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Roku now has an 8K channel for TCL TVs

The Explorers offers a library of ultra-high definition nature documentary videos.

Roku

What better way to show off the splendor of 8K visuals than with nature programming? That seems to be Roku's train of thought as it adds the first premium 8K channel to its platform: The Explorers.

The only 8K Roku TVs on the market right now are from TCL. The first of those sets was released in 65” and 75” formats in August. TCL first showed off the TV at CES.

Ultra-high definition premium content from The Explorers (which also offers free content through its channel) will typically cost $3/month. A tenth of that fee will be donated to The Explorers Foundation, which aims to preserve biodiversity. However, if you're have an an TCL Roku TV 6-Series 8K display, you'll get a three-month free trial.

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Displays with 8K capabilities can show video in up to four times the resolution of standard 4K content. But the trouble is, there isn't much 8K content that early adopters can watch on their new TVs. YouTube is perhaps the main hub of 8K footage at the minute.

TCL noted that 8K cameras are becoming more commonplace, and OnePlus 9 Pro owners even have one in their pockets. So, there's much more 8K content on the way. Still, buying an 8K set is mainly about future proofing for the time being, rather than playing games and watching TV shows and movies at home in a higher resolution right now.