Personally, I'm a fan of multi-monitor setups, and if something happens to one of my panels, I figure I won't take long to find its replacement. However, in recent times an interesting trend has emerged: installing giant 8K resolution televisions. Programmer and robotics specialist Daniel Lawrence Lu did exactly that in December of last year, and shared multiple details on his blog, from the most immediate benefits to some fairly obscure compatibility issues.
In this era of multiple windows and browsers with thousands of open tabs, users have expanded their “digital surfaces” on all levels. On one hand, mobile devices have already crossed the seven-inch barrier (I won't call them “phablets” because manufacturers get nervous), and on the other, it's increasingly common to find computers with two or three connected monitors, taking advantage of auxiliary video outputs.
But computers can follow a different path, which honestly wasn't available in the past. I'm referring to using an 8K TV as a monitor. Needless to say, it's not for everyone, since an 8K panel averages 1,400 euros, and many desks aren't prepared to receive such a monster. However, programmer Daniel Lawrence Lu installed a 65-inch Samsung QN800A in his workspace, and this is what he discovered:
An 8K TV as a monitor: yes or no?
For tasks like programming, text processing, spreadsheets, image/video editing, and CAD, the 8K TV works better than expected. It's very important to confirm the subpixel structure (so small text doesn't suffer from “fringing”), and modern panels should be compatible with the D65-P3 gamut, but a calibration session is not a bad idea.
What about multimedia consumption and gaming? Daniel mentions that a large number of 8K TVs can run at 4K with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and that's the configuration he uses for series, movies, and games. Latency has received optimizations (10 ms or less), and some models already advertise FreeSync support.
Among the negative aspects, Daniel starts with the obvious: a large “monitor” needs a large desk, with enough depth to properly view the entire surface. He also highlights potential uniformity issues among manufacturers (known as the “dirty screen effect”), and recommends users do their homework in this regard. Another possible limitation is the “checkerboard effect” that appears on some panels at the pixel scale, but that usually disappears after activating “Game Mode” or “Variable Refresh Rate”.
To wrap up, Daniel reports issues with AMD drivers on Linux (no HDMI 2.1 support there), the “Input Signal Plus” or “Enhanced HDMI” mode that must be manually enabled to access 8K 60 Hz, errors in power-saving support (the TV doesn't detect when the computer wakes from suspension, or it falls to a 4K resolution), and conflicts with additional DisplayPort ports (some systems prioritize DisplayPort over HDMI, others do the opposite), and as I said above, the price. The most accessible 8K TV starts at 1,400 euros, and depending on the region, buying two 32-inch 4K panels remains a more efficient option.
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