#although the fact the game gives you the option to date Ken is still a bit skeevy

[magicmalcolm]

Oh, God, I forgot the Male!MC in Persona 3 has to romance all his female Social Links once progressed far enough. 😞

[casualotptrash]

Why the Persona 3 FES vs Portable Debate Makes Me Want to Fly Into the Sun Pt. 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Da da da daaa!

Part 3 of this lovely emotional rant is here, for anyone who wants to spend their time reading these. With the last two posts, I have mostly tried to be informative or just complain a bit about why this debate makes me want to fly into the sun, but for this post it’s going to go a little different. Perhaps a bit more subjective than the others.

In this post, I’m going to go over everyone's favorite clusterfuck...a definitive version of Persona 3.

Now, as we established in the previous post, we know that the argument of FES vs Portable is essentially pointless because everyone’s opinion on either game is subjective. However, I have neglected to bring up this topic that puts a huge ass nail into this dusty old coffin: the fact that there is objectively no definitive version of Persona 3.

Everyone can argue all day and night about which version of P3 is better, but no one can deny that either version are “definitive.” By definitive, I mean that the game has the most content that is offered, like Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal. The reason none of the P3 games are definitive is because base P3 lacks stuff from FES and Portable, FES lacks stuff fro Portable, and Portable lacks things from FES. It’s a gamble of whether you want to experience cutscenes, an overworld, and The Answer, or a whole new route with the FeMC and the brand new option of dating male party members and saving...you know who.

One might be able to say FES is definitive because it has The Answer, which I believe is considered canon according to the Arena games. Another could say Portable is the definitive version because it came out after FES, added the FeMC (who is technically canon as per the second Persona Q game), and removes The Answer (which a lot of people said The Answer messed with the core theme of P3). However, the definition of definitive in this case, and with all of the other games, is that the game offers the most content. Arguably, FES and Portable provide the same amount of content, just in different ways. This is why this whole conversation of which one is better, or which to play first, spawned in the first place.

The reason I am bringing this up in this post, about why this whole discussion physically pains me, is because having a real, definitive version of the game could finally put this discussion to rest. At least, it somewhat would. People would probably still argue that FES is the best for some reason.

Now, the argument becomes...well, what does a definitive version of Persona 3 look like?

I have seen quite a bit about this topic, and people seem to really miss some common sense points. For example, they get caught up in whether it would be considered a remake or a remaster. I know some use those terms interchangeably, but the “official” definition for each is that a remake is a game that is made from scratch, while a remaster is made by updating the existing assets and engine. For example, the upcoming Nocturne HD release is a remaster. Personally I find it difficult to neatly fit the typical persona definitive editions, like Golden and Royal, into either of these categories. It may just be me not fully grasping the differences between the two, but I believe they would fit into more of the “remaster” category. It is true that there are new assets and content being added to the game, but it’s so minor that I’m not sure it could be considered a remake. On the other hand, because new content is added it couldn’t just be defined as a remaster because typically the effects and such aren’t even changed that much. It’s just gameplay and story content that is tweaked.

When people get so caught up in what it would be considered, logic seems to...go out the window? For example, in a debate between a P3 remaster or remake, a person made a comment that if a remake was to happen then people would demand that all of the social links be available to anyone. Now, that just isn’t possible for a variety of reasons. There’s no way we could ever mix and match social links to get a preferred grouping. Another issue with this is that if just a remaster was made, then one of the two games would be left out.

This is why I don’t really think about whether a definitive edition is a remaster or remake, because using such strict labels make it harder to judge what could, or should, be in one. This is why I’m just referring to this process as making a definitive edition. That being said, I would consider a definitive P3 game to be more of a remake (not that it really matters) because my ideas would essentially combine FES and Portable, in a way?

So here we go, into my idea of what a definitive version of Persona 3 would look like. (Warning: This will contain spoilers for all of the P3 story and *gasp* may be a bit biased toward Portable because I like it more)

1. Presentation

In simple terms, I would want the game to essentially be Portable...but with updated graphics, cutscenes from FES, and an overworld. It’s easier to use Portable as a base because it’s already closer to the format of P4 and P5, so then adding in the good parts of FES with the cutscenes and overworld are par for the course. As far as graphics go, I would like the models and environment to look more like P3D (aka whatever engine they used for Persona 5?) because damn did the characters get a glow up.

2. Gameplay

Along with the format of Portable, I would also want the gameplay of Portable to be in this definitive version. That means no jealousy system, no fatigue until after you leave tartarus, the vision quest, and the other changes I mentioned in the first post. Sorry FES fans, but yes...I would still want the option of controllable party members. However, a new change that should be added is backup members earning exp. I don’t think baton passes or anything should be added, we don’t want a clone of P5, and the combo attacks in P3P kind of fill this role anyway. The idea of having social links give certain perks with ranks, like how confidants work in P5, is interesting but I don’t think it would be necessary. I would also say that the soundtrack should be exclusive for each side, like how it is in Portable, and that there should be an option to choose which skills are inherited.

3. Social Links

The stance I would take with social links would essentially be how Portable did it, but with a slight tweak. No matter how much it would be cool to date Rio or Saori as the Male MC, or vice versa with Kaz or Keisuke and FeMC, I don’t think any mixing of the two sides would really be feasible. However, I would love to see cameos of those characters in the opposing routes. For example, you see Yuko and Kaz in the female route, but in the male route you could see Saori and Rio at school. That being said, and this is probably one of the biggest issues, I would want the male protag to be able to have social links with the entire party, men included. This brings up the issue of what social links you would cut out because you can’t have two social links be the exact same arcana. Unless they want to add more arcanas to the game, which would probably not go over well either, the best option is probably to prioritize the male party members and then have who would usually be in their place just show up sometimes. For example, Kenji would show up in the social link with Junpei instead of the magician social link just being about one or the other.

I know this seems weird, but it does kind of avoid shafting one or the other. If it was too hard to fit the two together (such as Chihiro and Ken both being Justice), perhaps a few more school scenes could be added where the MC interacts with the school friends that are not seen as much (Kenji, Chihiro, etc.) However, and this might piss off 1% of people but whatever, but the moon arcana with Nozomi (Gourmet king dude) could just be completely taken over by Shinji. Nozomi is a meme, but he is not needed in any way. Also, I would prioritize Yuko in the male route over Koromaru since, although he is a very good boy, he is still a dog. Also, please get rid of the option that you’re forced to romance every girl in the male route, and personally I would say keep in the fact that you cannot date Junpei. In a headcanon sort of way, I totally dig the idea of the MC being able to help Junpei through his rough time after Chidori dies (if she dies?) and feelings grow from there, but from a story perspective I think it’s integral to his character that he friendzones the player if they try.

So TLDR; who the social link is about would mainly stay true to the original route (male route with Kaz, etc. and female route with Rio, etc.), however in the male route the party members would take priority (so Akihiko would take the star arcana place and Mamoru (track guy) would just be featured in the link sometimes), and in both routes Shinji would take Nozomi’s place as the moon. Important note that besides including the other character, the main substance of the social link shouldn’t be changed; aka they should not change the format of the social links to operate more like P5 social links where the MC is just solving all of their problems.

