LG has reportedly stopped making 8K OLED panels, as the world was shocked to discover it was still an option
- LG no longer makes its own 8K OLED TV, or any 8K LED TVs
- Production of the 8K panel is still “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: TV technology has failed to please consumers due to high prices and a lack of compatible content. It looks like 8K may be going the way of 3D TVs and is on the decline, as LG has reportedly abandoned the market that TCL and Sony have already exited.
LG was the only manufacturer selling 8K OLED TVs worldwide, but its Z3 OLED TV was discontinued last year and there is no other model in this year’s lineup. Panel manufacturer LG Display has confirmed to FlatpanelsHD that the 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 includes only three TVs, one of which is still available but no longer made, is a clue as to why LG is apparently out.
What is the state of the 8K TV market?
With LG pulling out of the 8K TV market, Hisense’s 8K plans are apparently on hold, and TCL and Sony have left, leaving Samsung as the sole bearer of the 8K torch – and Samsung’s enthusiasm doesn’t look that strong.
Over the past few years, Samsung has offered a range of 8K TVs aimed at different budget levels. Last year, it only bothered with the top-end model, and it seems the same for 2026 – unusually, however, Samsung did not show this TV at CES 2026, focusing on RGB TVs and QD-OLED instead.
Perhaps even more noteworthy, when Samsung first released its Micro RGB backlight technology at CES 2025 it was in an 8K format – but the only RGB TVs it’s actually launching are 4K.
We identified 8K TV as one of our losers in 2025, and explained that a big part of the problem is that 8K TV does not solve the problem: “there is only so much information that the human eye can see. In a world where the best 4K TVs continue to shine, the native 8K UHD panels (7860 x 4320 pixels) are much higher. In the normal viewing distance “you would be hard pressed to tell the fine details of your favorite movie of Ultra HD or show on an 8K display from the best 55-inch 4K TV”.
I think another important problem is the persistent and fatal lack of content. Blu-ray comes in 4K resolution, as do all premium streamers, and there won’t be an 8K disc format; last year Warner Bros said it had scanned big-name films into 8K, but the number of films was only 20 and it was unclear how those films would be distributed. As I wrote at the time, “the lack of 8K content clearly worries TV firms and keeps sales numbers down.”
I think that’s a shame, but as a former owner of a 3D TV who struggled to find much to offer with silly details, I know very well that sometimes the help of TV technology does not always live up to the hype (although maybe 3D is not as dead as it seems: the new TV technology brings glasses without 3D glasses, the question is whether 3D TV is enough).
I think there is a place for 8K technology: Samsung’s The Wall is amazing, and can be useful for monitors where you want more pixel acreage.
But given the cost of the kit, the lack of content and the sheer brilliance of the best 4K TVs, I’m not sure that place is in my living room or yours. And it seems that manufacturers are increasingly coming to that conclusion as well.
The best TVs for all budgets
Follow TechRadar for Google news again add us as a favorite resource to get our expert news, reviews, and opinions in your feed. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar YouTube again TikTok to get news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us WhatsApp again.
