Why There Are No Native 8K Projectors Yet
While 8K TVs from Samsung, LG, and Sony are common, native 8K projectors aren’t available for consumers—and here’s why.
What’s a Native 8K Display?
A native 8K TV has 33 million pixels (7680 × 4320), often made by combining four 4K panels. Flat panels can do this easily because of their large size. Projectors, however, use tiny imaging chips, making native 8K much harder to achieve.
Challenges of Native 8K Projectors
Imager Size
An 8K projector chip would need to be four times bigger than a 4K chip. Bigger chips need:
Stronger light sources
Better cooling
Larger, precise lenses
A bigger body to hold everything
This all makes the projector heavier, bigger, and more expensive.
Pixel Density Limits
TVs can cram 8K into small screens, but projector chips are tiny (Sony’s 4K chip is just 0.61 inches). Squeezing 33 million pixels into such a small chip isn’t possible yet without huge compromises.Lens Requirements
To show all those extra pixels clearly, an 8K lens would need to be bigger and pricier, or the image would lose sharpness.
The Bigger Picture
Even if a chip existed, you’d also need:
A brighter light engine
Stronger cooling
A beefier power supply
A larger enclosure
The result? A projector that’s bigger, louder, hotter, and far more expensive than today’s 4K models.
Conclusion
Native 8K projectors aren’t just about more pixels—they’d require a complete redesign of the light source, optics, cooling, and housing. For now, pixel-shifting 4K projectors remain the best high-end option.
Companies like Sony, JVC, or Texas Instruments might be working on solutions, but no consumer-ready 8K projectors exist yet.
The State of 8K in 2022 – Pixel Shifting Projectors
Since true 8K projector chips don’t exist yet, current 8K projectors use pixel shifting. This means a lower-resolution chip, like a 4K imager, moves its pixels slightly to create an 8K-like image.
Pixel shifting is expected to remain the main way to achieve 8K projection for years, no matter the technology—LCOS, DLP, or LCD. Essentially, each pixel (or micromirror) on a 4K chip has to do the work of four to simulate 8K.
Next, we’ll look at the 8K pixel-shifting projectors you can buy today and the new solutions coming soon.
JVC e-shift Technology
JVC originally created e-shift to deliver 4K images without needing a native 4K chip. This technology came before JVC could make a native 4K LCOS imager for the DLA-RS3000. They were the first to offer a non-cinema projector capable of resolutions higher than 4K.
Their 8K e-shift shifts each pixel diagonally by 0.5 pixels to boost resolution, but it was only available on the high-end NX9/RS3000, priced over $25,000.
Now, JVC has launched three new 8K pixel-shifting projectors using their new 0.69″ native 4K D-ILA chips. The most affordable model, DLA-NZ7/RS2100, starts at $10,999 and uses the previous-generation e-shift technology.
JVC’s other two models, the DLA-NZ9/RS4100 and DLA-NZ8/RS3100, use the upgraded 8K e-shiftX D-ILA sensor. This new e-shiftX moves the imager in four directions—up, down, left, and right—at a speed of 240 Hz. The faster pixel shifting makes it harder to tell the difference between a native 8K projector and a pixel-shifted one. You can check out reviews of the NZ9 flagship to see it in action.
Texas Instruments XPR Technology
TI’s DLP XPR is their version of pixel shifting. It uses the super-fast DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) to move pixels faster than the video signal, letting one chip create multiple colors and pixel positions.
The main difference from LCOS or LCD is that DLP uses tiny mirrors instead of traditional pixels, but all three achieve similar results in image resolution.
Currently, TI hasn’t announced a consumer 8K DLP projector. In theory, 8K could be done by combining existing 1080p–4K DMD chips with faster XPR tech, or a future 4K UHD DMD chip might power it.
Existing DLP 8K Solutions
Digital Projection INSIGHT LASER 8K DLP
The INSIGHT LASER 8K, launched in 2016 for professional use, is meant for simulations, museums, and high-end entertainment venues—basically, places that need the absolute highest resolution.
It uses Version 2 DLP tech with three 1.38″ DarkChip™ DMD™ chips and ColorMax™ for better color accuracy and deep blacks.
You probably won’t see this in a home theater—only a few wealthy enthusiasts with lots of space might have one.
This projector shows that it’s possible to blend and shift multiple DLP imagers to make an 8K image. So technically, TI could do something similar with consumer DLP chips.
It’s likely we’ll see more 8K DLP announcements soon, and other chip makers may follow. Looks like 2022 could be the year 8K really takes off.
Hisense 8K DLP Prototype
At CES this past January, Hisense showed a prototype 4K pixel-shifting DLP projector that could display 8K images. Since Hisense doesn’t make DLP chips—those come from Texas Instruments—they noted their prototype used a DLP imager with XPR technology. It wasn’t clear if it was a new 4K DMD or a 2K DMD using advanced XPR to create 8K.
Why pixel-shifting works for 8K: The goal is to make an image that looks just as detailed as true 1:1 pixel mapping. We’re still in the early days of 8K projectors. So far, only a few e-shift 8K models exist, and no native 8K projectors are available. But like 4K e-shift projectors, these 8K e-shift models produce very detailed images without visible pixel overlap.
Pixel-shifting seems to be the best way to make 8K projectors affordable and mass-producible. It’s already proven with 4K LCOS, DLP, and even LCD projectors. Native 8K chips aren’t likely to appear soon because packing that many pixels into tiny imagers is extremely challenging. Bigger sensors would also need stronger lenses, brighter lights, and better cooling, making them expensive and hard to mass-produce.
That’s the state of 8K projection in 2022. Projector Reviews will keep an eye on any updates from manufacturers.
More 8K articles are coming soon, covering topics like:
The state of 8K content in 2022
Can you tell the difference between 4K and 8K projectors?
Top reasons to buy an 8K projector in 2022
Best 8K-capable projection screens in 2022