(Sidenote: This is imply my idea on how to include party members into the social links for the male route, however if they just decided to keep the social links the exact same as Portable with no male party member social links with the male route then I’d be fine with that too. It wouldn’t really take away from the game as a whole for me, personally.)

4. Romance Options

Riding off of the social link talk...and I know this is like the least likely option of happening, but please make some gay options Atlus? If we can romance every single girl in the male route, why not just add the romance option for the men too? Yes yes there’s the whole argument about the issue of “making everyone bi” (thanks for erasing sexuality that care more about connections rather than gender?), but I say look no further than how Dragon Age 2 did it. Every romanceable option in that game can be romanced be either the male or female main character (barring a DLC character who is only romanceable by females), and it works just fine. Turns out, no one really gives a shit if it’s “realistic” enough (aka only having one or no bi/gay people apparently?) because it’s a video game and people want to romance whoever they want...because it’s a video game. Even if you really, really don’t like this approach there is also the option of going the Dragon Age Inquisition route, where characters are able to be romanced by certain genders and not by others (race also plays a role in this in the game, since there are elves and other fantasy races and such, but this is not applicable to Persona obviously). This is simply a hypothetical example, but how this would work is that like Fuuka can only be romanced by the Male MC, Akihiko and Yukari could be romanced by either MC, and Mitsuru could only be romanced by the FeMC. Obviously social links specific to a run would be a romanceable option to the MC in their route (as in Yuko would only be romanceable by Male MC because she’s only in her run, and social links like Saori could be a romance for FeMC because she’s specific to her route). I have a gut feeling this would cause an even bigger uproar with the fandom, so having any romance option (barring route specific social links for the route they’re not in) be available for either male or female MC is the best option in my opinion.

Take out Ken’s romance option altogether though. I know some of the language is different, so it doesn’t say you “spend a long night together” or whatever, but that doesn’t really make it any better. I do think it’s fine if Ken has a crush on the MC, and maybe has a whole Kenji thing of thinking they are together cause he’s 10 and kids can be like that, but the MC wouldn’t actually act on this and the player could be given the choice to actively dissuade Ken. The only good thing that came out of Ken’s romance option was the fact that him and Akihiko can argue in Tartarus if you romance them both, and I don’t want to lose that hilarious dialogue.

5. Tartarus

Tartarus...uh...to be honest I’m not really sure what to do with this beast. It’s boring and tedious in the first place, probably by design for symbolism in the game, but I’m not sure how to make it interesting without copying the dungeon/palace format. Perhaps the blocks could be restructured to act more like a big puzzle that needs to be solved, like certain sections of palaces in P5, but also have bosses and shadows thrown in. For example, perhaps one block could be more reminiscent of hide-and-seek stealth tactics while another is formatted like a series of arena-esque gladiator fights. Also probably lower the number of floors you need to climb? It gets a bit ridiculous when you realize there are 264 floors of Tartarus and 99% of them are the same but just with more funky music and slightly different decorations. This job is suited for someone with actual video game making experience though, and not me.

6. Awakenings and Pacing

Let’s talk about some quick fixes to awakenings and pacing of the game. Now, since this is a definitive version and not a true remake, I wouldn’t want them to rewrite the entire story or something. Most of the party member’s original awakenings happen off screen, which can be kind of lackluster. The MC’s and Fuuka’s are the only two we really see, and those moments were really cool in my opinion. Obviously we wouldn’t see Mitsuru’s, Akihiko’s, or Shinji’s original awakenings, but that is fine. Yukari and Junpei also fall into this boat because Yukari awakens before the MC gets to the dorm, and it would be hard to show Junpei’s awakening while also having his whole “reveal” moment when he comes to the dorm to live there. I don’t know if it’s ever mentioned when Ken awakens to his persona, but making a scene to show both his and Koromaru’s would be helpful instead of just saying Ken has the potential and he’s joining, and hearing about Koromaru awakening but not actually seeing it. As for the pacing, I’m mainly talking about the summer time where you can’t hang out with a good number of social links. I would just change this so that you can hang out with school social links during this time more readily, like if they’re just hanging out somewhere in town if they’re not at school. Like I said, this isn’t a remake (and I’m not a video game designer) so I didn’t want to get into how to fix the overall pacing of the story, which can be pretty slow until October or so. My one suggestion is maybe adding in a few extra scenes with Strega before October so it’s not like we run into them a couple times and suddenly they’re a major villain.

7. Shinjiro

(Spoilers for after October) I know certain people will definitely not like this point, but I think the option to save Shinji should remain in the game (and Chidori too). I’ll go into this in another post, but my main reason for keeping this in is because some people really do like this option, so it would be kind of unfair just to get rid of it because other people don’t like it. However, I would suggest a change to his social link so that there is the option to save him or not while also being able to complete the social link. Perhaps after rank 10 would be when you could give him the pocket watch, so that people could get the rank 10 and not be forced to save him. 

8. Extra Content

(Spoilers for the ending of Persona 3 and The Answer) Each definitive version has extra content in the “third semester” (because Persona 4 and 5 both essentially end after December), but in Persona 3 the natural game ends in January. I am not sure if they would try to add another whole months or so on, but because The Answer already exists, but I assume they wouldn’t add extra content in February or something for the MC. For The Answer, I would keep this in the game as sort of the “extra content” but add a FeMC version of this. Obviously it would be largely the same, except with the FeMC and perhaps the male party members could get more of a focus since the female party members get a larger focus in the male route (ie. Yukari breaking down with the keys. Maybe Junpei or Akihiko could take on this role as the people who don’t want to let go). Also, as a possible new addition to The Answer, Shinji could be a part of it if he is saved during the main game. In the NG+ run of Portable FeMC route, if you romance Shinji he comes to the rooftop for that final scene, so in a way it could be possible for him to recover by the time The Answer happens in March.

Now, if Atlus decided to add a more typical “extra content” thing, I hope they wouldn’t try to cram The Answer in on top of that unless they were able to do it cohesively. It might be a lot to have the whole ending of the game in January, come up with a reason to have extra content in February (presumably with the MC still alive, but also combat would need to be a part so then the issue arises of Tartarus coming back or something?), and then have the answer take place right after near the end of March.

Well that’s the end of that I think. This will also be the last post in this little “series” because I pretty much went over everything about this debate that makes me want to fly into the sun. I know the things I talked about in these posts will probably never stop, but I really hope that if a definitive version comes out at least the discussion will change to saying what is good or bad about each game rather than FES supremacy or whatever. That being said, above all I really hope this debate doesn’t discourage new fans from Persona 3 or the series in general, because that would probably be the worst outcome from all of this. It’s a great game, and it’s a shame that the game itself is kind of held back by being split into two (I’m not counting base Persona 3) different forms.

[themclbird]

Wat do you think of mclul??? I personally hate it. Beemoov took everything I loved about high school and completely threw it all away.

I completely understand where you’re coming from, and from what we have for the game at the moment I can’t say that I completely disagree. I also can’t say that I completely agree. I think that MCLUL has some good points and some bad points. So that I finish this answer on a positive note, I’m going to start with what I consider to be the bad points. And because this post got really long, really quickly I’m going to put it all under the cut.

