The 65-inch Hisense U7 TV offers up to 1,000 nits of brightness and has both Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos for an immersive, theatrical experience at home. It also has the Google TV platform, which allows for voice control to simplify finding what you want to watch. Plus, it has Wi-Fi 6E compatibility for those who have upgraded. Additionally, gamers hoping to score a powerful set that can handle next-gen gaming will be pleased to know this TV also includes Dolby Vision Gaming, AMD Free sync Premium Pro, 2.1 channel audio and a 144Hz variable refresh rate.
We’ve seen the price of this model drop during sales before, but while this TV typically lists for $1,050, it’s currently marked down by $370 at Amazon. That brings the cost of this 65-inch screen to just $680, which is the lowest price we’ve seen and a solid deal for most people. We don’t know how long this offer will last, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later.
And if this TV isn’t quite the right fit for you, we’ve rounded up the best TV deals currently available so that you can shop various brands, display types, screen sizes and costs to find one that meets your needs. If you need help, be sure to check out our TV buying guide for a ton of helpful information.
There’s a tantalizing clash of styles in store for cricket fans this week as England and their gung-ho Bazball approach take on India’s kings of spin in the first Test of an epic five-match series between the two sides.
Both teams come into this series opener in Hyderabad with strong recent Test records on the line. England chalked up two series wins and two draws in 2023, while India were also unbeaten last year, with three series wins and a draw.
Lancashire’s Tom Hartley is set to make his Test debut for the tourists, while Ben Foakes returns as England’s wicketkeeper.
The hosts, meanwhile, will be without Virat Kohli, who’s set to miss the first two Tests of this series for personal reasons, with Rajat Patidar having the unenviable job of replacing his country’s star batsman.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the first match of the series, no matter where you are in the world.
India vs. England: When and where?
India take on England in the first match of this Test series at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad from Thursday, Jan. 25 until Monday, Jan. 29. Play is set to start each day at 9:30 a.m. IST local time in India — that’s 4 a.m. GMTin the UK, 3 p.m. AEDT in Australia, and at 11 p.m. ET or 8 p.m. PT in the US on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
How to watch India vs. England, 1st Test online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view this Test match locally, you may need a different way to watch the action — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream India vs. England in the US
This first Test in the series will be available to watch live on dedicated cricket streaming service Willow TV.
Stream the 1st Test in India for free
The first Test between India and England will be available to watch in the host nation on sport network Sports 18. That means you’ll be able to watch for free via its OTT platform JioCinema.
Watch India vs. England in the UK
This series is being shown exclusively live in the UK by Sky and its dedicated Sky Sports Cricket channel. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the final via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the match.
Stream India vs. England in Australia
Pay-TV network Foxtel and its streaming platform Kayo is showing the first Test match of this series Down Under.
Quick tips for streaming India vs. England using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this Test match live may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Starting with Chrome version M121, users will be able to enable various Experimental AI features from the Settings page. This includes Tab Groups, or the ability to automatically sort tabs in specific groups. To do this, right-click on a tab and select Organize Similar Tabs.
Google said the features will be rolling out over the next few days. For Experimental AI features to take effect, Chrome may require a restart.
Another Chrome AI feature allows AI to create custom themes, similar to the Pixel 8’s generative AI wallpapers. To enable, open a new tab and click on Customize Chrome in the bottom-right corner of the screen. After clicking Change theme there should be another option to Create with AI.
Chrome’s new AI features comes as Google doubles down on AI, the generative technology that can create novel text, code, images and video, all with a few simple prompts. With the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 and its subsequent mainstream success, Google, Microsoft, Apple and pretty much every major tech company has been looking to use AI to muscle-up its suite of software and services.
Along with Tab Groups and AI themes, soon Chrome will be able to help you draft restaurant reviews and other text with the help of generative AI. Starting next month, this experimental AI feature will allow you to right-click on a text box and ask Chrome to help you write text with just a few keywords.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.
With a cool $1.62 million prize and 500 FedEx Cup points up for grabs, defending champ Max Homa will be hoping to replicate his heroics from last year at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open.
