HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is excellent. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. We did note some added edge enhancement processing but it isn't distracting. Color accuracy is excellent, so colors, especially flesh tones, look very natural and lifelike. Color temperature is slightly on the warm side with image tending toward a golden tone. Very good contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—gives images convincing depth and dimension. Black levels are fairly deep, just shy of the best models, which gives dark scenes better depth (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). Image brightness is very good (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a brighter room. A lower 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 a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. 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.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K UHD picture quality is excellent. 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. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performs similarly to its HD picture quality.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. HDR performance has very limited effectiveness. The display's lack of high peak brightness capability (by HDR standards) limits its ability to show the benefits of HDR on 4K content. There is no significant contrast revealed between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are preserved. 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 detail within the highlights of the brightest areas. Brighter colored objects remain nicely saturated.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Samsung has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs for this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. When we view the TV from the sides image quality degrades significantly. The picture shows a strong loss of color, so flesh tones look very washed out. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is good. The picture shows only a slight change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Samsung TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. Although this TV includes a "LED Clear Motion" setting that is effective at further 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 good sound quality; about average among the models we've tested. When watching a blockbuster movie, a concert, or TV show, it delivers decent performance but falls short of the better performers. Bass is lacking in depth and a bit in definition, but treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is on the bright side and closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. Most people would find this sound quality acceptable.
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. But the mute button is hidden—you must press down on the volume rocker—and the remote lacks a source-input button. The remote 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. Consider the TV's stand is 26 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart 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. Claimed support for external voice assistants (not built in to the TV) include: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time). 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; 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; and AirPlay, for sharing videos, photos, music, and more from Apple devices to the TV.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. 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.
