HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is excellent. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Very good contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--gives images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels are generally excellent with help from Samsung's full array "Local Dimming" feature, but depth of black, and contrast can vary depending on content. On some dark scenes the local dimming feature does not maintain depth of black. This is among the brightest models we've tested (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a very sunny room. A lower backlight setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does an excellent job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is slight display non-uniformity that creates 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 are excellent on HD content; there is little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K UHD picture quality is excellent and has excellent HD-to-UHD upconversion. We currently do not have 8K test videos, but all native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, is presented in full 4K detail with excellent fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. Via the USB port, our high-resolution 8K test pattern images is displayed in full 8K detail. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing is generally excellent with the edges along diagonals of image content looking very smooth with minimal jaggies.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance is very effective. The display's very high peak brightness capability helps better reproduce the realism of 4K content mastered with HDR. The contrast between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene is excellent, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are nicely preserved. With the local dimming feature set to "high" you do get enhanced HDR performance but halos around image content become more prominent on some dark scenes, and depth of black can vary. It does a good job reproducing a greater range of nuanced shadow detail from black to white, with no obvious banding on areas of the image that have subtle shade variations. There is no visible loss of near-white shadow detail in the brightest areas. Brighter colored objects remain nicely saturated.
VIEWING ANGLE. The overall viewing angle on this display is unlimited, better than most TVs we've tested. Contrast and depth of black level show little variation depending viewing position. When we view the TV from the sides the picture shows a slight shift in color tone, but overall color remains consistent with no significant degradation in overall image quality. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen the picture also shows no significant change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Samsung TV has generally excellent motion performance, with only slight blurring on our motion teststhanks to Samsung's "Auto Motion Plus." This feature is designed to reduce motion blur, a shortcoming of most displays. Although this TV includes a "LED Clear Motion" setting that is slightly effective at reducing motion blur, it limited the brightness of the image and also added some flicker to the picture, so we left the feature off.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has very good sound quality, better than most models we've tested. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it is able to deliver a satisfying listening experience. Bass is deep, providing satisfying fullness to the sound but is lacking in definition a bit, and treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is closed in. The speakers can play at a fairly loud volume level but quality does degrade at the highest settings. Unlike most of our tested models its sound should satisfy the more discerning listeners, so give this a listen before opting for an external sound bar.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote has a simplified design with a reduced set of buttons that support on-screen navigation. It includes a built-in microphone to access the voice assistant feature. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. When placing this TV in the room you'll also need to accommodate Samsung's "One Connect" interface box which weighs 6 lbs and measures 15-3/8"[W] x 5-1/8"[D] x 2-5/8"[H], and connects to the TV via a thin 16 foot cable. The TV rests on four legs which can be centrally mounted or placed at the far ends of the display, so you have some flexibility on the width of your table top. Consider the TV's stand is 19 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides Internet functionality via its "Smart Hub" 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 and HBO Now. Includes built-in Bixby, a virtual assistant, which allows you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming via the remote's built-in microphone. Support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. Includes Samsung's One Connect, external interface box which is required for making video, audio, and media 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, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. An electronic user guide via the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries. A detachable power cord. "One Connect," external video-audio interface box.