This year’s field includes local hero Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley.
The 2024 edition of the tournament takes place across two courses, with players having to negotiate Torrey Pines’ North and South on Wednesday and Thursday, before sticking to the familiar setting of the South course for the decisive final two rounds.
The Farmers Insurance Open stands out as the only tournament on the current PGA Tour calendar that takes place from Wednesday to Saturday. The unusual scheduling is made in order to avoid clashing with Sunday’s NFL conference finals.
Keep reading to find out the best live TV streaming services to use to watch each day of the tournament live wherever you are in the world.
Livestream the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 in the US
Linear TV coverage in the US is on The Golf Channel and CBS, while streaming service Peacock also boasts the same coverage of the entire tournament.
For more comprehensive coverage, PGA Tour Live streaming coverage takes place Wednesday through Saturday on ESPN Plus, offering main action feeds, marquee groups, featured groups and featured hole coverage.
Four of the major live TV streaming services offer The Golf Channel.
Livestream the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 in the UK
Golf fans in the UK can watch the tournament live on Sky Sports. The tournament will be broadcast across its Sky Sports Golf and Main Events channels, with further coverage on its Red Button service.
Livestream the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 in Australia
The Farmers Insurance Open 2024 can be watched Down Under on Fox Sports via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for streaming service Kayo Sports.
Stream the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 in Canada
Live coverage of the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open will be available in Canada via TSN. Cord-cutters can watch via the network’s streaming service TSN Plus. Coverage of the third round starts at 5 p.m. ET on Friday and at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday for the final round.
Quick tips for streaming the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the Farmers Insurance Open2024 may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the tournament after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
T-Mobile has tweaked its terms of service for its home broadband users to add a new clause: If you are a heavy internet user that passes 1.2TB of data in a monthly billing cycle, you may have your speeds slowed in “times of congestion” or when there is a lot of pressure on the network.
As spotted by The Mobile Report, the change went into effect on Jan. 18. In its updated terms, the carrier says that these users “will be prioritized last on the network” in congestion situations, which could mean painfully slow speeds for however long the congestion persists. T-Mobile does note that since its Home Internet service is available only in “limited areas” and intended to be used in a “stationary” setting, as opposed to a phone that could be in a busy place like a packed stadium, “these customers should be less likely to notice congestion in general.”
So what exactly is going on? Here is what you need to know.
Read more: T-Mobile raises home internet price back to $60 per month for new users
Is T-Mobile adding a data cap?
While it may seem similar to a data cap that other broadband providers have used — where your data fully stops after you’ve reached a maximum amount unless you pay more — this isn’t that. Instead, it’s a potential limitation that T-Mobile is adding so that in areas where its network is being taxed by too much demand, heavy home internet users could see their data slowed down while things are busy (or as wireless carriers like to describe it, “congested”).
Presumably, once that busy period subsides and the network has its normal room available, your home internet speeds and experience should return to normal. Still, for heavy home internet users, it’s not hard to imagine that this change could lead to some problems.
Will T-Mobile be throttling speeds for heavy data users?
The carrier tells CNET that it isn’t throttling speeds for users who pass 1.2TB of data in a month, except in these “congestion” situations. “Heavy data users may not notice a change, unless they’re in a congested area,” the company says, noting that today that a “single digit percentage” of its home internet customers would be classified as heavy home internet users. The carrier says it will notify users when they pass this 1.2TB threshold.
As for what speeds will be like for these users when they find themselves in this situation, we don’t really know, and T-Mobile isn’t providing specific guidance beyond saying that they will be deprioritized relative to other T-Mobile users.
It should be noted that this applies only to consumer home internet accounts, not those who have the business version of the service.
Read more: Our T-Mobile Home Internet review
Can I buy more high-speed data?
The carrier isn’t letting users buy more high-speed data and reiterates that those who pass 1.2TB in a month can still get fast speeds once the congestion is alleviated, just that in these specific instances they would be slower than other users while the network in their area is busier than normal.
Why is T-Mobile doing this?
In a statement, the carrier explained the decision as a way to protect the network for all of its users.
