Samsung 8K QLED TVs to be among first certified by 8K Association

(Image credit: Samsung)

Having had a hand in the 8K Association (8KA)'s new certification program for 8K TVs and devices, Samsung has revealed that its yet-to-be-announced 2020 QLED 8K TVs will be among the first sets to be certified, and to wear the logo you see before you.

To brandish the badge, 8K-compatible hardware must be tested to ensure they meet the 8KA’s certification guidelines, which include an 8K resolution (four times as many pixels as 4K), a peak brightness greater than 600 nits, image transmission of HDMI2.1, and support for the high efficiency video codec (HVEC). As Hisense, Panasonic, TCL, Intel and Tencent have helped agree the program, more 2020 TVs and products should follow suit. Almost certainly at CES 2020 next week.

The certification’s purpose is to help consumers easily identity TVs and devices that bear the badge as true 8K – the real deal, if you like. However – and this is where it gets a little tricky – another industry body, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), has also introduced an 8K standard, backed by the likes of LG, whose 8K TVs will bear that logo. While the CTA’s certification includes similar parameters to the 8KA’s, it also includes a minimum 50 per cent contrast modulation requirement, meaning at least half of a TV’s pixels must be distinguishable to the naked eye to qualify.

It's looking very likely there will be more than one 'definitive' logo for early 8K TV adopters to look out for this year, then. Sigh.

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Becky is a hi-fi, AV and technology journalist, formerly the Managing Editor at What Hi-Fi? and Editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. With over twelve years of journalism experience in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices.

In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.