Samsung’s $800, 55-inch RU8000 is an efficient 4K UHD TV. It has a skinny design, a top-notch consumer interface, and a cultured distant. Two years in the past, it might’ve dominated the decrease mid-range class. In 2019, its picture appears flat when in comparison with such lower-priced TVs because the just lately reviewed Hisense H8F. Hisense’s TV delivers a lot larger peak brightness, higher colour, and a consumer expertise that’s virtually pretty much as good—for lots of much less.
Design and specs
The RU8000 is a 4K UHD LED-backlit, LCD TV. I examined the 55-inch class (54.6 inches measured diagonally), which at 42.1 kilos (43 kilos together with the ft) is mild sufficient {that a} robust particular person can simply wrangle it (simply watch out to not squeeze the display). Employing two folks for the duty will reduce the possibility of injury.
The physique of the RU8000 is a mere 2.3 inches at its thickest level, and the ft are about 9.3 inches deep, so the TV will get up on a relative shallow perch. There are bolt holes for a 200mm VESA mount in the event you choose your TV on the wall, although solely cradle sorts have been proven as accessories on the RU8000’s webpage once I seemed.
The port choice consists of 4 HDMI 2.0, two USB 2.0, coax, optical audio output, and ethernet—all positioned in a recess on the again of the TV. Do your hookups earlier than you mount the TV if it would reside in an inconvenient location.
At the time of this writing, Samsung’s web site supplied the 49-inch model of the RU8000 for $650, the 55-inch mannequin I examined for $800, the 65-inch for $1,100, the 75-inch for $1,800, and the 82-inch for $2,600. Those have been discounted costs, although I’ve but to see a reduction on Samsung’s website retreat to the complete producer’s steered retail.
Interface and distant
The RU8000 sports activities the identical Smart Hub interface that every one the higher Samsung TV’s function. It’s properly laid out and usually environment friendly, although it might use some work by way of remembering the place you left off (as can many). It does robotically acknowledge hooked up parts and names them appropriately in the event that they’re Samsung branded. There’s additionally a pleasant media information, help for Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant, well-liked apps akin to Netflix and YouTube, and the opposite common software program perquisites. Screen mirroring from a wise gadget can also be supported.
The distant is common, and principally the identical slick, minimalist design that ships with the corporate’s pricier TVs. The solely distinction is the three shortcut/promoting buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu that reside instantly under the quantity and channel rockers. They’re useful in the event you use these providers, I suppose, however they’re ineffective in the event you don’t. I’d have most well-liked devoted transport (play, fast-forward, and so on.) controls, as utilizing the on-screen transport controls whereas enjoying motion pictures, whereas not terribly troublesome, is far much less environment friendly.
Except for the promoting buttons, that are nice in the event that they match your favourite providers, the RU8000’s common distant is as elegant as the opposite One Remotes within the Samsung lineup.
Samsung’s distant and interface type a potent combo, on par with LG’s or Roku’s, even when I’m considerably crucial concerning the steadiness of performance between the 2.
Performance
While the colour and HDR aren’t a match for the higher competitors, there’s nonetheless lots to love concerning the RU8000’s image. It has wonderful judder discount and usually clean movement. Renderings are topic to far fewer artifacts than with many TVs. Alas, a part of that’s because of the comparatively tame 350 nits peak brightness I measured. It’s super-bright highlights—at 700 or extra nits—which can be troublesome to take care of when in movement throughout pans and motion sequences.
SamsungSamsung’s consumer interface and distant is likely to be premium, however the RU8000’s picture just isn’t near what the corporate is able to.
Colors on the RU8000 endure the slight blue skew that’s typical of older LED-backlit LCD TVs, although it’s actually not the difficulty it was when LED backlights first appeared as an energy-saving mild supply. Reds lean barely towards the orange, and greens have a tendency in the direction of lime. The impact is delicate, general, with a complete palette that’s what many would consult with as “cool.”
You won’t discover it, and even care about it, in the event you view the TV by itself. Viewed alongside a competitor with quantum dots and even newer LED filter expertise, it actually pales as compared.
Because of the low peak brightness that I discussed, HDR doesn’t pop as a lot as it will probably. Generally talking, to get a noticeable HDR impact, you want 700 nits or extra; 1,000-plus being the sought-after ideally suited. You’ll discover solely a slight distinction when evaluating the HDR model of a film to the SDR model on the RU8000, and I imply slight.
Screen conformity was fairly good at a standard viewing distance (i.e., 1.5 instances the dimensions of the show). There have been some small inconsistencies (cloudiness) with a pure white picture, however that was about it.
The RU8000 makes use of array backlighting, although I can’t let you know precisely what number of zones. There’s undoubtedly a couple of and fewer than you’ll get with the corporate’s high-end TVs. That’s the phrase straight from Samsung, so I believed I’d go it alongside. There’s noticeable, if not significantly irritating blooming (halos) round detailed vivid objects on a black background, so regardless of the variety of zones could also be, it’s lower than ideally suited.
Most viewers shall be simply tremendous with the RU8000’s picture. By the requirements of a pair years in the past, it’s fairly good. On the opposite hand….
The sport has modified
As I mentioned up high, the $800 RU8000’s colour and HDR can’t match that of the $450 Hisense H8F. The RU8000’s picture processing is a bit higher, the distant is considerably nicer, and the interface a bit slicker, however these elements don’t steadiness the equation for me. Even priced the identical, I’d go for the H8F.
Players akin to TCL and Hisense have upped their sport, and at this worth level, Samsung has not. That makes the RU8000 an excellent instance of why it’s best to by no means store by model identify alone.