“Our mainstream broadband Home Internet product services millions of customers who use hundreds of gigabytes of data,” a carrier spokesperson told CNET. “To ensure all of our customers get a great network experience into the future, our terms of service have been updated to say that those who need more than 1.2TB (per) month, a single digit percent of users, would be prioritized after other Home Internet customers only during times of congestion.”
What is network prioritization?
As the name implies, network prioritization is a way carriers determine who gets priority when accessing their network. For most day-to-day tasks, when there is plenty of capacity and room on the network for everyone, this doesn’t really matter. But in busy times of “congestion,” like at a packed football stadium or during an event where there are a lot of people taxing the network, those with a higher priority may find themselves with better service than those lower down.
Top priority is given to T-Mobile’s wireless users who are within their monthly high-speed data limits on its normal plans (as well as those on pricier options like Go5G Next, Go5G Plus and Magenta Max which don’t have limits for how much high-speed data they can use), followed by lower tier plans like Essentials, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless and then connected devices like hotspots and tablets.
At the bottom of this list, alongside “heavy data” wireless users who exceeded their monthly data limits, are home internet users. So in these instances of congestion, these heavy home internet users would be dropped even further and beyond regular home internet users.
Fulham will be desperate to come back from a 2-1 aggregate deficit as they host Liverpool in Wednesday’s intriguing Carabao Cup semifinal second leg in west London.
Fulham were on top for most of the first leg, with Willian’s 19th minute strike eventually canceled out by second-half goals from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo.
Currently five points clear at the top of the English Premier League table, Liverpool come in as strong favorites to seal a place in the final at Wembley. The Reds will be without key duo Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold, however.
Fulham are set to start with Tom Cairney in midfield, while Harry Wilson could start on the right wing for the Cottagers against his old club.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Fulham vs. Liverpool: When and where?
The Carabao Cup semifinal second leg between Fulham and Liverpool takes place at Craven Cottage on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. local time in the UK (3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT in the US; and 7 a.m. AEDT on Thursday, Jan. 25, in Australia).
How to watch the Fulham vs. Liverpool EFL Cup semifinal online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream the Fulham vs. Liverpool game in the US
Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semifinal, second leg is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus.
Livestream the Fulham vs. Liverpool game in the UK
Live broadcast rights for the Carabao Cup semifinal in the UK are with Sky Sports. Wednesday’s match will be shown on its Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account, and a Now Sports membership, to stream the game.
Livestream the Fulham vs. Liverpool game in Canada
If you want to stream the EFL Cup live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to this match as well as every UEFA Champions League and Europa League match this season.
Livestream the Fulham vs. Liverpool game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch the EFL Cup on streaming service beIN Sports, which has exclusive broadcast rights to this tournament in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Carabao Cup using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this cup clash may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh film in the franchise, free-falls onto the Paramount Plus streaming service on Thursday. (But you can save some time typing in that long title, as it’ll appear on the streamer as just “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning,” according to a press release).
The spy movie is now an Oscar nominee, receiving nominations on Tuesday for best sound and best visual effects. In the flick, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his Impossible Mission Force rush “to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity,” so they can keep it out of the wrong hands, according to Paramount Plus.
In addition to Cruise, the movie stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny (last seen in the original 1996 movie) and newcomers Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Esai Morales. If you want to catch the action on Paramount Plus, here are more details on the streaming service.
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning’s release date on Paramount Plus
Dead Reckoning will hit Paramount Plus overnight on Thursday, Jan. 25, for folks in the US and Canada. The movie will land on Paramount Plus in other countries starting in February, the streamer says.
In the US, there are two Paramount Plus plans to choose from: the $6 a month Paramount Plus Essential plan and the $12 a month Paramount Plus with Showtime offering. All six prior Mission: Impossible films are available on the platform, along with the Tom Cruise-led Top Gun: Maverick, which was 2022’s second highest-grossing movie worldwide. An eighth Mission Impossible film is scheduled to arrive more than a year from now, on May 23, 2025.
