Presents strong efficiency, a state-of-the-art sensible system, very low enter lag, and nice worth – however it’s let down by mediocre HDR
Professionals
- Correct SDR photos
- Efficient sensible platform
- Very low enter lag
Cons
- Common HDR efficiency
- No Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist
Key Specs
- Assessment Worth: £749
- Extremely HD decision
- HDR: HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG
- Tizen OS with SmartThings
- 4 x HDMI
What’s the Samsung UE55NU8000?
QLED may be getting all of the headlines, however it’s with lower-priced fashions such because the Samsung UE55NU8000 that the corporate actually ships items, incomes its place because the primary TV producer on this planet.
The Samsung UE55NU8000 has a 55-inch 4K Extremely HD LCD panel with edge LED backlighting. It helps excessive dynamic vary (HDR), consists of the Tizen Sensible TV system and, because of a current value drop, it’s additionally very competitively priced.
In addition to the UE55NU8000, the vary additionally consists of the 49-inch Samsung UE49NU8000; the 65-inch Samsung UE65NU8000; the 75-inch Samsung UE75NU8000; and the large 82-inch Samsung UE82NU8000. The 49-inch model makes use of a 60Hz panel, however the different sizes are all 120Hz.
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Samsung UE55NU8000 – Design
The Samsung UE55NU8000 borrows its look from the corporate’s costlier QLED TVs, though given the a lot cheaper price level, Samsung has lower some corners by way of materials and construct high quality.
However, it stays a pretty TV; it has a contemporary, slimline look. There’s a skinny black bezel across the high and sides, and a darkish silver strip alongside the underside. The rear is black plastic, with a ridged impact to provide it some texture.
The panel sits on a centrally mounted T-shaped stand, styled in darkish silver to match the strip alongside the underside of the display screen. The assist column on the rear has a V-shape that gives the look the display screen is floating in mid-air.
The Samsung UE55NU8000 doesn’t use the separate One Join field; as a substitute, all of the connections are on the rear of the panel. Right here you’ll discover 4 HDMI inputs that assist 4K/60p, excessive dynamic vary (HDR10, HDR10+ and Hybrid Log-Gamma), broad color gamut, and HDCP 2.2. One of many inputs additionally helps ARC (audio return channel).
You additionally get two USB ports, twin terrestrial and satellite tv for pc tuners, an optical digital output, a CI (Widespread Interface) slot, and a LAN port, together with built-in Wi-Fi.
The UE55NU8000 comes with Samsung’s One Distant, a small common zapper that’s designed for day-to-day use. It’s comfy to carry, intuitive to make use of, and even features a built-in mic for voice management. A extra historically styled controller is included, too, for individuals who favor going old style.
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Samsung UE55NU8000 – Options
The Samsung UE55NU8000 may lack quantum dot, however it does embrace Dynamic Crystal Color, which is designed to ship a wider color gamut. It’s additionally marketed as HDR 1000, which might counsel it could hit a peak brightness of 1000 nits.
The UE55NU8000 helps 4K (3840 x 2160) and makes use of an an 8-bit + 2 dither 120Hz VA LCD panel with an Extremely Slim Array. The latter is basically edge LED backlighting, however there’s additionally what Samsung calls UHD Dimming – though it is a dimming algorithm slightly than precise dimmable zones.
There’s assist for Excessive Dynamic Vary, particularly HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), and HDR10+. Samsung is a giant proponent of HDR10+, however it doesn’t assist Dolby Imaginative and prescient, which is the opposite HDR format with dynamic metadata.
Associated: What’s HDR10+?
Samsung UE55NU8000 – Sensible platform
The Samsung UE55NU8000 consists of the corporate’s full Sensible TV system, which makes use of the newest model of the Tizen working system and is built-in with SmartThings. This lets you monitor and management any sensible units in your house through an on-screen hub.
You’ll be able to setup your UE55NU8000 utilizing your smartphone, with the SmartThings app (iOS or Android) seamlessly dealing with the complete course of for you. It can set up an web connection, add any related passwords, and arrange the TV’s built-in tuners.
The sensible platform is constructed round a launcher bar for fast and easy accessibility to content material. The TV Plus function places all TV content material in a single location, alongside loads of suggestions – which, fortunately, at the moment are simpler to search out.
There’s a ton of apps, with nearly each video streaming service together with all of the UK catch-up companies, Netflix, Amazon, Now TV and YouTube. There’s assist for 4K and HLG on the BBC iPlayer, together with 4K and HDR on Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, whereas Amazon additionally helps HDR10+.
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Samsung UE55NU8000 – Image efficiency
The Samsung UE55NU8000 could be very spectacular in most elements of its efficiency, though there are a few areas that disappoint.
First the good things. In terms of customary dynamic vary (SDR), this TV is able to delivering a really punchy picture. Colors are suitably pure and, because of this, photos look pleasingly life like. There’s additionally loads of brightness, and a strong distinction efficiency.
