attention paid to performance parameters such as peak brightness, color accuracy, screen uniformity, and motion processing. We’ve also taken them for a spin with next-gen gaming consoles, with measurements provided to gauge input lag. There’s solid reasoning behind the presence of each TV on this list, so you can be confident that the set you’re getting provides good value for the money.

The best 8K TVs for 2024

The Samsung QN900C

(Image credit: Future)
The best 8K TV overall

Specifications

Screen size: 65, 75, 85-inches
Resolution: 8K
Panel technology: Neo QLED / Mini LED
Smart TV: Tizen
HDR: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+

Reasons to buy

+
Outstanding 8K upscaling
+
Spectacular brightness and contrast
+
Fantastic color depth
+
Great off-axis viewing performance

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive versus Samsung’s 4K flagship
-
No Dolby Vision support
-
Still some minor blooming

The Samsung QN900C takes home entertainment to a new level with its mini-LED panel. The mini-LED lighting in the QN900C uses LEDs 40 times smaller than those found in Samsung’s regular LED TVs, enabling countless thousands more of them to fit into the same screen area. This has the potential to deliver brighter images as well as more effective local light control. An external box also brings you every connection you'd need – even if you're a cutting edge gamer. 

As you might expect from the best 8K TV in this guide, picture quality here is jaw-droppingly good – not least because 8K really does make a difference. This is especially true with native 8K content, if you can find any, but Samsung’s ever-improving 8K upscaling also delivers denser, richer pictures with high-quality 4K sources. 

The great thing about the Samsung QN900C is it looks stunning when it's off, too. This is thanks to an almost non-existent frame around its screen, a sleek perforated metallic finish to its side panels and the way its rear panel manages to be as flat and almost as clutter-free as the screen. The minimalist design is helped by an external connection box, hooking up to your TV with a single cable.

The Samsung QN900C isn't cheap. But it delivers stunning picture quality, spectacular color and brightness, terrific sound and outstanding blacks. If money’s no object and you’re able to feed it a diet of high quality (ideally mostly 4K) sources, then the QN900C is certainly better than rivals.

Read our full Samsung Q900C review

Samsung QN800B 8K TV in living room

(Image credit: Samsung)
One of the best 'cheap' 8K TVs you can buy

Specifications

Screen size: 65, 75 and 85-inches
Resolution: 8K
Panel technology: Neo QLED
Smart TV: Tizen
HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

Reasons to buy

+
Slim and elegant design, with One Connect box
+
Bright, colorful and visually dynamic images
+
Good gaming support

Reasons to avoid

-
Images can be over-processed or indistinct 
-
Inconsistent backlighting

The Samsung QN800B is a seriously impressive 8K TV. It has gaming features, a thorough smart TV experience, a good audio system, an external box for physical inputs, a mini-LED screen that promises more effective backlighting than anyone is used to from LCD panels, and a profile slimmer than the slimmest OLED TV you can currently buy

And, wow, it looks great. In our review we wrote: "Brightness is considerable, black levels are impressive by the standards of backlit LCD screens, the color palette is extensive and naturalistic, and both edge-definition and motion control are impressive."

However, the backlight control isn't a match for other high-performing TVs that aren't 8K resolution. And, during our testing, we found that the way the screen regulates its own brightness can make for some uneven viewing.

What's more, having to upscale anything less information-rich than 4K content can give the Samsung real problems. Which wouldn't be an issue if everything you wanted to watch was in 8K resolution, but that's just not the case yet.

Luckily, this isn't one of the more expensive 8K TVs you can buy at prices averaging sub £2000 / $2531 / AU$3878 for the 65-inch version. By 8K TV standards that's 'cheap', but when it comes to displaying 4K content, there are definitely better TVs out there, namely the LG C2 and Sony A95K.

We still recommend the Samsung QN900B as the best overall 8K TV, but if that's a bit out of budget, the QN800B is a great second choice. to give you the best bang for your buck.

Read our full Samsung QN800B (65QN800B) review

LG Z Series 8K TV with widgets in living room

(Image credit: LG)

3. LG Z2

The best 8K TV with OLED

Specifications

Screen size: 77, 88-inches
Resolution: 8K
Panel technology: OLED
Smart TV: webOS
HDR: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Reasons to buy

+
Dolby Vision and Atmos
+
Big soundstage

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks HDR10+ support
-
Expensive

8K resolution on an OLED TV? So far, only LG is really doing it. And we wish more firms did, because it's incredible. The picture quality is stunning, the colours and brightness are just what you'd expect from a high quality OLED and the audio output is impressive for such a slim set.

If it's so good, why isn't it at the top of our list? Sadly a TV this big comes with a big price tag too; you're looking at way north of £10,000 / $12,000 / AU$19,000 for the 77 inch, which is much more expensive than the other TVs on this list.

If you can afford it (and if you have room for it), this is home entertainment heaven. Unlike its predecessor, this TV can be wall mounted, and the already impressive Alpha a9 processor has been upgraded with even better upscaling and tone mapping. There's also better surround sound support and a better depth of field to make the onscreen images more lifelike. Four ports with HDMI 2.1 support are the icing on the cake.

A new Z3 model is available that's even brighter, but we haven't had any extended time with it yet.