There’s the obvious removal of the three boys. I think that everything that can be said about this factor has already been stated before by people who are far better at wording their thoughts than I am. Personally I cannot see a logical reason for doing this from a marketing stand-point. Blind-siding your players with the removal of three of the five dating options in your game is never something that I can see going down well. If this is something that a company is considering doing, I would assume that it would be far smarter for them to pose the option to the community and see how they react.

Or at least give them a warning that three of their favourite characters, who they spent years loving, would be gone so that it doesn’t feel quite so much like a stab in the back when they are removed from a game that was heavily marketed towards us as a continuation of the high school story.

In terms of story telling there are a few points that I consider to be poor.

First is the pacing. There’s no denying (at least in my opinion) that MCLUL is moving a lot faster than MCL did. We’re four episodes into MCLUL (even though I’m personally still stuck on episode two) and we already seem to be much further along in the relationships than we were in MCL at the same point. In MCL, by episode four we had only just met the third of four possible love interests. Yes you could technically say that we had met four of them, but thanks to Ken moving schools in what I believe was episode three we only had three of the love interests present in the school. Meanwhile in MCLUL we’ve now met all five of the love interests and it feels like any one of them (though some more than others) may ask Candy out on a proper date any episode now.

Some people may like this faster pace as there were a fair number of people who complained about how slow MCL moved in terms of dating. However that’s not the case for me. When it comes to love stories and otome games/dating simulators I love the part of the stories that are purely “the chase”. This comes from what I think is two different reasons.

One: “the chase” is where the first three quarters (give or take) of a characters development is presented to the reader/player. It’s where the initial love for a character blossoms. It’s where the strong foundations of a relationship is created and options are explored.

Two: in most stories once “the chase” is over and two characters are dating the plot begins to lose its interest. Many writers struggle to continue writing a plot that is interesting, engaging, and entertaining once there isn’t the driving force of the pursuit of a relationship behind it.

With this plot pacing it feels impossible to actually learn anything about the new characters and develop strong, well-rounded opinions on them. It was hard enough in MCL to truly say that you knew any of the characters completely, but now in MCLUL with how fast they seem to be wanting to move the plot along I fear that it’s going to be even harder this time around. The only characters that we may have the chance of saying we truly have complete characters for are those who have been moved over from MCL, but even that may simply be wishful thinking on my part. The fleshing out of characters isn’t something that MCL ever really seemed to focus strongly on... At least in my opinion.

In the same realm of the plot’s pacing, MCLUL is far more mature in content than that of its high school “prequel”. It took MCL forty episodes to contain a scene that was undoubtedly sexual meanwhile episode four of MCLUL contains a potentially unlockable scene in it (given the correct dialogue choices) that is the beginning portion of a sexual scene. This scene in MCLUL may get cut off before much can happen, but the content is still there and therefore already setting the tone for what this “sequel” is going to really be focusing on in future episodes.

Moving away from the sexual themes of the game, there is also the alcohol content within the game. MCL did have the consumption of alcohol within it, however MCLUL has the consumption of alcohol everywhere. From what I understand there isn’t a single episode so far that hasn’t included the consumption of alcohol (whether it be on Candy’s part or that of other characters) or at the very least the mention of alcohol within the episode. I can’t say for certain why the MCLUL writers feel such a strong need to include this so frequently in their game, but I can take a guess and say that it’s an attempt to show Candy’s age. Alcohol is something that in most countries only adults can partake in, and so by showing Candy and her friends frequently consuming it the game is showing that Candy is now an adult (even though her actions, behaviour, and even speech patterns seem to be suggesting that she hasn’t aged a day since high school).

I personally miss the innocence of MCL. Even in the later episodes of MCL I missed the innocence of MCL. For me the game was always something that was sweet, fluffy, and perhaps a tad childish. Those were things that I loved about it. Yes, MCL had a tendency of focusing on more mature subjects (e.g. abuse) however it always seemed to come back to its innocence when all was said and done. However, as the episodes progressed and particularly as we started dating our chosen love interest the themes of the game became more mature and slowly that innocence became rarer to find amongst the drama-heavy plot. Now in MCLUL that innocence that made me initially fall in love with the game seems to have been completely scrapped and replaced with what to me reads as an adolescent and incorrect view on what it means to be an adult.

The timeskip as a whole is something that I don’t like. It could have been something that was done well, however I feel that the writers haven’t done it justice. A four year timeskip could have been the perfect opportunity to move a relationship into a new, more mature, more well-rounded dynamic. When you’ve been with someone for four years things are certainly different from when you first started dating. Both of you will have grown as people, and you may have grown in a way that made you either stronger as a couple or weaker. Both of which can be a good starting point for a new story in a new phase of a character’s life.

We also have the fact that the timeskip mathematically doesn’t make sense. If Candy was eighteen when she graduated from high school and it’s been four years since she graduated then she should only be twenty-two years old in MCLUL and not the twenty-three that they state she is. Although I think I remember a dialogue stating that she didn’t think she’d be able to “get her life together at seventeen” or something along those lines, suggesting that she was seventeen when she graduated, meaning that after four years she should only be twenty-one instead of twenty-three. However I’m not certain if that was actually said or if I’m imagining that statement from Candy. Also this isn’t so much a problem with MCLUL itself as it is with the writing.

Writing wise Priya is another issue for me. The fact that she’s dateable isn’t the issue. In fact that is one of the positives that I’m going to mention later on. My issue is with how little we see her and how her character feels different when we do see her.

I may be wrong, but speaking to Priya seems to be a rare occurrence in MCLUL. While the other four love interests seem to each get a good amount of time in the sun, with each episode focusing a good chunk of its content on each of them, Priya seems to be pushed to the side. The amount of dialogue with her is limited and short compared to that of the others. It seems to me that we spent more time talking to her when she had the possibility of being no more than a friend in MCL.

Then there’s her personality. She feels different to me, and I’ve read many justifications for why this may be. I am aware that in four years people can change. I am aware that when you are flirting with someone you act differently than when you’re with a friend. However neither of these things completely change who a person is. My main issue is with the idea that she’s different because she’s now flirting with Candy. Since her introduction in MCL in (correct me if I’m wrong) episode twenty-seven I personally saw Priya as a character that consistently flirted with Candy. The way that she spoke and joked with Candy were almost a mirror-image to flirting I have seen from people in the real world. Heck, some of the things she said to Candy were reminiscent of how I flirt. Someone shouldn’t feel like a different person simply because they’re romantically interested in you. Not only is that poor writing, but if presented in the real world (like Beemoov so desperately wants us to do as proven by their statement that long-term long-distance relationships with your high school sweetheart aren’t “realistic”) is a slightly creepy idea. At least to me. The idea that someone would be a different person with me if they were interested in dating me as opposed to being my friend makes me uncomfortable. Yes you may act slightly different, and you may say different things, but at the end of the day you shouldn’t be a different person. But maybe that’s just me.

