8K TVs Are Cheaper Than You Might Expect

TCL’s first 8K TV is finally available for purchase. It’s the most affordable new 8K TV you can buy.

Published July 27, 2021

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8K TVs — or TVs with four times the resolution of 4K TVs and 16 times the resolution of HD TVs — have been around for a couple years, but they’ve been impractical for most people to buy. And if we’re being honest, they still pretty impractical.

The main reason is that there’s so little 8K content out there. Netflix, HBO Max and every other popular streaming service doesn’t support any 8K movies or shows. You can’t watch any cable TV in 8K. You basically need to be playing a game that’s optimized for PS5 and Xbox Series X, but there are few of those right now, too. (Also, the consensus is that you can barely tell the difference between gaming in 4K and 8K.)

And then there’s price — 8K TVs have been expensive. The most affordable 8K TV you could buy was previously around $3,500 for a 65-inch model (in Samsung’s Q900 line), but most were several Gs more than that. That said, with TCL’s new 6-Series, 8K TVs are getting slightly more affordable.

TCL’s 2021 6-Series — the company’s first line of 8K TVs — was announced back in January at CES 2021, but they’ve only now been made available for purchase. There are two models to choose from, a 65-inch model for $2,199 and a 75-inch model for $2,999, which are now two of the most affordable new 8K TVs you can buy.

The introduction of these “affordable” 8K TVs poses an interesting question to buyers. Should they purchase an 8K-ready TV (with mini-LED backlighting technology) or go with a 4K OLED TV from LG, Sony or Samsung? Both cost around the same price.

While not as “future-proof”, the premium 4K OLED TVs are still going to edge out TCL’s 8K TVs in terms of overall contrast and black levels. I guess the decision will ultimately depend on when you think 8K content is going to be widely available (all signs points to not being super soon). Or if you have a next-gen console and want the true 8K experience.