If you’re looking to host on game day, it may be time to upgrade your TV. The C3 from LG is one of our top recommendations. With a sleek design and stunning OLED screen, it’s our favorite high-end TV of 2024 — and right now, you can grab one for almost $500 off at BuyDig. Not only is that a match for Amazon’s current discount, but the 77-inch smart TV comes bundled with a $200 Visa gift card, which is as good as getting that money back in cash. You can use those funds towards anything you want, including all the essentials you’ll need for snacking during the big game. At $2,297, this LG TV is still a sizable investment, but with $499 off the price and the bonus gift card sweetening the offer further, it’s a solid deal. Other sizes are also on sale with similar discounts and gift cards from $25 to $100.
According to CNET’s resident TV expert, David Katzmaier, the LG OLED C3 “sets the standard for high-end TV picture quality.” It has a stunning self-lit OLED 4K display, as well as Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG support for vibrant colors, sharp contrast and dazzling brightness. Its sixth-gen A9 processor uses AI to automatically upscale the look and sound of your shows and movies for a better experience. It also supports Dolby Atmos for immersive, room-filling sound, and it has a dedicated filmmaker mode, which makes it a great choice for serious cinephiles. It’s an awesome pick for gamers, too, thanks to its fluid 120Hz refresh rate and impressive 0.1-millisecond response time. With an ultrathin bezel, it has a sleek look that won’t clash with your home’s decor.
The LG C3 is probably one of the most versatile OLED TVs you’ll find right now. That said, if you want something a bit more reasonably priced, check out these other OLED TV deals.
Believe it or not, 8K TVs are available right now. Yep, 8K, as in four times the resolution of Ultra HD 4K TVs. You can, if you really want to, buy models from Samsung, Sony, LG and TCL in a variety of sizes. Samsung was the only one of the makers to premiere a new 8K TV at CES 2024, while the rest haven’t released new models in the past couple of years. As you’d expect from cutting-edge technology with over 30 million pixels, the prices are quite high. In most cases 8K TVs cost more than a high-end, and often higher-quality, 4K TV.
Should you consider an 8K TV? Are they the best TVs out there? In a word: No. In two words: Not yet. You’re better off getting a high-quality 4K TV for far less money. It will look better with 99.9% of the content you put on it. That said, 8K is here, and it’s not going away, so it’s worth taking a closer look. You’ll need to look very close, as those pixels are tiny.
Eventually 8K will be far more mainstream. It’s possible 4K will go the way of all those lower resolutions, and be relegated to tech history. Does this mean your 4K TV is already obsolete? Should you wait to buy a new TV until 8K prices drop? Do you need an 8K TV for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X? Read on for the answer to all these questions and more.
Read more: PS5 and Xbox Series X Can Game in 8K Resolution. Should You Care?
Is it worth buying an 8K TV?
Here’s a quick summary of our current thinking regarding 8K TVs in early 2024.
Unless you have money to burn, don’t even consider buying one right now.
From what we’ve seen, there’s little, if any, image quality improvement over 4K TVs.
Any improvement we have seen required sitting very close to a very large screen.
To get the most out of any 8K TV, you need actual 8K content (and there basically isn’t any).
In the next few years 8K TVs will get cheaper and perhaps actually be worth considering.
To reiterate, one of the biggest reasons 8K TVs are not as amazing as you might expect, besides their price, is that there simply aren’t any 8K TV shows or movies to watch on them. And while the latest gaming consoles will eventually do 8K (maybe), 8K games today are basically nonexistent. The best you can get in most cases is 4K, so all those extra pixels of an 8K TV won’t be used to their fullest potential.
Now that you’ve slid your wallet back into your pocket, sit back and soak in everything there is to know about 8K TVs today.
Read more:Remember When TVs Weighed 200 Pounds? A Look Back at TV Trends Over the Years
What is 8K, and is it better than a 4K TV?
A traditional HDTV from a few years ago is 1080p, which means it has 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 vertically. Many digital cinema projectors — the ones in movie theaters — have a resolution of 2,048×1,080. Because it’s common in Hollywood-speak to only refer to the horizontal resolution, they call that “2K,” but it’s basically the same as the HDTV 1080p you have at home.
