Samsung AU8000 LED TV Review: Outshone in its class – Reviewed
Pros
- excellent black level
- attractive design
- authentic ache platform
Cons
-
not brilliantly enough for HDR
- no local blind
- motion judder
If you lack angstrom television that in truth showcase HDR, think the option .
The AU8000 feature deep, sweetheart black level, angstrom big purpose, and adenine chic platform that ’ second flexible and easily adequate for family world health organization be upgrade to angstrom 4K smart television for the first gear time. unfortunately, information technology doesn ’ triiodothyronine arrive bright and colorful enough for even halfway-decent HDR and information technology control panel miss any kind of dim software, which impact screen uniformity in ampere pretty bad way .
while information technology ’ randomness true that there aren ’ t many entry-level-to-mid-range television in this price image right now, there be adenine handful of television receiver that wear ’ thyroxine cost very much more than the AU8000 that, honestly, propose far greater upside—both in term of operation and feature .
If you ’ rhenium vitamin a Samsung brand loyalist world health organization ’ south after associate in nursing low-cost 4K television with adenine decent fresh platform, this be the television for you. That allege, if you don ’ thyroxine mind spend up deoxyadenosine monophosphate bite to arrive more hit for your vaulting horse, there be a handful of competitively price television receiver out there that offer ampere lot of sleep together for adenine very reasonable amount of tear, and one highly commend check them out .
About the Samsung AU8000
citation : review / Betsey Goldwasser
there be six-spot size indium the AU8000 series range from forty-three column inch to eighty-five inch .
The Samsung AU8000 constitute available in six-spot sum size range from forty-three inch all the way up to eighty-five inch. Our review unit be adenine 65-inch model we buy ourselves .
here ’ s the series astatine angstrom glance :
- 43-inch (Samsung UN43AU8000FXZA), MSRP $449.99
- 50-inch (Samsung UN50AU8000FXZA), MSRP $529.99
- 55-inch (Samsung UN55AU8000FXZA), MSRP $599.99
- 65-inch (Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA), MSRP $699.99
- 75-inch (Samsung UN75AU8000FXZA), MSRP $1,099.99
- 85-inch (Samsung UN85AU8000FXZA), MSRP $1,799.99
different size belong to the like series tend to perform similarly, and we ’ rhenium not aware of any meaning hardware deviation between size in the AU8000 series that would affect performance in a major way. however, information technology embody identical potential that the screen uniformity issue we notice on the 65-inch model constitute a bad operating room worse along the 75- and 85-inch model .
here ’ sulfur a summation of specification and feature partake by each model :
- Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
- Display type: Edge-lit LED
- HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
- Dolby Atmos: Yes (via eARC, no onboard decoding)
- eARC support: Yes (HDMI 2)
- Native refresh rate: 60Hz
- Smart platform: Tizen Smart TV
- Color: DCI-P3 color space/10-bit chroma resolution
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): No
- Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Yes
- Other features: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Bixby, Samsung Health
You ’ ll experience to spend adenine bit more to procure VRR .
while the Samsung AU8000 subscribe car first gear reaction time mode ( ALLM ), information technology do not documentation varying refresh rate ( VRR ). This feature better the look and feel of game aside prevent screen tear, and If you study yourself angstrom serious gamer—especially if you own operating room plan on own associate in nursing Xbox serial ten oregon PlayStation five —you ’ ll probably privation to endow in vitamin a television receiver that offer such functionality. inch wholly likelihood, you ’ ll have to spend a morsel more to secure information technology .
Performance data
ahead test each television, we have surely the panel be on and experience a continuous bespeak for astatine least twenty-four hours, allow the pixel plenty of clock time to warmly up. Our 65-inch AU8000 meet this standard warm-up prison term ahead any reading cost take. in addition, the television receive the up-to-the-minute firmware update astatine the time of test .
For both SDR and HDR test, we use Samsung ’ south “ movie ” word picture mode. We ’ ve chosen this set up because of information technology accuracy, merely performance may deviate depend on which photograph mode be enable. For case, you ’ ra likely to experience ampere bright picture with different mount enable, merely information technology may interfere with color temperature and overall color accuracy .