I feel like the topic of Priya and her change in personality is about to open a door to a whole other topic of the differences in every character in MCLUL compared to MCL and although those changes are an issue for me I’m not going to get into it here because I feel this post is already getting long enough as it is. I’m also not going to mention the AP system, because that would be another long rant in and of itself. But it does bug me. A lot.

Instead I’m going to focus on the positives I have for the game.

Personally I’m trying to keep in mind that this is only the beginning of the game. There is plenty of room for them improve and add onto what they have and create something great. The beginning of any game is sure to be a rocky start, particularly when you’re creating the sequel to an already loved game. And episodic games have it just that little bit harder as they are releasing their game/story bit by bit instead of as a full game all at once. However releasing the game bit by bit may just be what saves the game. With every episode the writers have the chance to receive feedback from the players. They can hear what people think needs to be improved, and what they’re already doing well. If the writers take advantage of this then they can create something that both them and the players love.

Many of the new characters are ones that I love. Chani and Yeleen are the two I love the most. Although neither of them are perfect and there are aspects of their characters that I don’t understand the reasonings for including I do think that they are interesting characters who could quite easily become characters that help to drive the plot of the game forward so long as they are handled correctly.

The episodes themselves, in terms of the plots, are quite enjoyable. There hasn’t been an episode so far that I’ve truly hated, thought was too short, or felt like nothing but filler. Each one has a decent amount of dialogue (no matter how annoying that is with the new AP system) and spends a bit of time focusing on each of the new love interests and tries to give you some incite into who they are as people.

The backgrounds are gorgeous. There’s no denying my love for the new backgrounds. Each area is its own thing while remaining a part of the one world. Everything flows together nicely and the layout of the world feels coherent and plausible. Nothing particularly feels out of place or different from everywhere else.

On the topic of backgrounds: the artsyle in general is something that I quite like. It’s different from MCL, and in my personal opinion has a refinery about it that MCL lacked. There are a few things that don’t look quite right to me, but all in all I like the general look of MCLUL.

As mentioned above Priya is something that I think is a definitive positive about MCLUL. Ever since she was introduced in MCL she was a character that I wished I could date. She’s gorgeous and her personality is incredibly entertaining. Knowing that she was a dateable option was the first sign that MCLUL was going to be a game that attempted to be more diverse than MCL.

The diversity in MCLUL is a plus. Three out of the five love interests are POC. We have Priya of Indian descent (was this confirmed or did I imagine that?), Hyun of presumed Korean descent, and Rayan of presumed Arabic descent. I would love to have the ethnicity’s of the boys to be confirmed, but the fact that they exist in the game at all is a positive point for me. Now all they need to do is outright state their ethnicity’s so that we don’t have to have the same arguments over and over again about where they’re from. I love all of the boys from MCL, but it always sat a little strange with me that all five of them were white. There wasn’t even one boy that was evidently tan.

MCLUL definitely isn’t what I was expecting, or really wanting, from a sequel of MCL, but I’m still giving it a chance to prove itself to me before I completely write it off as a failure in my eyes.

[bellabooks]

Imagine If They Had Just Made Them Gay: Early 2000’s Movie Edition

I’ve got a bit of a confession to make. I consume a lot of content on a pretty regular basis. And not a lot as in “I binged watched the entire new season of Orange is the New Black in one weekend” sort of way. No, I consume a lot of content as in “I’ve somehow managed to plow through yet another +30k word Clexa-centric fanfic, caught up on the last three episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, and re-watched Deadpool for the umpteenth time all in the span of 24 hours” sort of way. And, as most of you can commiserate with me, when it comes to finding decent LGBTQ+ centric content to watch, it’s truly slim pickings to say the least. Yes, there’s definitely been a vast uptick over the last decade in the sheer amount of LGBTQ+ content that’s being produced, but in all honesty, one can only re-watch Grey’s Anatomy and Wynonna Earp episodes so many times. So, what’s a gay to do? Well, let me introduce you to a little game I like to play called “Imagine If they Had Just Made Them Gay”   The rules are simple. * Pick a movie * Preferably one with more than one female lead, but as we all know, that automatically cuts down your options by at least 60%… if not more. * Analyze the plot * Does it pass the Bechdel test? Unless you’ve picked Wonder Woman or Power Rangers, nine times out of ten, it doesn’t. * Re-imagine it if they had made the characters gay.   Let’s start with some easy ones, shall we?   BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2002) First and foremost, this movie is already extraordinarily gay. A main character who’s more obsessed with playing soccer than dating the opposite sex. Check. Two girls who prefer to go by the shortened, androgynous versions of their names. Check. Parents who assume that their kids are dating each other because their friendship is one Hayley Kiyoko style sleepover away from being classified as a full-fledged relationship. Check. Keira Knightley spending two thirds of the entire film wearing nothing more than a sports bra and soccer shorts. Check, check, and check. So then, why on earth, does this character even need to exist? Well, actually, he doesn’t. What if instead of Joe being the standard, run-of-the-mill object of affection for both Jess and Jules to pine after, he simply is nothing more than just another one of their coaches? Blasphemy, you say? But how can one have a teenage centric rom-com without the beloved (and oh so painfully stereotypical) two girls / one guy love triangle? Simple. You just don’t. Imagine if Bend It Like Beckham went something like this… Jules, a soccer-obsessed sportsbian, is in desperate need of someone to fill the open spot on her club team and just so happens to stumble across Jess, an equally talented soccer-crazed girl, while out on a run one day. The two hit it off in a “I just met you five seconds ago but am already picking out our future children’s names” sort of way and Jules asks Jess to come try out for her team. Jess wants to say yes, but there’s just one major glitch. Her parents directly forbid her. Jules, being the adorably awkward and slightly thirsty lesbian that she is, begs Jess to at least come to a tryout, saying that if she just so happens to in fact make the team, then she will help Jess hide it from her parents. Jess agrees and the two instantly go about getting to know one another… on the pitch… off the pitch… in the locker room… in the backseat of Jules’ car… But, of course, just when Jules and Jess are about to solidify their budding relationship by adopting a pair of hers and hers rescue dogs, Jess’ parents find out about her foray into the highly controversial world of women’s soccer and guilt trip her into quitting the team, and ergo Jules as well. Not willing to give up on her u-haulin’ dreams so easily, Jules goes behind Jess’ back and makes an emphatic plea directly to Jess’ parents, somehow convincing them not only of Jess’ potential future career in the USWST  but also that she would make the world’s best daughter in-law.     BRING IT ON! (2000) Now, I know what you’re thinking… We already have a plethora of gay cheerleaders. Brittany, Santana, and now even Waverly too thanks to the infamous opening scene of episode 203 of Wynonna Earp. But Torrance and Missy? At first glance, Bring It On! is nothing more than just another classic early 2000s high school movie. Girl meets boy. One’s popular and the other is not. At first, they literally have nothing in common, but as time progresses and they find themselves forced into a host of completely unbelievable circumstances, they come to realize that they are madly in love with one another and despite their differences, wind up together. Pretty straightforward, right? But, there’s one thing about Bring it On! That makes it stand out among the rest… and it’s not the insanely quotable dialogue. That’s right. It’s Missy. Missy, by all logical card-carrying queer accounts, should be Torrance’s love interest, not her twin brother Cliff. She not only perfectly fits the “polar opposite yet somehow we’ve got undeniable chemistry” template but also manages to go one step further, by being the one to truly help Torrance find herself and in the process unlock her inner cheerleading potential. Also, let’s be honest… No one dances like this for strictly “just a friend.” So, if you will, imagine if Bring It On! went something like this… 18-year-old Torrance Shipman seems to have everything going for her. She’s pretty, popular, has a boyfriend that could double for a real life Ken doll, and, to the surprise of no one, has just been named the captain of her high school’s cheerleading team. There’s just one minor problem…Torrance is gay. So, so painfully gay. And no one knows about it. No one, that is, except for her long time boyfriend and resident beard. Torrance is dead set on staying hidden far– think Narnia level far– in the closet until one day in walks a new girl Missy Pantone to cheerleading tryouts and suddenly everything changes. Although seemingly not the cheerleading type, Missy, a former gymnast and resident badass, is willing to give the sport a shot if it means that she still gets to flip and tumble. And also spend time with, the incredibly easy on the eyes, Torrance Shipman. After few late night, hands on practices later, Torrance and Missy are suddenly the hottest high school couple, that unfortunately, no one knows about. With the exception, of course, of Missy’s sidekick of a twin brother Cliff. Torrance’s perfect world, though, comes tumbling down like a faulty human pyramid, when one of the other cheerleaders accuses her and Missy of stealing routines from a rival school. Not wanting to lose her title, nor run the risk of being outed, she does the unthinkable and places all of the blame solely on Missy. Which, of course, leads to a major “I want all of my snapbacks and flannels back” sort of blow out between the two them, where Missy tells Torrance that she isn’t willing to be with someone who values cheerleading and being considered high school royalty over their relationship. After a good, old-fashioned heart to heart with Cliff, though, Torrance comes to realize the error of her ways and goes about making things right… including publicly coming out and announcing to the world that she and Missy are indeed a couple. So, what do you think? Simple enough game, right? What are some other movies you think that would be better if They Had Just Made Them Gay? Jess Harris-DiStefano is a Brooklyn based writer / producer who has a deep seeded passion for both creating and supporting positive LGBTQ+ related content. http://dlvr.it/PX4k2b

