In my daily life, I am often asked for purchasing advice on all kinds of technology, from vacuum cleaners to mobile phones, and although it is normal to choose directly from quality to price for cheap devices, there are also those who want the best. Best, don’t skimp and don’t even look to the future. So it won’t be the first or last time they need advice. Buy 8K Smart TV.

I must admit that I love being asked for my opinion on a generous budget because there are more options available and the experience will be top notch, but when we talk about 8K TVs my answer is always a bucket of cold water. . Advertising something in advance: If you’re looking for an 8K Smart TV, the best buy is a 4K TV.

In fact, if you have a good budget and aim for the best of the best, my advice is to always invest. The best 4K TV you can buy And these are my reasons.

Best 8K smart TV? A high-end 4K

Just as we usually change mobile phones every two or three years, television also has the feature of, apart from significant changes at the technological level, such as saying goodbye to DTT, The longer it takes, the better.. Frankly according to our needs and expectations: Someone who watches news and DTT channels is not the same as another person who enjoys movies and the best streaming content.

Yes, there are solutions like buying a set-top box to extend its lifespan, but the important thing is to make an ingenious purchase, finding the balance between functions, budget and a good experience today and in the future. Once the starting point is clear, it’s time to put the evidence on the table: right now No 8K content.

In fact, in DTT it is the minimum high definition, and the bases of mainstream streaming platforms such as Netflix or (HBO) Max are Full HD. In this sense, The most interesting resolution for those who love quality is 4K today it is already in the medium term, because as you can see the standard has not been reached yet.

When you read this you’re probably thinking that’s the case now, but what about five years from now? While we’re no fortune tellers, the truth is that there’s still a long way to go before 4K becomes the norm and 8K becomes practical reality. More concretely, In order to have content in 8K, there will first need to be a standard. Like the 4K and UHD Alliance: a definitive solution, codec, will have to see if HDR changes… first an agreement will have to be reached and then implemented, so yes, it will take years until 8K becomes something concrete.

And worst of all, then your TV may not be able to solve the problem in the best way and some of its technologies may be outdated. There will be people who think like this Buying an 8K television is a purchase for the future to enjoy 4K by the way, but not even that: they work with scaling, which in practice means watching worse TV than on a good 4K TV. And here we have to surrender to the evidence: in general, the best and most advanced televisions are 4K, not 8K (our director and television expert Antonio Sabán explains that even the ambitious Samsung QLED 8K is inferior to the brand’s OLEDs).

But is this it? You’ll also save moneyBecause 4K technology has been consolidated, which means costs have been democratised, so you can desire a television that doesn’t have that pretension, and the technology that makes 8K possible and the money you spend on other features of the television, such as diagonal or audio configuration.

Cover | Juan Carlos López for Xataka (Samsung Neo QLED QN900C Analysis)

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