After the world fell out of love with 3D TVs, it became the job of the manufacturers to convince the world that 4K and later, 8K TVs were worth the heavy, heavy investment — especially back in the early 2010s. It was right on the money where 4K is concerned, if a little early. We (and the manufacturers) wish we could say the same for 8K tech, with paltry sales forcing LG Display to halt production of all its 8K LCD or OLED panels.
Goodbye, 8K. You won’t be missed
That’s according to FlatpanelsHD, which also reported earlier this month that LG Display told the outlet it was “taking a comprehensive view of current display market trends and the trends within the 8K content ecosystem.”
“As our technical readiness is already complete, LG Display is fully prepared to respond immediately whenever the market and customers determine that the timing is right,” LG Display’s representative continued.
It’s not that 8K TVs won’t go in fashion one day. That day won’t be in 2026, while 8K is hampered by a) extremely high prices that exceed even the best 4K setups and b) not enough 8K content to make it worth it. It’s all well and good to have ‘Incredible Wildlife in Stunning 16K HDR 120fps Dolby Vision‘ on loop, but is it really? We haven’t even mentioned that, without a big-enough 8K TV (85in or bigger), the returns really are diminishing.
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LG Display, at least, has halted production of its 8K LCD or OLED panels until it can prove there’s a market for the technology. While we don’t have an inside track into the goings-on at LG, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that sales must be low. Real low. We wouldn’t be surprised to see other manufacturers follow suit, and soon.
Aside from TCL and Sony, who bowed out of the 8K race in 2023 and 2025, respectively, it mostly leaves Samsung as the only contender in a race nobody wants to run. It might well keep the division alive to ensure its footing, just in case the world collectively takes a big gulp of the stupid juice at the same moment and 8K is in demand.