[sleepynobie]

Mystic Messenger Imagine (Mystic Messenger)

(A/N: I know this confuse you af but actually, just pretend you play mystic messenger and the charas are only different in name and see how they react to it lol)

Zen

"(Name)~ (Name)~ I have a good news~!" Zen said as he approached you on the couch immediately after receiving a call from his boss. He was so excited and wanted to tell you so badly until he saw you giggling and sighing contentedly on yourself while holding your phone close to your ear.

"Why are your voice is so damn soothing. Oh my God seriously this voice actor, good job!" You said and when the voice is suddenly gone, it was a sign for you to pull back and see for choosing the option.

"(Name)? What are you doing?" Zen asked as he looked on your phone from behind and you got startled that you nearly dropped your phone.

"Z-Zen!" You turned around and somehow quickly got off from the couch, walking away from him and held the phone close to your ear before reaching your hand to stop him from speaking "Just a moment. Let me finish this call first"

Zen looked confused and wanted to protest but he ended up letting you finished your business first. After you seems to finish calling (and it annoyed him that you looked so blissful about it), he approached you with a frown.

"So... Who were you calling?"

"Hmm? It's just someone~" You grinned and he looked hurt by what you said as what he suspected maybe true even though he didn't want to believe.

"You're... You're not... Cheating on me right?"

You blinked your eyes before pretending to look hurt and looked away with your hand covered your mouth "So that's how you think of me huh..."

"N-No! I want to believe that you are not but the way you react on that call..."

You took a glance on him and seeing that he seems to feel really hurt about this, you ended your acting and showed the call history to him "It's from Ken, a fictional character"

Zen stared at the phone for a while and processed what you just said while you stifled a laugh at his reaction.

"Ehhhhh?!"

And you just burst out laughing at his shock reaction and clutched your stomach. Zen pouted before he suddenly tickled you for his revenge and you laughed even more. Later on as you asked for a give up and Zen toned down, you explained the whole thing about the game and showed the picture.

"He looks like me.... But I'm still hotter than him of course"

"Hahaha well yeah, that's why I'm chasing him in this game"

"But it doesn't make sense. Why would you playing this when you already have a real boyfriend?"

"Umm... Because it looks interesting? And I love the call feature~ His voice oh my God~"

Zen frowned before suddenly he had an idea and took out his phone "So if I call you more often, you won't be bothered by that game right? I mean my voice is much more soothing than him"

You deadpanned "But we are like next to each other"

"But you said-"

"Alright alright, I won't call him okay? I will only listen to your voice. Happy?" You said as his eyes were already teary before he nodded and hugged you.

"Yey! Ah I almost forgot! You see, I got a role for a-"

"Wait, a new chat room!"

"...."

"I'm just kidding, Zen" You giggled before listening to what he had to say (and play later when you're alone lol).

Yoosung

You two were facing each other, slowly leaning closer with both of your eyes closed. It was indeed the perfect moment with what they thought of 'no disturbance at all' until speak of the devil, your phone vibrated with a ringtone of a guy's voice.

"Finally! It's about time bruh" You said when you checked your phone and quickly pulled away from Yoosung.

Meanwhile, he looked dumbfounded as he knew you two were about to kiss but what? Was there something more important than kissing him?

"Oh God.... Stop mentioning Tika. I'm not Tika, Loosung" You grumbled while glaring at your phone.

"Uhh.... (Name)?"

"Calm down (Name), you got this. Just be patient and he will change"

"(Name)....?"

"But damn it really is annoying!"

"(Name)!" You flinched when Yoosung took your phone and puffed his cheeks "You ignored me"

"A-Ah! Sorry!" You apologized and he sighed before returning your phone.

"It's that game again that you've been playing, isn't it?"

"Ehehehhe... Y-Yeah..."

Yoosung pouted and looked away "I even skip the LOLOL event for you..."

A guilty feeling started to form inside you and the fact how a gamer that actually prioritize his girl more than the game really means he really, really loves you (as in the keeper) and yet... You didn't do the same to him.

"Yoosung?"

"Hm?" He turned to look at you before suddenly, you pressed your lips against his.

"I'm really sorry about before.. I should vibrate this phone and put it away as far as possible" You said after you pulled away and smiled.

Yoosung widen his eyes before frowning slightly "No more playing that game?"

"No more. Well more like not now since our moment comes first, anyway you get the point" You said slightly rambling.

"Alright. You are forgiven" He grinned and you smiled before you two just proceed to cuddling.

Jumin Han

"What are you doing, (Name)?"

You looked up to see Jumin with Elizabeth the 3rd on his arms as he approached you before sitting next to you.

"I'm playing this game called Mystic Messenger. It's kinda addicting" You giggled nervously.

"Is that why you look tired everyday? Have you been getting enough sleep?" Jumin asked and you slightly averted your gaze from him.

"Y-Yeah?"

"(Name). Look at me"

You turned your attention back to him slowly, only to see his expression turned into a displeased one. Was he going to lecture you?

