LG has stopped producing 8K LCD and OLED panels for 8K TVs, all but ending the push to make 8K the next-generation of TV technologies, FlatPanelsHD reports.

Samsung is now the last major TV manufacturer making 8K TVs, and though that might give it a golden opportunity to capitalize on the technology, the writing may be on the wall.

LG launched its first 8K LCD and OLED TVs in 2019: the SM99 and Z9, respectively. They were incredibly expensive, and despite offering equally incredible picture quality, they've turned out to be more of a temporary intrigue than a long-lasting industry trend. More 3D TV than HDR.

Other manufacturers have offered alternatives over the years, but budget-focused TCL stopped releasing 8K TVs in 2023. Sony followed suit in 2025 (and just gave TCL a 51% stake in its TV business). The 8K Association, which Samsung launched in 2018 to set 8K standards and promote related certifications, now has 16 members, down from its peak of 33 companies in 2022, Ars Technica notes.

Digitimes Asia paints an even starker picture of the 8K market. Although early projections from market research firms suggested 8K TV sales could top 3.75 million in 2021, they reached only 387,000 in 2022, and fell to 136,800 in 2025, or less than 0.1% of all TV sales for the year.

It's clear 8K isn't happening. The lack of a real visual difference between 4K and 8K at reasonable TV sizes is likely a major factor, but even half a decade after 8K TVs became available, there's still no clear way to enjoy it. There is no 8K physical media, and streaming 8K is extremely bandwidth-intensive, requiring up to 100Mbps per stream.

The technology could find more life in smaller displays, like desktop monitors, where its resolution could increase screen real estate and perhaps improve gaming down the line. But Nvidia pitched its RTX 3090 graphics card in 2020 as capable of 8K gaming, and it was, at best, situational. In 2026, the RTX 5090 can't handle effective 8K gaming with upscaling and frame generation, so it's not going to happen soon, especially since over 50% of gamers are still gaming at 1080p.

By: DocMemory
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