Sony Z9K Master Series 8K TV displaying an abstract and colourful image in a grey room

(Image credit: Sony)

4. Sony Z9K

The best 8K TV from Sony

Specifications

Screen size: 75, 85-inches
Resolution: 8K
Panel technology: Mini LED
Smart TV: Google TV
HDR: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Reasons to buy

+
Incredibly bright
+
Incredible colors
+
Incredible detail

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive

We haven't had the opportunity to do a long-term review of this new Master Series 8K TV yet, but we have seen it in person and you can consider our socks well and truly knocked off. 

The mini-LED panel is exceptionally bright and very detailed with absolutely superb colour reproduction. As you'd expect from a high-end Sony there's all the key technologies here: Cognitive Processor XR for a more lifelike experience, XR Backlight Master Drive for exceptional dynamic range with virtually no halo or flare around bright spots, Acoustic Multi-Audio for directional sound and Bravia Cam, which analyses where you're sitting and optimises the picture and sound accordingly. 

It's a wonderful TV but it is quite pricey, with prices roughly under £8,000 / $10,000 / AU$15,000, which compared to the Samsung 8K TVs is definitely a step up.

Best 8K TVs: FAQ

How to pick the best 8K TV

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The first question to ask if you want to buy a new 8K TV is: are you sure? Yes, 8K TVs are the future and, luckily, more and more content is being made in 8K. But as things stand, you might be better suited to a 4K TV while your favorite movies and TV shows catch up.

If you're sure you want the incredible 8K resolution, then our first suggestion is to pick a TV that upscales remarkably well. Not everything you want to watch will be in 8K, which means you'll need to pick a powerful TV that can make 4K and even HD content truly shine. 

The next thing to consider is size. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to TVs. But if you're paying a small fortune for 8K resolution, you really want the largest TV you can afford to make the most of it. You'll need to consider how you'll place it on a TV cabinet or mount it to a wall using one of the best TV wall mounts and if it'll literally fit in the space you have planned for it.

Many of the best 8K TVs have impressive audio built-in, but to get the true cinematic experience worthy of this resolution, you'll want one of the best soundbars or best surround sound systems—that way your audio will sound as good as your new 8K TV looks. Consider the size of a soundbar too, a smaller one won't work with a huge TV, so look at larger sizes, like the Sonos Arc instead. 

Which TV brand is best for 8K?

Even though there are relatively few 8K TVs available on the market right now, the idea of which is best is still largely based on personal preference.

We think the best 8K TV available now is the Samsung QN900B Neo QLED, which you can read about at the top of our guide. Samsung's bespoke QLED panel technology really comes into its own at an 8K resolution, and with phenomenal brightness levels makes for simply one of the best TVs out there.

However, the best certainly doesn't come cheap. And the QN900B's eye-watering price tag, at any size, simply isn't feasible for the average consumer.

That being said, we'd have to argue that Samsung is on top of the 8K world right now, in terms of brands and sheer value for money compared to other brands. 

What is the most affordable 8K TV?

When you're talking about 8K TVs, the term "affordable" is relative: these are all considerably more expensive than the average 4K TV will be, with some models costing well into five figures. But prices are coming down, making even the best 8K TVs more affordable than before.

In terms of stock availability and value in both US and UK markets, Samsung is still on top with the QN800B priced on average under £2,000 for the 65-inch version.

You might also find some older Samsung 8K TVs for even less, although of course the trade-off is that you're not getting the very latest technology: even a year in TVs is a long time these days.

Our advice to most TV buyers would be to hang on a little longer before going for an 8K TV, as it's still very expensive. That's always the case for relatively new technology, and over time the price goes down as things become more competitive. For now 8K is still really for early adopters: we're going to wait a while before welcoming an 8K TV into our own homes.

Is 8K better than 4K?

8K displays have 33 million pixels, which is four times the number of pixels found on 4K displays. However, there's little 'native' 8K content available, and truly low-resolution video needs very capable processing to look, well, normal on an 8K screen.

Does Netflix support 8K?

Do I need an 8K OLED TV?

Trying to figure out if you need an 8K OLED TV, or just a TV with one of those technologies?

While there aren't many 8K OLED TVs about just yet, they're still hovering around the market here and there, if just for the LG Z Series listed above and 88-inch BeoVision Harmony we reported on last year.

If you're after an astonishing level of detail on a massive screen, 8K resolution is a must. Though you must remember that you don't really get the benefit of 8K at smaller sizes, meaning you need a large 77-inch / 88-inch screen or be sat somewhat close to one of the best 65-inch TVs to see the difference compared to a 4K model. (A 55-inch 8K TV just isn't really worth it.)

OLED TVs, on the other hand, excel at deep blacks and bright highlights – something that's hard to recreate with LCD technology, but is increasingly possible with Mini LED backlights. You'll generally find realistic and vivid colors, and brightness control that banishes blooming or halo effects around light sources.

If you only want one of those technology's benefits, then, it doesn't make much sense to opt for both, given the increased cost.

Al Griffin
Senior Editor Home Entertainment, US

Al Griffin has been writing about and reviewing A/V tech since the days LaserDiscs roamed the earth, and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine. 


When not reviewing the latest and greatest gear or watching movies at home, he can usually be found out and about on a bike.