- LG no longer makes its 8K OLED TVs, or any 8K LED TVs
- 8K panel production is “on hold”, but could return if things change
- Even Samsung isn’t pushing 8K that hard – it’s starting to look a lot like 3D
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: a TV technology has failed to excite customers due to high prices and a lack of compatible content. It appears that 8K is going the way of 3D TVs and is coming to an end, as LG is reportedly abandoning a market that TCL and Sony have already left.
LG was the only manufacturer selling 8K OLED TVs globally, but its Z3 OLED TV was discontinued last year and there is no replacement model in this year’s lineup. Panel producer LG Display has confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that development of 8K panels is on hold for the foreseeable future unless market conditions improve.
The Z3 was one of our picks for the best 8K TVs. But the fact that our list only includes three TVs, one of which is still available but no longer manufactured, is a clue as to why LG seems to be getting away with it.
What is the state of the 8K TV market?
With LG withdrawing from the 8K TV market, Hisense’s 8K projects seemingly on hold, and the demise of TCL and Sony, that leaves Samsung as the sole bearer of the 8K torch – and Samsung’s enthusiasm doesn’t seem all that strong either.
A few years ago, Samsung offered a range of 8K TVs aimed at different budget levels. Last year it only cared about a very high-end model, and that seems to be the case in 2026 as well. Unusually, however, Samsung did not present this TV at CES 2026, instead focusing on RGB and QD-OLED TVs.
Perhaps most notably, when Samsung first showed off its Micro RGB backlighting technology at CES 2025, it was an 8K prototype – but the only RGB TVs it’s actually launching are 4K.
We identified 8K TV as one of our losers for 2025 and explained that a big part of the problem is that 8K TV doesn’t solve a problem: “the human eye can only really perceive a limited amount of information.” In a world where the best 4K TVs continue to dazzle, native 8K UHD panels (7,860 x 4,320 pixels) are overkill. » At normal viewing distances, “you’d be hard-pressed to see every detail of your favorite Ultra HD movie or show on the 8K display from today’s best 55-inch 4K TV.”
I think another key problem is the persistent and probably fatal lack of content. The Blu-ray reaches 4K resolution, as do the most premium tiers of all major streamers, and there will be no 8K disc format; Last year, Warner Bros said it had digitized some high-profile films in 8K, but the number of films was only 20 and it was unclear how these films would be distributed. As I wrote at the time, “the shortage of 8K content is clearly worrying TV companies and keeping sales numbers low.”
I think it’s a shame, but as a former 3D TV owner who struggled to find something worth donning those silly specs for, I’m well aware that sometimes the usefulness of TV technology doesn’t always live up to the hype (although perhaps 3D isn’t as dead as it seems: new TV technology offers glasses-free 3D TV. The big question is whether enough of us will want it).
I think there’s a place for 8K technology: Samsung’s The Wall is amazing, and it can be useful in monitors where you want a lot of pixel real estate.
But given the cost of the kit, the lack of content, and the brilliance of the best 4K TVs, I’m just not sure whether this belongs in my living room or yours. And it seems that manufacturers are increasingly coming to this conclusion.
The best TVs for every budget
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube And TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