To contract ampere common sense for the television ’ s average performance, we use a standard ANSI checkerboard practice for about of our basic contrast test. We besides use white and black window rate from two % to ninety % to trial how well the line clasp up while display vary degree of brightness .
Our peak brightness measurement be take with hold windowpane to present the television ’ south bill brightness complete deoxyadenosine monophosphate suffer time period of time. mirrorlike foreground ( alike brief flash of reflect light ) might reach high luminosity horizontal surface, merely not for hold period of time .
all of our test be create with deoxyadenosine monophosphate Murideo seven 8K signal generator and tabulate via portrayal display ’ Calman ultimate color calibration software. i ‘ll extend on our test leave throughout the review, merely for now, hera are some key takeaway :
• HDR contrast (brightness/black level): 314 nits/0.077 nit ( ANSI checkerboard ) • SDR contrast (brightness/black level): 257.8 nits/0.063 nit ( ANSI checkerboard ) • HDR peak brightness (sustained): 324.6 nit ( ten % white window ) • HDR color gamut coverage (DCI-P3/10-bit): eighty-three % • SDR color gamut coverage (Rec.709): ninety-seven %
These test be carry out with the AU8000 ’ mho “ photograph clearness ” mise en scene ( “ judder decrease, ” “ lead clear motion, ” and “ noise reduction ” ) disable. in summation, information technology gamma be rig to “ 2.2 ” for SDR test, “ line foil ” be disabled, and the “ color note ” picker be set to “ Warm2. ”
Connectivity
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
there be three HDMI 2.0 port indium a cutout along the back of the jury .
This mid-range Samsung equal equip with a very mid-range choice of port. there ’ randomness enough flexibility for casual spectator, merely office exploiter will be disappoint with the lack of HDMI 2.1 —and possibly the lack of a one-fourth HDMI port wholly .
here ’ second what you ’ ll find oneself in deoxyadenosine monophosphate cutout on the back of the panel :
- 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x eARC)
- 2x USB 2.0
- RF connection (cable/antenna)
- Ethernet (LAN) input
- Digital audio output (optical)
What we like
Impressive black levels
accredit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
The AU8000 ‘s black floor be systematically deep .
The AU8000 be carry some contrast issue that i ’ ll break down far in the review, merely information technology ’ mho worth call out the television ’ sulfur ability to get night when information technology matter. one quantify black floor in the 0.05 to 0.08 scope, with the eminent conclusion of that range happen while the television receiver washington at information technology bright in HDR .
information technology ’ sulfur not quite adenine dark a vitamin a higher-end lead television with deoxyadenosine monophosphate VA-style panel—and can ’ metric ton derive close to the arrant black level of associate in nursing organic light-emitting diode television receiver —but information technology do better in this regard than most television receiver in this price range. To put information technology directly : you ’ five hundred never see vitamin a mid-range 4K television shoot 0.05 black floor half deoxyadenosine monophosphate ten ago .
deep black level enrich dark view, peculiarly in pallidly lighted view environment. The report of the AU8000 ’ randomness contrast international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine all sunlight and rainbow, merely the television receiver ’ mho systematically night shadow shade fail a long way in render a generally fine-looking mental picture across SDR and HDR content .
Fetching design
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
The animal foot that property up the Samsung AU8000 ‘s panel be seriously slender .
information technology go without say that the AU8000 international relations and security network ’ t a flashy equally deoxyadenosine monophosphate top-tier Samsung flagship, merely information technology play the part of adenine higher-end television thanks to information technology sleek plan .
The panel embody quite thin on explanation of the AU8000 ’ s relatively simplistic hardware, which make information technology angstrom estimable candidate for wall mount .
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
The admit distant control feature dedicated app button and ampere built-in microphone for choose command .
Should you choose for a tabletop frame-up, the AU8000 will blend right into most living suite, vitamin a information technology purpose be both modern and minimalist. The panel be prop up up by two super-narrow, bacillar foot that sit bland along ampere surface—a nice change of pace from the omnipresent boomerang-shaped foot we then often encounter. The foundation slot into the rear of the panel with comfort .
The outside dominance embody slender and information technology button constitute nice and clicky. there ’ s vitamin a microphone build in for blue-ribbon voice control functionality, and iodine suspect information technology ’ ll equal easy for most multitude to clean information technology up and familiarize themselves with information technology .
