HD PICTURE QUALITY HD picture quality was Very Good, overall. Reproduction of fine HD image detail was Excellent. Color accuracy was Excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Very Good contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--gave images convincing depth and dimension. However, black levels were OK and maintained some contrast in darker scenes, but they fell short of the better TVs. The quality appeared worse as we viewed from the sides--see our Viewing Angle results, below. Image brightness was Very Good (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture was well suited for a brighter room--a lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. There was slight display non-uniformity in our test sample--it appeared as brighter cloudy areas which were most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie)—the severity can vary from model to model. Its reproduction of smooth edges on image content was generally Excellent and free of "jaggies" (jagged edges), both for "up-converted" HD-to-UHD images, and for film mode detection of 1080i content deinterlacing of 1080i video was Very Good.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY Overall 4K UHD picture quality was Very Good, overall. In our UHD testing, we played native-4K movies and test videos (non HDR) thru the TV's HDMI input, and found their image detail was all there. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performed similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE HDR performance had limited effectiveness In our tests, the display's lack of high peak brightness capability (by HDR standards) limited its ability to show the benefits of our HDR 4K content. It revealed somewhat-limited contrast between the moderately bright and very bright highlights, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, were somewhat limited. It did a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail, from black to white, with no obvious banding within the gradually shaded areas, but we noted some loss of detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brightly colored objects remained nicely saturated.
VIEWING ANGLE This Samsung model 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. We examined the picture at various viewing angles, and saw the image quality was not consistent. In our tests, the picture did show some slight dimming from the sides, but not to a distracting degree. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, and reduced the contrast especially on dark scenes. We viewed the image from above and below center screen, and noticed Good vertical viewing angle performance, with only slight changes in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR In our motion tests, this Samsung TV had Good motion performance, with some blurring.
SOUND QUALITY We got Good sound quality, about average among the models we've tested. When watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it can deliver decent performance but just not like the better performers. In our listening evaluations, we found the bass (low frequencies) to be adequate but lacking a sense of fullness and some definition, and had a noticeable amount of rattle or buzzing during our bass-heavy sound clip. Treble (high frequencies) was satisfactory. The overall sound was on the bright side, a bit thin and closed in. This TV should be OK if the room isn't too noisy--we found the speakers could produce a Good volume level and without obvious distortion. Overall, though imperfect, most people would find this sound quality acceptable. Overall, though imperfect, most people would find this sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE Consider the TV's stand is 47 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on. The dark labeling of the connections on the TV console makes them very difficult to read. On first power up, an on-screen guide appeared—which you could choose to follow when setting up the TV. The remote controls the TV via an RF signal and doesn't need to be pointed at the TV. It has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons. It includes many of the typical buttons: power, channel up/down, volume control, menu and exit buttons. But the mute button is hidden—you must press down on the volume rocker—and the remote lacks a source-input button. The remote has a microphone for accessing a built-in voice assistant feature. It also has dedicated buttons for streaming Netflix, Prime Video, and Samsung TV Plus. The remote's rechargeable battery is sealed inside and is not user-replaceable. To stay charged and working, you must either charge it via its USB-C port, or routinely let bright light shine on the back of the remote.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV provides internet functionality via its "Tizen" portal, with access to a library of applications, and a full web browser. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney, Apple TV and HBO Max. More so, Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney, Apple TV and HBO Max can be streamed in 4K UHD. Includes built-in Bixby, Google Assistant, and Alexa., a virtual assistant(s), which allows you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming by talking to the remote.
CONNECTIONS This model has three HDMI inputs (one supports ARC, enhanced audio return channel ). It also has two USB ports, an optical digital audio out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking DLNA, to access files within your home network and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED You get with this TV: a printed user manual, a quick start guide, an electronic user guide via the TV's menu, a remote control, and a detachable power cord.
ABOUT UHD TESTING Ultra-high definition "UHD" can refer to both the TV and program content. While the UHD industry standard includes 4K and 8K, most UHD TVs and UHD content at this time are 4K. A 4K UHD image is presented as 3840 x 2160 pixels--four times the pixel-count of HD. We test UHD TV picture quality using 4K UHD movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We examine the TV's ability to reproduce 4K UHD image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR)--for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a UHD movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, and from files stored on USB flash drive. We also check 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.