The term “4K” comes from the digital cinema side, too, with a horizontal resolution of 4,096, hence “4K.” However, on the TV side, manufacturing efficiencies meant we got double the horizontal and vertical resolutions of 1080p HDTV, so 3,840×2,160 pixels. Everyone colloquially calls this “4K,” though the technical term is Ultra HD. This has four times as many pixels as 1080p HD.
Which brings us to 8K. You guessed it: twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of 4K, for a whopping 7,680×4,320 and 33,177,600 total pixels. Not only is that four times the resolution of 4K, that’s an incredible 16 times more pixels than 1080p. Or to put that differently, you could put 16 full-resolution 1080p videos on an 8K screen at the same time with no loss of quality. I’m not sure why you’d want to do this, but hey, why not?
Read more: 4K vs. 8K vs. 1080p: TV Resolutions Explained
TV and projector resolutions
Resolution name
Horizontal x vertical pixels
Total pixels
Other names
Found on
8K
7,680×4,320
33,177,600
8K Ultra HD, Ultra High Definition (UHD), Super Hi-Vision, UHD-2
High-end TVs
4K
3,840×2,160
8,294,400
Ultra High Definition (UHD)
Most modern TVs, some projectors
1080p
1,920×1,080
2,073,600
High Definition (HD)
Smaller, less expensive and older TVs, most projectors
720p
1,280×720
921,600
High Definition (HD)
Very small and older TVs
One thing to look for in new 8K TVs: It will feature the official logo and “spec” on new 8K TVs. This goes beyond raw pixel count to help you find TVs that perform to at least a certain standard. This is partly to avoid the mess from the early days of HD and 4K, where some of the first TVs couldn’t accept a full HD or later, a 4K signal. The Consumer Technology Association lays out the following minimums a TV is required to have to wear the 8K Ultra HD logo:
At least 7,680 pixels horizontally and 4,320 vertically.
At least one HDMI input capable of accepting that resolution, at 50 or 60 fps (depending on region), with HDR.
The ability to receive and display 10-bit content.
Can the human eye even see 8K?
Technically, yes it can, but the difference will be very subtle at best.
As we’ve explained many times with 4K TVs, there’s a point of diminishing returns when it comes to resolution. The human eye can see only so much detail, and extra pixels beyond what you can discern are basically wasted. To get anything out of higher resolutions and their proportionally tinier pixels, you need to sit closer, get a bigger TV, or both.
It’s rare that anyone gets a large enough TV — or sits close enough to one — to justify the need for even 4K resolutions. 8K is excessive overkill… at least for a TV. If you’re talking about massive theater-size screens like Samsung’s Wall or Sony’s Crystal LED, 8K would be amazing. But since 4K is hard to discern when comparing to a 1080p TV, 4K to 8K from 10 feet away will be pretty much impossible.
That said, because 8K TVs are currently the most expensive offerings from most companies, they often have features which help them produce stunning images that are completely divorced from resolution. So most 8K TVs, with the likely exception of the “cheap” models, will usually look great regardless of their pixel count.
Read more: Best 4K Projectors for 2024
8K content: Can I actually watch anything in 8K?
Without 8K content, an 8K TV is just a 4K TV with a few thousand dollars stuck to it with duct tape. Samsung talks up fancy “AI” upscaling technology on its TVs, designed to improve the look of mere 4K and 1080p sources on an 8K screen. And other TV makers like Sony and LG have touted their own 8K special sauces. But to get the most out of all those 33 million-plus pixels, the incoming source needs to be 8K too.
There are three main aspects to getting any new format, like 8K, into your home:
1. Content recorded in the new format
2. Transmission of the new format (broadcast, streaming, etc.)
3. Playback of the new format
An 8K TV represents the last part of the system: playback. That’s the easy part. Any TV manufacturer can design and produce a TV with any resolution it wants. It’s just up to the company and its resources.