"You know it's bad for your health if you don't get enough sleep. What if you suddenly get sick?"

Yeap. Here we go.

"I will be fine! You worry too much, Jumin"

"Of course I am. I care on your well being"

You sighed but then smiled slightly at how caring he is "Thanks but really I'm fine"

"Elizabeth is worried about you too for your information" He said and you looked at Elizabeth's seemly innocent face which you just patted her head.

"Don't worry. I'm fine! I'm totally fine, meow!" You then raised your hands and posed like a cat while winking at him.

"If you really say so, (Name)" Jumin said before taking your phone and kept it inside his pocket "But since we are together right now, it will be nice if you don't put your attention to the game... Meow"

You widen your eyes before giggling at how Jumin actually just said meow to you "Okay then meow! Then, can we cuddle?"

"Of course, you can sit on my lap" Jumin said and you did what he said (well Elizabeth will be on your lap instead) before he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"But to be honest, you should delete that game since it really consumes your sleep time"

"I'll... Try..."

Jaehee

"Jaehee, Jaehee!" You called onto her and quickly sit next to her as you showed your phone to her.

"What is it?"

"You should play Mystic Messenger, it's so addicting!"

Jaehee looked at it with blank expression before adjusting her glasses "That is nice of you but you know how busy I am with all the works from being Mr. Han's assistant"

"Well I know but sometimes in life, you need a break like you know. You need to have fun! Yeah, that's it!" You said, trying to convince her but she didn't seem to be interested.

"(Name), work is important since it's my only source of income. You should get a job too soon"

You pouted "I know I know. I'm still waiting for Mr. Han's answer right? But anyway for now, why don't you look at me playing?"

Jaehee sighed at your stubbornness before she just gave in "Alright since you insist"

You cheered and you showed the chat to her while explaining to her.

"Okay... So basically it's a dating game but in form of texting and calling" Jaehee concluded and you nodded.

"It's so cool right? And the guys Jaehee oh my God. So handsome! Although, I'm chasing the girl here now- Speaking of guys"

You quickly went to the album and showed the picture of Ken "There's this guy who's exactly like Zen. Seriously, he's a super narcissist but also hot af. It's  basically a fictional version of Zen so, you can fantasize of being with him through this game~" You ended with a knowing grin to her.

Jaehee stared at the picture for a while before clearing her throat "Well but still, it's just fictional character. I don't have time to delude myself into fantasy like that"

"Right... We'll see about that" You giggled "The name is Mystic Messenger, just in case you forgot already so you can quickly download it girl"

Jaehee just sighed and stood up as she walked over to the kitchen "I'm going to make some coffee"

A few days later after that incident, it didn't take a long time for you to discover that Jaehee was secretly playing whenever she got a free time (and apparently annoyed at how she missed the call with Ken).

"Welcome to hell, Jaehee"

707

"Luciellll"

"Yeah?"

"What name do you think I should put for my character?"

Luciel showed you his phone "Well, I give the name John Cena though"

You laughed "Damnn. You wanna turn this dating game into a meme? Besides, I'm surprised you actually play this game"

"Cause you're playing it so I'm playing it too. Besides, I heard there's a character which is like me"

"Yeap~ I'm gonna chase him~"

"If only there's a character like you..."

"Maybe there is? Although it's all guys here..."

"There's a girl"

"One girl only. So that means you have no choice but to chase her"

"We'll see~"

You finally finished downloaded and started playing. Luciel also played with you although you couldn't really see his progress since you were so focus on your phone.

"Eh? There's John Cena here too? Oh my God!" You laughed "Is this game know meme?"

"I guess so"

"Then you should change your name then, Luciel~"

"Nah, this is funny. Two John Cenas"

You laughed before focusing to your game again. You proceed on the chat and even though the other characters seem to have normal name and interesting faces but, this John Cena guy interest you the most. And for some reasons, he's similar to Luciel too.

"Oh! You can call?" You said and pressed the call button on John Cena to try since you were curious on the voice. If they could make it the same as the original, this game is gonna be the mvp.

At the same time, Luciel's phone suddenly ringing and he excused himself for a while as he went to his room. You just nodded and waited until you heard the sound of the call being picked up.

And that meme came... With the bgm as well.

"Oh my God!" You laughed and slightly pulled your phone away due to the loud voice and felt surprised.

"Well hello~ You're calling to the awesome John Cena" You heard the voice and immediately, you knew whose voice was this even though obviously he tried to fake it.

"Luciel? This is Luciel right?"

However, he seems to go on and ignored you which made you confused.. Until suddenly his voice just gone all of the sudden.

"Huh? Hello?" You said and pulled away your phone before looking at your phone which showed two options.

"You sound so damn fine"

"I think I make a wrong call since I, Mrs. Choi actually want to call my husband"

"I knew it. He tricked me!" You puffed your cheeks before laughing when you read the second option again "But hmm... What should I choose? If I choose the first one and I already it's him, it just makes him more conceited. But I will do the same if I choose the second one... But again let's pretend I don't know so"

You chose the first one and there was a chuckle on the other side before he seems to sounds proud.

"Hell yeah I am that I even rule the meme world. So how about becoming the queen of meme kingdom?"

You giggled "Geez Luciel... Queen of meme world?". And again there was no voice which indicated you to have to choose the options again.

"Yes"

"But I, Mrs. Choi already has a husband. That means, I have to reject you. Sorry"

"He really emphasize on this Mrs. Choi stuff huh" You thought before in the end just gave in as you chose the second option.

"Ah is that so? That's too bad then. Your husband must be so lucky to have a fine woman as you are. But well nice talking to you, my people need me to be used in their videos. Can't be helped it as the king of meme kingdom, I have to listen to my people's requests. Talk to you later! Peace out!"

And the call was done. A few minutes after that, Luciel came back and sat next to you, looking innocent while you just looked at him suspiciously.

"What?"

"Nothing~ I just had a wonderful call with Mr. John Cena. Although it seems I cannot chase him since I, Mrs. Choi is already married"

"Is that so" He replied nonchalantly and you stared at him before tackled him down with you on top of him.

"Stop lying. I know it's you, idiot"

"What are you saying?" Luciel looked away and you looked at him suspiciously before snatching his phone from his hand.

"H-Hey!"

"I knew it! So you tricked me huh. I should have known from a hacker like you" You said and pouted at him while he just grinned.

"I thought it will be funny to trick you. Although I didn't expect that you will call so soon, I haven't prepared for that"

You sighed before getting off him and returned his phone "But well, nice job for trying to fake your voice"

"Well thank you"

"It was a sarcasm"

"I know"

You puffed your cheeks and huffed before turning around to play other game instead. As you played, you felt Luciel resting his back on you and suddenly, your phone rang.

You sighed as you knew who it would be but since it bothered your play, you switched back to the MM app. However when you saw the name, you blushed slightly and smiled before picking up.

"Yes, Mr. Choi?"

"Well hello Mrs. Choi~ You have a damn fine name there"

[soukacatv]

What is 8K TV? What’s the difference between 4K and 8K? | Soukacatv.com

Heard the buzz about 8K TVs and wondering what all the fuss is about? We've got all the details you need to know about the next big TV resolution.

