What is 8K resolution?

Projector resolutions have come a long way in the last decade. A few years back, no one could have imagined that 4K would become as common in projectors as it is today. What’s more, another resolution called 8K has recently been introduced to the market. This resolution offers double the number of pixels as 4K.

8K resolution is the latest and greatest in image quality, providing more detail and clarity than 4K. However, it is still in its early stages and has limited consumer and industrial applications.

Our guide below will explore everything to know about 8K resolution.

What is 8K resolution?

8K, also referred to as Super High Definition (SHD), is the successor of 4K, having 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. These pixels are displayed in the classic 16:9 format. 

Due to its improved level of detail and increased colour brilliance, 8K has a wide range of applications in various sectors. Be it gaming, home cinema, science, design, research, art, culture, or business presentations – everything has a lot to gain from 8K.

4K vs 6K vs 8K

After the Ultra HD video format comes 4K, 6K, and 8K. 4K offers 4,096 x 2,160 pixels, 6K offers 6144 x 3160 pixels, while 8K – as mentioned before – offers 7,680 x 4,320 pixels.

Of these three video formats, 4K is the most readily available in the market. 4K format produces sharp, smooth, and real-life-like images and videos. Similarly, 6K and 8K video formats offer even sharper and clearer images and videos.

Although 4K has become quite common in consumer applications – be it projectors, TVs, or consoles – when it comes to 6K and 8K, they are currently only applicable for impressive displays at trade shows, conferences, and other high-profile events.

Super-high-quality videos consume a lot of storage space and need special, costly programs for editing and viewing.

Is it worth choosing 8K?

It is the million-dollar question – Is it worth choosing 8K? Let’s find out!

Choosing 8K as your projector’s resolution will ensure that the content is of the highest quality and does not become outdated as quickly as the content shot in lower resolutions.

A higher resolution results in more retained detail when cropping and zooming in on a video. This flexibility can be useful in many situations.

If you want to watch an 8K movie on, say, a 4K projector, even after downsampling (reduction in the image resolution), the quality of the 8K content will remain intact.

It is also possible to extract still frames from 8K video for use as high-quality images. For that, you will require video editing software. The extracted images will be high resolution and will retain much of the clarity and sharpness of the original 8K video.

On the flip side, the equipment, like the camera, required to capture and process 8K footage is costly and difficult to use. The larger file sizes of 8K content are also more exhausting for computer hardware and software.

There are not a lot of devices, and certainly not projectors, that support 8K. So, the vast majority of viewers can’t fully appreciate this high-end resolution.

For most scenarios, such as your business meetings or home cinema, 4K resolution is sufficient, and the additional cost and complexity of 8K may not be worth the hassle.

Pros

• High-quality, detailed, and life-like content
• Ability to crop and reframe shots without losing detail
• Allows for larger screen sizes and higher frame rates
  

Cons

• Complex and costly equipment to capture and process 8K footage
• 8K-compatible devices are rare and expensive
• Demanding on computer hardware due to larger file sizes
  

FAQs

Is 8K the same as 4K?

No, 8K is a higher resolution than 4K. 4K corresponds to 4,096 x 2,160 pixels, while 8K means 7,680 by 4,320 pixels.

Can the human eye see 8K?

Yes, humans can see 8K. A person with 20/20 vision can see an 8K image clearly even when they are unreasonably close to the display.

Summary

8K resolution is the next generation after 4K, offering twice the number of pixels (33.2 million).

Is it worth choosing 8K? Well, that depends. Although this video format offers a plethora of perks, such as life-like content, high frame rates, and large screen sizes, 8K-compatible devices are both rare and expensive. So, unless your work relates to professional video production, you can easily manage things without an 8K resolution projector.