Creating content in the new resolution, meanwhile, is a lot tougher. While the number of 8K-capable cameras has dramatically increased in the last few years, they’re still expensive to buy or rent. In most cases, these cameras are used to create 4K content instead. There are lots of reasons it’s a great idea to capture in 8K. The end result, however, is 4K, because of the second part of the process (transmission).
Read more:How I Built My Dream 8K-Capable Video Editing PC
Ultra HD 4K transmission takes a lot of data. You need a really fast internet connection to stream it. Streaming 8K is a whole other level, well beyond what many have in their homes. With only a tiny percentage of their audience able to see it, mainstream streaming services are slow to adopt higher resolutions, with the increase in cost of storage, processing and more.
Which is all to say, don’t expect 8K versions of your favorite streaming shows anytime soon. And without 8K content, the main benefit of an 8K TV is at least partially wasted.
Do I need 8K to play Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 games?
Both Sony and Microsoft have announced that their next-generation gaming consoles, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, will both be capable of outputting 8K resolution via future updates. Sounds like a great excuse to buy an 8K TV, right? Not so fast.
First, and most important, you will not need an 8K TV to play games on these consoles. They will work just fine on most 1080p and nearly all 4K TVs. If you can connect a PS4 or Xbox One to your current TV, it will work with a PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Read more:Sony PS5 vs. Microsoft Xbox Series X: Game On
Secondly, games will need to be specifically written to take advantage of 8K, something that isn’t going to be particularly common. The resolution you see on screen, even if your TV says it’s 8K, might not be what resolution the console is rendering the game. It will likely be far more common for the console to build the game’s visuals at a lower resolution, 1440p or 4K at best, and convert to 8K to send your TV. This is the same thing your TV does automatically.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed that this FAQ, published on the PlayStation blog in November 2020, was still the case: “PS5 is compatible with 8K displays at launch, and after a future system software update will be able to output resolutions up to 8K when content is available, with supported software.” We’re still waiting for that update.
“Xbox Series X is fully capable of 8K output. However, as there is no media content or games that currently support 8K resolution, we have not enabled the option within the system settings at this time. Xbox Series X was designed with the next 8 to 10 years of advancements in mind, and as we see signals from creators and 8K becomes a more widely adopted format, we will update console software to support it,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
Long story short, few games will look much different on an 8K TV than they will on a 4K TV. There is limited time and money when you develop a game (well, most games), and few developers will want to invest those limited resources on something only a handful of people will be able to enjoy. Far more likely are games rendered in 4K with higher frame rates, something else made possible by the latest version of HDMI and available on the new consoles.
Read more: 120Hz Gaming: Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X
Where can I stream 8K? Do Netflix or YouTube support it?
Getting the 8K onto your new 8K TV is also a bit of a challenge. Ideally, the TV’s internal apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and the rest will be 8K compatible. You’d think that’d be a given, but it wasn’t in the early days of 4K. Further, there’s no 8K content from any major streaming service available yet. The exceptions are YouTube, as you see in the video below, Vimeo and a new service called The Explorers exclusive to 8K Roku TVs. Eventually, ATSC 3.0, also known as Next Gen TV, might allow 8K to be broadcast over the air, but we’re a long way from that.
How fast does your internet need to be to stream 8K?
8K also presents another issue for the early adopter: The bandwidth required is immense. Most 4K content streaming companies recommend you have an internet connection in the 20Mbps range. 8K, even with everything else the same, has four times as many pixels.
That doesn’t equate exactly to a 4x increase in data or bandwidth, but, and this is just a ballpark guess, a connection requirement in the 40 to 50Mbps range wouldn’t be unexpected. Maybe you, cutting-edge CNET reader, have that kind of speed, but most people do not.
What kind of HDMI cable do I need for 8K?
One thing we’ve already got is the physical connection thing sorted in case any 8Kmedia streamershit the market or they’re needed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. HDMI 2.1 is capable of 8K resolutions and more. But before you rush out and stock up on HDMI 2.1-compatible cables, keep in mind there will almost certainly be a new standard between now and the wide adoption of 8K. So those cables might be obsolete, despite their current forward-looking appearance.