The extent of element is great, because of some extremely efficient picture processing. Samsung has all the time produced refined upscaling, and the UE55NU8000 is ready to render each final pixel of element because it scales lower-resolution content material to match the UHD panel.
Talking of the panel, it’s a VA (vertical alignment) kind – which suggests excellent black ranges for an LCD TV. The backlight consists of a strip of LEDs alongside the underside of the display screen – this method isn’t as efficient as a direct LED backlight, however it does lead to TVs which are thinner and cheaper.
As well as, the UE55NU8000’s panel is 120Hz, which suggests it has higher movement dealing with than the 60Hz UE49NU8000. The TV can benefit from the panel having double the body fee of normal broadcasting to generate a smoother picture. That is referred to as body interpolation, and it may be extremely helpful in relation to sport.
We wouldn’t advocate utilizing it with movies and TV dramas, nevertheless, until you need them to seem like cleaning soap operas. There’s additionally a 60Hz black body insertion function that may enhance movement in movies with out making them seem like low cost video. The draw back is that you simply may see flicker.
The enter lag is an extremely low 18ms, which ought to please even essentially the most demanding of avid gamers. Since that is an LCD TV, there’s additionally no hazard of picture retention or display screen burn, which signifies that marathon gaming periods aren’t solely responsive but in addition worry-free. Different helpful gaming options embrace assist for VRR (variable refresh fee), and an Auto Recreation mode that switches the TV into Recreation mode when a console is detected through HDMI.
What’s not so good? The VA panel may lead to deep blacks, however it additionally means the TV has pretty slender viewing angles. That is only a side-effect of the expertise, however it’s one thing to remember.
The actual fact the LEDs are alongside the underside signifies that the backlight can undergo from clouding. Because of this, with darker scenes some components of the display screen will probably be lighter than others. It might fluctuate from TV to TV, and the quantity of ambient mild within the room may also make a distinction. The NU8000 usually delivered a good SDR picture, however black bars on movies may undergo typically. The backlight uniformity was extra of a difficulty at night time, though a little bit of bias lighting behind the TV may assist on this regard.
The place this backlight uniformity turned extra of a difficulty was with HDR. The black bars in movies would turn out to be gray slightly than black, and also you’d get columns of sunshine when there was a lightweight object towards a darkish background. The native dimming tried its greatest, however there was typically haloing as effectively, with a glow round vibrant objects.
It wasn’t simply backlight uniformity that affected this set’s HDR efficiency. Regardless of Samsung describing the NU8000 as HDR 1000, we really measured the height brightness at 875 nits. In actuality, that needs to be vibrant sufficient for an efficient HDR efficiency, however this was compounded by the backlight points. The HDR color accuracy may even have been higher, with over-saturated reds and a blue-push to flesh tones.
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Samsung UE55NU8000 – Audio efficiency
The Samsung UE55NU8000 really sounds fairly good, which is shocking when you think about that it’s pretty slim and that the audio system aren’t solely constructed into the underside, but in addition fireplace downwards. These audio system type a 2.1-channel system consisting of two drivers and a woofer, all powered by 40W of amplification.
The TV can go fairly loud, though should you push it too arduous, the sound can turn out to be distorted and the woofer can really shake the display screen. The amplification may be a bit too highly effective for a TV this skinny, so it’s greatest to maintain the amount at a wise stage. Total, the UE55NU8000 shows good stereo separation, and dialogue is intelligible, whereas results and bass have some affect.
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Why purchase the Samsung UE55NU8000?
The Samsung UE55NU8000 is a really succesful mid-range TV, with a good set of options provided at a really aggressive value. It’s attractively designed, boasts a state-of-the-art sensible platform, and has an extremely low enter lag of simply 18ms. It even sounds good, which is shocking in a TV this skinny.
The SDR image high quality is excellent, with spectacular scaling, correct colors and a strong distinction efficiency. Nonetheless, when it got here to HDR, the NU8000 was discovered wanting; inaccurate colors and backlighting points attributable to the LEDs could possibly be seen on the fringe of the display screen.
Relying in your funds, there are alternate options. In the event you’re in search of an actual cut price, then take a look at the Hisense 55U7AUK at £649. Construct high quality is great, and the SDR efficiency is corresponding to the UE55NU8000. Nonetheless, the U7A does battle in relation to HDR, with the Hisense unable to even attain 300 nits of peak brightness.
In the event you can stretch your funds to £1199, then check out the Sony KD-55XF9005. It sports activities a direct LED backlight with native dimming, which suggests it could ship a powerful efficiency with each SDR and HDR. It’s costlier, however the XF90 is at present one of the best mid-range TV.
Verdict
This well-designed and competitively priced TV boasts a state-of-the-art sensible system, wonderful processing and a really low enter lag, however it’s let down by a mediocre HDR efficiency.
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We take a look at each TV we evaluate completely over an prolonged time period. We use business customary checks to match options correctly. We’ll all the time inform you what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to evaluate a product.
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Used as the principle TV for the evaluate interval
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