PICTURE QUALITY. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. Excellent contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--gave images great depth and dimension. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels are excellent, with help from Samsung's Smart LED feature, delivering very deep blacks that enhance contrast in dark scenes. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was slight display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Samsung has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a slight loss of color, along with a slight color shift. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was excellent. The picture showed no change in color, contrast, and black level.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE. Overall, very good.
MOTION BLUR. This Samsung TV has excellent motion performance, with no visible blurring on our motion tests; we found it introduced excessive dimming to the image so we turned the feature off.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has very good sound quality, better than most models we've tested. Whether you're watching a movie blockbuster, a concert, or TV show, it is able to deliver a satisfying listening experience. Bass was deep, providing satisfying fullness to the sound but was a tad boomy, and treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was and a bit closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. Unlike most of our tested models, this model's sound should satisfy the more discerning listeners, so an external sound bar is optional.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides advanced Internet capabilities via its "Smart Hub" portal with access to a library of applications. [Source not found]. Movie streaming services include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and HBO Now.
CONNECTIONS. This model has four HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), no component input, and no composite input. It also has three USB ports, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; DLNA, to access files within your home network; Casting, to control the TV from a smartphone that has the suitable app installed; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. An electronic manual in the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check the quality of 4K streaming from Netflix or YouTube (if the service is supported by the TV), and how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
