Anybody following the news coming out of the CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas at the start of this year might be reticent in buying a 4K television any time soon. That's because there was plenty of talk about the next generation of TVs - those with mammoth 8K resolutions.

What's more, it was revealed that you'll actually be able to buy an 8K TV later this year. Samsung, for one, is planning on introducing 8K sets to its 2018 range.

However, we wouldn't advise putting off a 4K TV purchase just yet, and don't get dismayed that the one you bought recently will soon be out of date, while 8K TVs might be available, there won't actually be any native content to watch on them.

During a Philips TV launch in Amsterdam, Pocket-lint was told that European 8K TV broadcasts are unlikely to be available until 2025 at the least. What's more, industry renowned research director Paul Gray, of analytics company IHS Markit, explained that 8K resolutions will be restricted to TVs with screen sizes of 80-inches and above for the immediate future.

Japanese broadcaster NHK has tested 8K TV transmissions, but they were allegedly only brought forward due to the 2020 Olympics being held in Tokyo, which will be filmed, in part, in 8K. The technology is still some way off from being viable for general broadcasting.

So if you get yourself a 4K HDR TV now, you be assured that it'll be futureproof for almost a decade. You'll also be in good company as, according to Gray, all new TVs over 50-inches will be 4K from 2019 on.