YouTube offers 8K content on 8K TVs
By: Sohrab Osati
Tags: Television, 8k, Tech, Sony, Home Theater

98-inch Sony Z9G

YouTube offers 8K content on 8K TVs

When it comes to 8K televisions, there are two separate, but related questions that need to be answered by TV manufacturers if they wish for the format to succeed. First, is there any noticeable difference between 4K and 8K for the average consumer. And second, how can consumers get their hands on 8K content?

Google is looking to solve the second part for 8K TV through YouTube, which now will allow for streaming of 8K content through AV1 hardware decoding. Rasmus Larsen from FlatpanelsHD:

LG and Samsung’s 2020 8K models are the first TVs to support AV1 hardware decoding. […] Yesterday, TCL said that its new X915 8K TV will also support YouTube 8K via AV1 but that an update to Android 10 (scheduled for later this year) will be required to enable it. Philips has told FlatpanelsHD that it is committed to AV1, too. What is AV1? It is the new royalty-free video codec and format developed by the Alliance for Open Media, which unites heavyweights like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Intel, Netflix, LG, Microsoft, Netflix, and Samsung. AV1 has the potential to bring 4K HDR to far more devices and streaming services. At CES 2020 in January, YouTube confirmed that AV1 support is required to stream 8K videos on 8K TVs, even though its 8K videos are available through PC browsers in other formats.

As Rasmus notes, there’s no streaming platform, like Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney Plus, and Hulu that offer 8K, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. Hell, it was only earlier this year that Hulu began to provide 4K shows and other services like HBO, Showtime, and Starz still don’t even offer 4K content. And with nearly no film and TV production incorporating 8K into their workflow, expect any content in the extra higher resolution format to be one-offs and not entire series. But back to the topic at hand.

What’s notable from the YouTube announcement is who’s in on it and who’s not. You’ve got

LG

Samsung

TCL

but no Sony. This is especially strange because Sony TVs utilize LG panels and that the company offers two different lines of 8K TVs:

Z9G

Z8H

with the former costing $60,000 (it is a 98-inch set for what it’s worth) and the latter coming in at a nearly cheap in comparison $7,000. Is Sony looking to announce support for 8K content through YouTube at a timeframe that suits them best? Or do their 8K TVs lack the hardware required to support the AV1 codec? Both are unclear, but what is clear is that many TV makers, including Sony, want 8K to be the next big thing in home theater without offering a clear reason why. In this case, at least others are allowing for some form of easily accessible 8K content on their TVs.

Unless mistaken, on a Sony 8K TV, the only way to view 8K content is by connecting a computer and running HDMI out. Wireless carriers have 5G, and TV makers have 8K — the promise of something better that in its current form delivers nearly zero benefits to consumers.

If all you want is a good looking TV, both esthetically and visually, I wouldn’t stray from a Sony TV, but if you’re wanting a TV that’s part of a bigger product roadmap, in 2020, I’d stay away from their TVs because the entire lineup is a damn mess,

and there’s a pattern. Do you think 8K will matter one day in home theater?