All of the major 8K TV makers say that their sets have HDMI 2.1 inputs capable of handling the 48Mbps bandwidth required for the highest resolution and frame-rate combinations (8K and 60 frames per second and 4K at 120fps). We also got a look at some new, higher-bandwidth HDMI cables.
To take advantage of higher 4K frame rates on the new consoles, presuming your TV can handle them, you might need new cables.
Read more: When is the Best Time to Buy a TV?
Is 8K TV a gimmick?
To put on my cynic hat, increasing resolution is one of the easiest ways to offer the appearance of higher performance. This is likely what TV makers are smoking, coming out with 8K TVs when there’s essentially no content and no 8K infrastructure.
Given how easy it was to market 4K as “better looking than 1080p,” TV makers are claiming the same thing with 8K. But resolution is just one aspect of overall picture quality, and not one of the most important ones. Improving other aspects, such as contrast ratios, overall brightness for HDR, more lifelike colors and so on, offer better image improvements but they are significantly harder to implement. This is especially true for LCD, which is a technology Samsung is still strongly flogging — e.g. all of its QLED TVs are simply LCD TVs with quantum dots.
It’s relatively easy to create a higher-resolution LCD panel, but improving the other aspects of performance for that tech is a greater challenge. Not “more” pixels but “better” pixels. This is why OLED is a thing, and why many companies are researching new technologies like true direct-view quantum dot displays, MicroLED, and mini-LED. Samsung is even coming out with an OLED-quantum dot hybrid that promises to combine the contrast ratio of OLED and the bright colors of quantum dot-based displays. These technologies, regardless of resolution, should look better than 8K TVs, which are currently only LCD-based.
Well, except for LG’s OLED, which costs $20-$30,000 depending on size.
If you’re thinking about buying a new TV, does this mean you should hold off? If your current TV works, you should probably hold on to it regardless. New 8K TVs shouldn’t be a factor, because as we mentioned above, early 8K TVs are expensive. We’re also many, many years away from any sort of widespread 8K content. We arguably don’t have widespread 4K content, and no one is talking about scrapping 4K to go directly to 8K.
The other aspect is a warning that will be seconded by countless 4K early adopters: There’s no guarantee these early 8K TVs will end up being compatible with any future 8K standard. There are tens of thousands of 4K TVs that can’t play any current 4K media content.
Lastly, even as prices drop, like they have with the $2,200 TCL 8K 6-series, you’re almost certainly better off with a 4K TV for the same money. It offers better picture quality overall and only lacks the bragging rights that you have more pixels than your neighbor. But if that’s your thing, go for it.
Update, January 19, 2024: This article was first published in 2018 and is regularly updated with new info.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
If you want a premium Android tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 lineup offers some of the best options and we just came across a deal that needs to be seen to be believed. The base-spec Galaxy Tab S9 normally ships with 128GB of storage for around $799 (or $699 if there’s a deal running) but if you order today you’ll get double the storage and pay less. You read that right.
The result? You can now pick up a 256GB Galaxy Tab S9 tablet for just $645 at Amazon. That’s a 30% savings versus its regular price and a new all-time low. It’s a similar story for the larger Galaxy S9 Plus at Amazon where the beefed-up 512GB model is going for less than the 256GB variant. At $850, it’s $270 off — a new record low for this device too.
The Galaxy Tab S9 features an 11-inch OLED display and is powered by Qualcomm’s speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. The 256GB of storage is more than enough for most people and the included S Pen is great for taking notes, drawing and more. Samsung says the battery in this thing “lasts and lasts,” while 45-watt fast charging should make short work of topping it up (though you’ll have to buy the charger separately). Wi-Fi 6E is similarly rapid, making streaming a breeze. And all of that for a price that we can’t imagine will last for too much longer.
As for the Galaxy S9 Plus, it’s got a larger battery capacity and dual rear cameras, though its main appeal is its larger 12.4-inch display, which makes it ideal for both work and play.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 devices offer great options, but there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Be sure to check out our list of the best tablet deals before placing your order just in case there’s something else that takes your fancy.
