High resolution, clear image and good sound reproduction: that's what this Samsung TV promises. Can this UHD TV live up to its promises? You can read it in this Samsung UE55NU8000 review.
Samsung UE55NU8000
Price949 euros
Screen type
LCD LED
Screen diagonal
55 inches, 139 cm
Resolution
3840 x 2160 pixels
HDR
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG standards
Frame rate
100 Hz
Connectivity
Extras Smart Controller, Tizen Smart Hub, Smart TV
Smart Hub
Website
www.samsung.com
To buy
Kieskeurig.nl 9 Score 90
- Pros
- Black value and contrast
- HDR images
- Smart Hub
- smart controller
- Negatives
- Limited viewing angle
- No headphone jack
- Moderate effectiveness local dimming
This LCD model was put on the market just below the QLED models from Samsung. A beautiful, slim design with a thin screen bezel and the stylish T-foot provide a modern look in the living room.
Connections
You have to hand in the One Connect box and Invisible connection of the QLED models. The connections are all placed on the side; the device is equipped with four HDMI connections and two USB inputs. The headphone jack is missing, but the device does have Bluetooth.
Image quality
The image processing on this Samsung is excellent. All your sources are displayed optimally. In addition to the off and auto position for 'Clean Digital View' - which is responsible for the noise reduction - there is again a low setting (which was not the case on the 2017 models). This mode is ideal if you want to eliminate light noise. The motion sharpness is good and fast-moving images show a lot of detail, but have a small double edge here and there. If you want to avoid the slight jerking in images where the camera moves quickly, you can set 'Auto Motion Plus' in auto mode, or manually reduce blur to 8-10, and reduce vibration between 6 and 8. Avoid 'Led Clear Motion'; that causes flickering in the image.
The screen uses an edge LED backlight with local dimming in six columns and a VA panel. The local dimming has a limited effect because Samsung strives as much as possible not to make segment boundaries or other negative effects visible. Yet this combination scores a very good contrast. The movie picture mode is well calibrated. Only in the brightest gray tones do we see a light blue overtone, and a somewhat erratic result. Excellent color reproduction combined with the deep contrast deliver very good images. Gamers activate the Game Mode, so you get a very low input lag.
HDR
This Samsung television does not achieve the enormous brightness of the QLED models, but with a maximum brightness of 822 nits you can almost place it in the premium segment. Combined with a beautiful, rich color palette and a good calibration that correctly displays all white detail, you can get convincing HDR images from this television. The Samsung TV supports HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG standards.
Smart TV
Samsung's own smart TV system, the Smart Hub, is by far one of our favorite smart TV systems. The interface is compact, very clear, works smoothly, and you can quickly find all functions, apps, live TV, external sources and settings of the television. With a few clicks, you can also put your favorite things first in the list. A dual TV tuner is provided so you can watch and record another channel at the same time.
Smart Controller
The slim Smart Controller remote is made of black plastic. The curved shape fits comfortably in the hand and is easy to operate. Don't worry about the limited number of keys, thanks to the excellent Smart Hub environment, almost every action can be found and performed smoothly and quickly.
After a simple installation procedure, you can also use the Smart Controller to control connected devices such as a Blu-ray player, game console or set-top box for digital TV. For example, there are fewer remotes on the coffee table.
Sound quality
A slim housing and good sound: this Samsung TV can do both. The dialogues are clear and as soon as the soundtrack or a piece of music plays, you hear that the television also has a solid portion of bass in the house. It won't blow you away, but for an average movie or some music it certainly suffices. A new 'auto volume' function keeps the difference in sound level between different programs and different sources well under control. That way you won't be surprised by too much advertising.
Conclusion
The Samsung UE55NU800 has something for everyone. Sports enthusiasts and gamers can enjoy the large, sharp and clear images, while film lovers will find the excellent contrast, good colors and excellent HDR reproduction a huge plus.
The Samsung UE55NU8000 never scores below par. The limited viewing angle is due to the VA panel, but you also get excellent contrast. The local dimming improves this even further, but to a limited extent. Well-balanced image processing, excellent detail in fast-moving images, a nice calibration with a lot of brightness, natural and rich colors, and excellent contrast: all features that we like to see. A fun and smooth smart TV system completes this television.