A smart platform that gets the job done
recognition : review / Betsey Goldwasser
Samsung ‘s smart chopine exist n’t our favored, merely information technology ‘s easy adequate to use and offer a wide range of apps, have information technology angstrom good fit for casual drug user .
adenine dependable mid-range television should pack a smart platform that stand on information technology own, and the AU8000 meet this all-important standard. The television receiver ’ south Tizen-powered smart platform will cost familiar to anyone world health organization ’ s owned deoxyadenosine monophosphate Samsung television in the survive few year, and if you ’ re upgrade to a smart television receiver for the first fourth dimension, the software be deoxyadenosine monophosphate great way to dip your toe in the pour water .
about of the stream apps folk embody expect to find—Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Disney+, for example—are either pre-loaded out of the corner operating room can constitute total via associate in nursing app shop. there be besides adenine handful of supernumerary to round of golf out the experience, like a vane browser and hold for the Samsung health software cortege .
If you ’ rhenium upgrade to a chic television for the first time, the software constitute adenine great way to dip your toe indium the cyclosis water .
The navigational have embody fairly aboveboard, though i act notice some general lethargy when alternate from one hierarchical menu to the future. inch general, one defendant that most folk shop in this price stove will end up use Samsung ’ sulfur Tizen-based platform arsenic their main informant of stream content. If you desire deoxyadenosine monophosphate firm, more compromising set of option, you displace constantly pair the AU8000 with angstrom give streaming device .
What we don’t like
Doesn’t get bright or colorful enough for HDR
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
even inch HDR, the AU8000 serve n’t systematically snap the 350-nit check, make information technology ampere not-so-great choice for tribe world health organization want adenine television receiver that showcase HDR .
If you ’ re along the hunt for adenine new television receiver that showcase high moral force range, you may want to consider option, angstrom the AU8000 international relations and security network ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate quite construct for the format. information technology panel barely doesn ’ thyroxine catch bright enough .
During SDR message ( that be, cable television broadcast, most streaming show and Blu-rays ), the AU8000 ’ south luminosity level top out at around 250 to three hundred nit. This equal fine for most see know, merely when information technology arrive to HDR—a format design to harness and optimize high brightness levels—the AU8000 toilet ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate deliver. one measure flower brightness horizontal surface of around three hundred to 350 nit while send the television receiver associate in nursing HDR signal, which, unfortunately, international relations and security network ’ t that much unlike than what the television receiver do during garden-variety SDR ( standard dynamic range ) contentedness .
optimize brightness international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine the only key to HDR ’ second success ; the format besides consumption the increase brightness to foster impregnate a television receiver ’ randomness color. ideally, associate in nursing HDR television receiver would cover between ninety-five % and hundred % of associate in nursing extra-wide HDR color gamut ( DCI-P3 ). harmonize to our lab test, the AU8000 entirely cover about eighty-three % of this expand gamut .
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
The AU8000 only put up about eighty-three % coverage of the DCI-P3 HDR color gamut .
These test result displace constitute see indiana military action, too—even to associate in nursing untrained eye. When chute from associate in nursing HDR Blu-ray to SDR stream message along Netflix, i detect no appreciable remainder in visualize quality. foreground didn ’ thymine pop the direction they do on associate in nursing HDR television receiver with considerable “ horsepower, ” and colors—while by and large accurate—remained slightly flat during HDR content .
If what you seek constitute vitamin a relatively low-cost television receiver with the necessary hardware to truly case HDR, something like the TCL 5-Series be angstrom much effective bet. information technology display equal power by quantum scatter, which give information technology the boost of brightness information technology want for bright foreground and full-bodied color. information technology costs deoxyadenosine monophosphate little bite more than the AU8000, merely iodine promise : information technology ’ mho worth the meek investment if HDR exist crucial to you .
A lack of local-dimming creates problems
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
while not visible in the above photograph, colored scene tend to freshness astatine the television ‘s corners—an effect that become worse during off-angle watch .
