8K? Sounds great, but… where’s all the content?

A few years ago, 8K was supposed to be the next big step in the evolution of home cinema. TVs with four times the resolution of 4K hit the shelves, but... the content hasn’t appeared. You can only find a handful of demo videos featuring the landscapes of Iceland on YouTube. Enthusiasm has waned, and many manufacturers have started pulling back from further investments in this segment.

In the meantime, Warner Bros. is making a move that could change everything...

Studio has scanned over 20 hits in 8K

During this year's NAB 2025 show in Las Vegas, Warner Bros. (the studio known for hits like Barbie (2023), Dune (2021–2024), and the Harry Potter series (2001–2011)) announced that it has scanned over 20 classic films in 8K resolution. Many of these were shot on 70 mm film, so the quality potential is huge. Theoretically – because the studio is not yet revealing which titles these are and isn't making any promises regarding releases. For now, we are dealing more with an option than a concrete plan. But it's still considerably more than what the competition offers.

How to deliver 8K to our living rooms?

And this is where the challenges begin. Currently, Blu-ray tops out at 4K, and streaming – although convenient – relies on heavy compression that eats away at the benefits of higher resolution. Services like Netflix or Prime Video don't even have plans to implement 8K. At least not for now. Moreover, even if they decide to take such a step in the future, it will mean gigantic transfer demands that not all networks will be able to handle. Not to mention the appropriate display or projector, which only a few home cinema enthusiasts can afford.

Kaleidescape and high-end dreams

A possible hope could be the company Kaleidescape – little known, but specialized in streaming movies in reference quality, which is better than Blu-ray discs. Their solution involves downloading a movie to a local server and playing it offline, without compression and buffering. Sounds great, but it costs as much as a used or sometimes even a new car – it's a product for the most demanding film buffs. The company recently announced that it plans to implement 8K resolution in its new devices.

Is this enough to save 8K?

Interest in 8K has clearly weakened. Sony has announced that it does not plan new 8K models, and LG has been silent on this topic for three years. Essentially, only Samsung is holding firm and presents new TVs in this resolution every year. It’s no secret that Samsung may have inspired Warner Bros., with whom it previously collaborated on creating 8K trailers for films like Barbie and Dune: Part Two.

Source: flatpanelshd.com