No sooner has 4K finally started to make sense – with 4K Blu-rays now commonplace and the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Sky Q and BBC iPlayer streaming hours upon hours of 4K content – than manufacturer’s are starting to look to what’s next. The answer? 8K TVs of course, which are front and centre at CES 2019.

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The next-gen resolution is looking like the year’s biggest TV news, with the first 8K displays making it to market at the end of 2018, and pretty much every big manufacturer floating their first 8K wears in 2019 ahead of the first planned in 2020.

But is 8K something that you should care about right now? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about TV’s next big thing.

What is 8K and why should I care about 8K TVs?

When we talk about 8K, we’re talking about the resolution of the screen we’re looking at, which equates to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that a screen can display.

The more pixels of an image we see, the better quality the image should be, as you’re getting more of the finer detail that lesser screens gloss over.

With 8K, you get a total resolution of 7680 pixels horizontally and 4320 pixels vertically – four times the pixels you’ll get with 4K (2840 x 2160) and 16 times that of Full HD (1920 x 1080).

4K vs 8K: Isn’t 4K enough?

4K is superb, and if you haven’t upgraded your home TV to 4K yet, you’ll be amazed at the differences between 4K content and the Full HD you’ve been watching. In theory, 8K will offer a similar leap.

The differences might not be quite as stark, but when you’re looking to get the most immersive experience possible, the more detail you can pack into a shot, the better.

In practical terms, it’s the difference between looking at an 8-megapixel picture and a 33-megapixel picture – with an HD picture being just 2 megapixels by comparison. For the naysayers doubting whether those extra pixels will be worth it, we’d argue there’s a good chance they will.

What 8K TVs are there? When will 8K TVs be released?

Manufacturers have been talking about 8K before 4K was even really established, but in 2018 things started to get more serious.

Sharp is already on its second-generation 8K television, producing the £100,000, 85-inch LV-85001 for the Japanese market a few years ago now, it’s familiar household manufacturers like Samsung and LG showcasing more consumer-focused sets that have really got interests piqued.

Unbelievably, the Samsung Q900R came to market at the end of 2018, including in the UK, where it was available in time for Christmas.

LG is setting itself a more leisurely timeline, predicting five million sets will be sold by 2022, but equally it’s offering up its first 8K TV at CES 2019.  Toshiba and Sony have also shown off concept 8K sets at recent shows, but they remain very much in the planning stages for now.

How much with an 8K TV cost?

The Samsung Q900R will be available in an 85-inch model to begin with, followed by 82-, 75- and 65-inch versions at a later date.

No prices have been announced for any of them just yet, but we predict you’re going to have to set aside a fairly hefty budget if you want to bring one of these home in time for the holidays – as a rough idea, Sharp’s existing 70-inch 8K TV costs €11,199.

Does 8K need a big screen?

The average size of our TVs has been slowly shifting upwards in recent years. That’s down to a combination of reduced prices, improved design, and higher quality picture resolution.

As screens get larger, pixel density decreases, soo higher resolutions simply make more sense on bigger TVs.

That explains why the majority of  8K demos have been shown on screens of 85 inches and above, although as we’ve mentioned, Samsung has announced its Q900R will eventually be available in a more accessible 65 inches – much more living room friendly, and no doubt much cheaper too.

What can I watch in 8K?

Long story short? There isn’t really any 8K content right now, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t on its way.

Japan (where else?) ran some 8K demo broadcasts on its TV channel NHK back in 2016, and has since announced plans for a dedicated 8K TV channel later this year, where Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games will be broadcast in the format.

Brazil even showed some of the 2018 World Cup in 8K, at Rio de Janeiro’s science museum, though the tech support required to make it happen was far from straightforward, so it’s not exactly ready for mass consumption just yet.

From a film perspective, Hollywood has already dipped its toe in the water with 8K – just as it started with 4K long before that was really a ‘thing’.

Currently, it’s mostly to give editors more options in the editing suite than it is for actually producing an 8K movie, but the equipment is out there to make these kinds of films happen when the time is right.

In fact, the first one is already in the can. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) was the first film to be shot on RED’s 8K Vista Vision camera, and we expect to see plenty more following in its footsteps in the next year or two.

There’s also things like VR to think about. The £4200 GoPro Omni VR might not be in many budgets, but it is capable of shooting at an 8K 30fps spherical resolution for VR. The Insta360 Pro camera offers similar virtual reality shooting, while the oft-rumoured Apple AR/VR headset is thought to be packing dual 8K displays – one for each eye.

Gaming isn’t one for lagging behind the curve, either, with a plethora of YouTube videos showing 8K–- and, whisper it, even 16K – gaming rigs. The Dell Canvas UP3218K gaming monitor is 8K capable, but the hardware to make it happen is slightly more complicated.

A Thirty IR Witcher III playthrough in 8K last year required four Nvidia GTX Titan Xp graphics cards costing $1200 each to achieve – and that’s before you even get to the processor and memory required. Hardly a hobby, for now at least.

What else is happening right now? What is 8K upscaling?

With so little content currently available, 8K right now is really all about upscaling, and from what we’ve seen at recent shows, the results can be pretty impressive.

For example, Samsung’s Q900R uses the company’s new Quantum Processor 8K chip, which uses ‘AI upscaling’ to boost lower-res footage to 8K.

This uses complex algorithms to recognise patterns in images and calculate the extra pixels required to fill in the gaps that 4K (or even HD) is missing. The chip uses a huge image database, which Samsung says will be constantly updated to keep it as accurate as possible.

Sony showed off similarly impressive upscaling at CES 2018 using a concept 8K panel and its forthcoming X1 Ultimate processor, though that remains very much a ‘watch this space’ endeavour for now.

8K vs 4K TVs: Should I buy a 4K TV or wait for 8K?

That’s the big question and, for now at least, the answer is pretty clear cut.

As there’s not really any true 8K content yet, you’d only really be buying an 8K TV for bragging rights and to get a glimpse of its potential via upscaling – we’re still a long way from seeing 8K hit the mainstream. After all, there’s only really one 8K TV you can likely buy!

Remember: 4K is still far from ubiquitous, and given the amount of investment in the technology by major networks, studios and companies, it’s extremely unlikely it will be usurped any time soon in the consumer market.

Those wanting to get the most out of their TV viewing experience right now should therefore buy 4K – whether it’s as an upgrade from Full HD or a ‘good to great’ 4K swap. There are loads of great affordable options out there, like the Panasonic TX-50CX680, and you’re spoilt for choice if you can stretch to a high-end Ultra HD set (the Samsung Q9FN and LG G8 OLED spring to mind).

The 8K vs 4K TV battle may now be nascent, but buying a quality 4K TV will serve you well for some time and comes as our recommendation for most people.

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Email: ken@soukacatv.com

Source: trustedreviews

[soukacatv]

Heard the buzz about 8K TVs and wondering what all the fuss is about? We’ve got all the details you need to know about the next big TV resolution.