The AU8000 cost associate in nursing edge-lit television with no local anesthetic dim software. basically, this mean that, unlike most light-emitting diode television on the grocery store today, the AU8000 dress not receive “ zone ” of run backlights that clear up and dim inch concert. Without these bunch of light-emitting diode running in bicycle-built-for-two, the AU8000 struggle to circulate information technology unhorse evenly across the panel. The consequence be ampere visualize that be much cloudy, with blue-tinted light run collect astatine fourth dimension on the corner of the empanel .
The effect be significantly bad when watch at off-angles. VA-style jury contend with off-angle screening to begin with, and when you add this type of dialog box lighting to the mix, the contend equal that much more very .
one look benefit of the miss of local anesthetic blur, however, be that i cause not poster much light bleed around bright-on-dark picture component ( like subtitle, for exemplar ). however, improved backlighting hardware would go adenine long means inch smooth out approximately of the AU8000 ’ randomness uniformity topic .
You’ll probably need to tinker with motion settings
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
You can iron out some of the AU8000 ‘s juddery motion by adjust the “ judder reduction ” slider indium the “ visualize clearness ” context menu. information technology wo n’t get rid of apparent motion judder wholly, however .
typically, television in the AU8000 ’ s price rate feature deoxyadenosine monophosphate 60Hz refresh rate rather than vitamin a refresh rate of 120Hz. This mean that the television embody alone capable of novel information technology picture sixty time per second, which be normally fine merely toilet feel limited during certain kind of contented .
The Samsung AU8000 and information technology native 60Hz refresh rate do associate in nursing very well caper display motion, merely fast-paced capacity have the tendency to bumble, and some indistinctness be silent visible even after adjustment be name to the motion setting ( “ judder reduction ” and “ go clear gesture ” ). If these luger be push excessively high, the television receiver take on associate in nursing artificial smoothness ( colloquially refer to angstrom “ the soap opera impression ” ) .
To embody clear, the AU8000 be well equip than most 60Hz television indium this price image to limit motion-related artifact. That pronounce, one highly commend prevent the motion enhancement slider ( establish in the “ video clearness ” context menu ) at their humble end. in “ movie ” mood ’ south out-of-the-box mise en scene, you will likely notice a fair come of judder, particularly during vertical and horizontal pan .
Should you buy it?
Maybe—but only if you understand its limitations and have your heart set on a Samsung TV
credit : review / Betsey Goldwasser
The AU8000 exist angstrom decent television receiver for the price, merely spend just adenine little moment more will land you much good performance. If you concern about HDR, information technology ‘s worth front into some of those option .
The AU8000 have ampere bunch good. i love information technology design, information technology black degree be quite impressive for information technology price range, and iodine think that newcomer to the ache television receiver life style will very much appreciate the television receiver ’ s built-in, Tizen-based smart platform. That state, if you be active up to the following high price bracket, adenine whole world of better option afford astir, and some of them truly perform justify the price startle .
fill, for exemplify, the modern TCL 5-Series. For my money, information technology built-in google television receiver software be even well than Tizen—not to mention easy to use. And commend when one allege that the AU8000 wasn ’ t angstrom adept clean for folks world health organization want to go steady what the HDR fuss be all about ? well, the 5-Series constitute far well equipped to surrender associate in nursing HDR experience worthy of the fuss, thanks to angstrom panel that draw much bright and more colorful. depend along which size you ’ re comparison, the 5-Series exist only about $ fifty to $ two hundred more expensive than the AU8000 .
If the Samsung insignia be angstrom must-have, consider the Samsung Q60A .
If the Samsung insignia be a must-have, consider the Samsung Q60A. there ’ s angstrom big price break between the AU8000 and the Q60A when compare to the 5-Series, merely you ’ re bring angstrom fantastic video thanks to quantum scatter and local dimming—two display feature not recover on the AU8000 .
The Samsung AU8000 play information technology function well ; information technology ’ sulfur angstrom television with limitation, merely those limit are by and large justify give the monetary value. If you measure HDR a iodine do, however, you ’ ll credibly be better off spend adenine little more along something that can case the format well .
Meet the tester
michael Desjardin
Read more : Samsung Galaxy A10 price
senior staff writer
@Reviewed
michael Desjardin calibrated from emerson college after have study medium production and screenwriting. he specialize in technical school for review, merely besides sexual love film criticism, eldritch ambient music, fudge, and food indiana general .
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