Once touted as the new natural direction for TV tech expansion following the normalisation of 4K resolutions, 8K now appears to be in decline. As many other big names have slowly exited this market, Samsung remained the primary holdout, but that is beginning to change. As of early 2026, Samsung is shrinking its part in the 8K ecosystem, in what could be the tech standards’ death knell.
More specifically, Samsung has been operating within what it calls the 8K Association. This is a group of companies working with Samsung to build and sell 8K TVs. Formerly including 33 companies in mid-2022, the 8K association is now down to 19 cooperators while still in continual decline.
Why Did 8K Fail?
8K failed for several reasons, the first of which was the cost of the technology. Going from the standard of 4K up to 8K doesn’t double pixel counts; it quadruples them. A 4K TV features a total pixel count of around 8.3 million, while an 8K TV features around 33 million. Such an increase in density also means an increase in build complexity, and thus price.
Increased pixel density then vastly inflates the file size of each piece of media. Typical forms of video compression used on 4K movies reduce file sizes to around 30 gigabytes for a two-hour movie. For 8k, a movie of the same length could end up around 110 gigabytes.
A larger file size means it is more difficult for streaming services to store all their 8K content. This similarly introduces issues for users: the increased data size leads to higher bandwidth requirements for an uninterrupted signal. Even purchasing movies for home use isn’t especially viable, since the maximum storage capacity of Blu-ray storage caps out at 50 gigabytes. It could be possible to split a movie in half, but that’s not user-friendly, and it’s not how films are recorded.
Technical details aside, there’s the problem of use for consumers. 4K at a typical viewing distance is already pushing the limits of average viewer eyesight. There is only so much information human vision can process or detect, so for many users, the difference between 4K and 8K isn’t even detectable, let alone preferable.
What Comes Next?
Appealing to the next generation of visual output comes on two fronts: the developers of media and the manufacturers of TVs. For media, developing with scalability in mind could help protect against any unforeseen changes in the future.
The most profound examples of this concept in action are seen in interactive entertainment software, such as UK slot sites. The games on these sites, like Hot Tuna and Samba Reels, are designed to scale automatically with different user systems and settings, like resolution and screen size. Whether played on a phone or a computer hooked up to a TV, players always find the best experience possible. This essentially shields the media against future developments, but it’s not an easy path for non-interactive media to follow.
In terms of the TV landscape, it’s AI that seems to be capturing the imagination of manufacturers now. With AI increasingly maligned in the public sphere thanks to overreliance and underperformance, the future of this tech in TV remains in doubt. It could prove the popular path, but there’s also the potential of it following in 8K’s footsteps and eventually fading into the background.