No sooner has 4K finally started to make sense – with 4K Blu-rays now commonplace and the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Sky Q and BBC iPlayer streaming hours upon hours of 4K content – than manufacturer’s are starting to look to what’s next. The answer? 8K TVs of course, which are front and centre at CES 2019.

Digital and Analog modulator manufacturer from Soukacatv.com

HD Encoder To DVB-T RF Modulator

16 IN 1 Digital Modulator Headend System

Dual HD Input Modulator With ISDB-T And DVB-T Modulation

DVB-T And ISDB-T Encoder Modulator

The next-gen resolution is looking like the year’s biggest TV news, with the first 8K displays making it to market at the end of 2018, and pretty much every big manufacturer floating their first 8K wears in 2019 ahead of the first planned in 2020.

But is 8K something that you should care about right now? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about TV’s next big thing.

What is 8K and why should I care about 8K TVs?

When we talk about 8K, we’re talking about the resolution of the screen we’re looking at, which equates to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels that a screen can display.

The more pixels of an image we see, the better quality the image should be, as you’re getting more of the finer detail that lesser screens gloss over.

With 8K, you get a total resolution of 7680 pixels horizontally and 4320 pixels vertically – four times the pixels you’ll get with 4K (2840 x 2160) and 16 times that of Full HD (1920 x 1080).

4K vs 8K: Isn’t 4K enough?

4K is superb, and if you haven’t upgraded your home TV to 4K yet, you’ll be amazed at the differences between 4K content and the Full HD you’ve been watching. In theory, 8K will offer a similar leap.

The differences might not be quite as stark, but when you’re looking to get the most immersive experience possible, the more detail you can pack into a shot, the better.

In practical terms, it’s the difference between looking at an 8-megapixel picture and a 33-megapixel picture – with an HD picture being just 2 megapixels by comparison. For the naysayers doubting whether those extra pixels will be worth it, we’d argue there’s a good chance they will.

What 8K TVs are there? When will 8K TVs be released?

Manufacturers have been talking about 8K before 4K was even really established, but in 2018 things started to get more serious.

Sharp is already on its second-generation 8K television, producing the £100,000, 85-inch LV-85001 for the Japanese market a few years ago now, it’s familiar household manufacturers like Samsung and LG showcasing more consumer-focused sets that have really got interests piqued.

Unbelievably, the Samsung Q900R came to market at the end of 2018, including in the UK, where it was available in time for Christmas.

LG is setting itself a more leisurely timeline, predicting five million sets will be sold by 2022, but equally it’s offering up its first 8K TV at CES 2019.  Toshiba and Sony have also shown off concept 8K sets at recent shows, but they remain very much in the planning stages for now.

How much with an 8K TV cost?

The Samsung Q900R will be available in an 85-inch model to begin with, followed by 82-, 75- and 65-inch versions at a later date.

No prices have been announced for any of them just yet, but we predict you’re going to have to set aside a fairly hefty budget if you want to bring one of these home in time for the holidays – as a rough idea, Sharp’s existing 70-inch 8K TV costs €11,199.

Does 8K need a big screen?

The average size of our TVs has been slowly shifting upwards in recent years. That’s down to a combination of reduced prices, improved design, and higher quality picture resolution.

As screens get larger, pixel density decreases, soo higher resolutions simply make more sense on bigger TVs.

That explains why the majority of  8K demos have been shown on screens of 85 inches and above, although as we’ve mentioned, Samsung has announced its Q900R will eventually be available in a more accessible 65 inches – much more living room friendly, and no doubt much cheaper too.

What can I watch in 8K?

Long story short? There isn’t really any 8K content right now, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t on its way.

Japan (where else?) ran some 8K demo broadcasts on its TV channel NHK back in 2016, and has since announced plans for a dedicated 8K TV channel later this year, where Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games will be broadcast in the format.

Brazil even showed some of the 2018 World Cup in 8K, at Rio de Janeiro’s science museum, though the tech support required to make it happen was far from straightforward, so it’s not exactly ready for mass consumption just yet.

From a film perspective, Hollywood has already dipped its toe in the water with 8K – just as it started with 4K long before that was really a ‘thing’.

Currently, it’s mostly to give editors more options in the editing suite than it is for actually producing an 8K movie, but the equipment is out there to make these kinds of films happen when the time is right.

In fact, the first one is already in the can. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) was the first film to be shot on RED’s 8K Vista Vision camera, and we expect to see plenty more following in its footsteps in the next year or two.

There’s also things like VR to think about. The £4200 GoPro Omni VR might not be in many budgets, but it is capable of shooting at an 8K 30fps spherical resolution for VR. The Insta360 Pro camera offers similar virtual reality shooting, while the oft-rumoured Apple AR/VR headset is thought to be packing dual 8K displays – one for each eye.

Gaming isn’t one for lagging behind the curve, either, with a plethora of YouTube videos showing 8K–- and, whisper it, even 16K – gaming rigs. The Dell Canvas UP3218K gaming monitor is 8K capable, but the hardware to make it happen is slightly more complicated.

A Thirty IR Witcher III playthrough in 8K last year required four Nvidia GTX Titan Xp graphics cards costing $1200 each to achieve – and that’s before you even get to the processor and memory required. Hardly a hobby, for now at least.

What else is happening right now? What is 8K upscaling?

With so little content currently available, 8K right now is really all about upscaling, and from what we’ve seen at recent shows, the results can be pretty impressive.

For example, Samsung’s Q900R uses the company’s new Quantum Processor 8K chip, which uses ‘AI upscaling’ to boost lower-res footage to 8K.

This uses complex algorithms to recognise patterns in images and calculate the extra pixels required to fill in the gaps that 4K (or even HD) is missing. The chip uses a huge image database, which Samsung says will be constantly updated to keep it as accurate as possible.

Sony showed off similarly impressive upscaling at CES 2018 using a concept 8K panel and its forthcoming X1 Ultimate processor, though that remains very much a ‘watch this space’ endeavour for now.

8K vs 4K TVs: Should I buy a 4K TV or wait for 8K?

That’s the big question and, for now at least, the answer is pretty clear cut.

As there’s not really any true 8K content yet, you’d only really be buying an 8K TV for bragging rights and to get a glimpse of its potential via upscaling – we’re still a long way from seeing 8K hit the mainstream. After all, there’s only really one 8K TV you can likely buy!

Remember: 4K is still far from ubiquitous, and given the amount of investment in the technology by major networks, studios and companies, it’s extremely unlikely it will be usurped any time soon in the consumer market.

Those wanting to get the most out of their TV viewing experience right now should therefore buy 4K – whether it’s as an upgrade from Full HD or a ‘good to great’ 4K swap. There are loads of great affordable options out there, like the Panasonic TX-50CX680, and you’re spoilt for choice if you can stretch to a high-end Ultra HD set (the Samsung Q9FN and LG G8 OLED spring to mind).

The 8K vs 4K TV battle may now be nascent, but buying a quality 4K TV will serve you well for some time and comes as our recommendation for most people.

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What is 8K TV? What’s the difference between 4K and 8K? | Soukacatv.com Heard the buzz about 8K TVs and wondering what all the fuss is about? We've got all the details you need to know about the next big TV resolution.