LG to reveal an 8K TV at CES

Despite the fact that 4K ultra-high-definition television is still very much in its infancy, the South Korean firm is already lining up the products that will one day replace it.

Despite the fact that 4K ultra-high-definition television is still very much in its infancy, the South Korean firm is already lining up the products that will one day replace it.

After being touted by every major TV maker at every major tech event since 2010, there is finally a real buzz about UHDTV.

Also called 4K due to the fact a television screen supporting the format offers four times as many pixels as a HDTV screen, this year has been tipped by many analysts as the turning point, when content starts to become available and prices for the TVs themselves are finally coming down to a level where consumers are ready to take the plunge.

However, even Netflix, one of the format's most vocal supporters and one of the first companies to start offering content in 4K UHD resolution believes that the format is still some five years away from becoming mainstream -- i.e., in the living rooms of most consumers.

Nevertheless, LG is getting ready to take the wraps off its first prototype 8K resolution TVs at the 2015 CES, which gets underway on January 6 in Las Vegas.

According to Cnet, to whom LG has confirmed its plans, the company is set to unveil a 55-inch display with a potentially eye-scorching 7,860x 4,320-pixel resolution. It's a format so rich and detailed that there is currently little if any native content available for it.

Still, LG isn't the only company attempting to answer the question 'what comes after 4K?' Three years ago, at the 2012 CES, Sharp's booth was overrun by visitors that wanted a glimpse of its 85-inch 8K prototype television.