The Samsung TU8000 is the best 4k TV, but it loses some of the major aspects you would see on higher-end TVs. It has extraordinary dark room efficiency due to its contrast ratio and incredible black uniformity, but it lacks a local dimming function to further darken any blacks.
It has decent reflective handling and good peak brightness, but it struggles in rooms with direct light. It doesn’t support a wide range of colors for HDR content, and the viewing angles are poor, so you’ll lose an appropriate level when viewed from the edge.
Most gamers will enjoy the extremely low input lag and the high response time, but unfortunately, it does not support any variable refresh rate modern technologies.
Samsung TU8000
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Great response time.
- Exceptional dark room performance
- It doesn’t support a wide color gamut.
- Disappointing viewing angles.
- Significant banding in areas of similar color
Design
The TU8000 has a really good build. This is the same as Samsung’s QLED entry-level Screen, the Samsung Q60 T QLED, except that the edges are a much darker shade of grey.
Overall, it has a simple, modern design with thin bezels. The feet are built into the Screen itself, and you shouldn’t need to turn them on, and there are clips mostly on the back of the legs for cable management.
The back is like the Q60T and there are ways to make with the RU7100. It’s made out of plastic with a textured finish. There are clips on the feet to handle the cable. The borders are very thin and aren’t distracting.
Reasonable to build quality. It looks well-built, with no visible fabrication problems, although some people will be disappointed that it’s built entirely of plastic. It has a higher design efficiency than the RU8000, partially because our RU8000 model arrived with a crack in its bezel.
Picture quality
The TU8000 has a very good contrast ratio, which is normal for VA panel TVs. It’s marginally upgraded from the Samsung RU7100 and identical to the Samsung Q60 T QLED. However, there is no local dimming option to further enhance the blacks.
The TU8000 has a decent brightness peak SDR, but it’s a reduction from the Samsung RU7100. Limited enhancements in dark scenes, like the RU7100, are dimmed by the frame (CE) darkening feature of the TV, which can not be disabled but it remains consistent across other types of varied content. This TV can’t get bright enough in bright rooms to overcome glare.
For Movies: The TU8000 is a reasonable TV to watch movies. It’s got a fantastic contrast ratio and incredible black uniformity, and even though there’s no local dimming function, the darker scenes look amazing. Unfortunately, this TV can not remove judder from lower aspect ratio content, such as native apps, which may be annoying to some.
TV Shows: It’s good for TV shows. The TU8000 does a decent job of handling the reflections and can get bright enough to fight the glare in the rooms with some lighting, but it struggles in a well-lit room. Unfortunately, the image quality is disappointing, so if you watch shows from the side, you’ll lose the appropriate level.
HDR Gaming: The Samsung TU8000 does have an extremely small input lag with 10-bit HDR allowed and fast response time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help a broad variety of colors, and its HDR peak brightness is sub-par, so you won’t get an enjoyable HDR gaming experience. It also does not support any higher refresh rate technology.
PC Monitor: It can view chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is crucial for reading text, and the input lag is incredibly low so it responds to your actions quickly. Unfortunately, with disappointing viewing angles, you ‘re going to lose image accuracy if you place it in the meeting rooms or if you’re sitting close to it. However, you don’t need to think about the possibility of permanent burn-in for static displays.
Motion
Great response time to the TU8000. There’s a bit of overshoot that causes a bit of blur trail next to rapidly moving objects, but it isn’t very visible. This is an improved answer time of the RU7100.
An optional black frame placement functionality is available to help reduce motion blur. You can allow this by setting the LED Simple Motion to ‘On.’ Sadly, the flicker is still at 60Hz and the pacing of the flicker is inaccurate, resulting in a picture duplication close to the RU7100. The BFI feature often obscures a decent amount of the screen.
Smart Features
Here are some of its key smart features:
- Tizen Operating System: The TU8000 runs on Samsung’s Tizen operating system, which provides a user-friendly interface and allows for easy navigation through the TV’s various features and settings.
- Voice Control: The TU8000 is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control your TV with your voice. You can use voice commands to change channels, adjust the volume, and even launch apps.
- Smart Hub: The Smart Hub on the TU8000 provides access to a wide range of streaming apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more. The Smart Hub is customizable, allowing you to prioritize your favorite apps for easy access.
- Universal Guide: The TU8000’s Universal Guide is an AI-powered recommendation engine that provides personalized recommendations for TV shows and movies based on your viewing history.
- Screen Mirroring: The TU8000 supports screen mirroring, allowing you to cast your smartphone or tablet screen onto your TV. This is a convenient feature for sharing photos, videos, and other content with friends and family on the big screen.
- Multi-View: The TU8000’s Multi-View feature allows you to watch two different sources of content simultaneously, with one source taking up a portion of the screen and the other taking up the rest. This is a great feature for sports fans who want to watch two games at once or for multitaskers who want to keep an eye on the news while watching a movie.
Color Performance and HDR
The Samsung TU8000 offers decent color performance, but it doesn’t have a wide color gamut like higher-end models. It can display a good range of colors, but it can’t produce the full spectrum of colors that some HDR content requires. As a result, HDR content may not look as vibrant or detailed as it would on a higher-end TV.
The TV supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) formats, but it doesn’t support Dolby Vision. HDR content looks good on the TV, but the peak brightness isn’t high enough to make highlights stand out in bright rooms. In darker rooms, however, the HDR performance is quite good, with deep blacks and good shadow detail.
Overall, while the color performance and HDR capabilities of the TU8000 are not as impressive as higher-end models, they are still decent for a TV in its price range.
Voice Control
The TU8000 is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control your TV with your voice. This means you can use voice commands to change channels, adjust the volume, and even launch apps. With voice control, you can easily navigate through the TV’s various features and settings without having to use the remote.
Universal Guide
The TU8000’s Universal Guide is an AI-powered recommendation engine that provides personalized recommendations for TV shows and movies based on your viewing history. This means that the more you use your TV, the better the Universal Guide becomes at suggesting content you might enjoy. The Universal Guide provides a convenient way to discover new shows and movies without having to manually search for them.
FAQ
Does the Samsung TU8000 support HDR content?
Yes, the Samsung TU8000 does support HDR content. It supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats. However, it doesn’t support Dolby Vision.
Can I use voice commands to control?
Yes, you can use voice commands to control the Samsung TU8000. It is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can use voice commands to change channels, adjust the volume, and even launch apps.
Does the Samsung TU8000 have a built-in camera?
No, the Samsung TU8000 does not have a built-in camera. If you want to use your TV for video calls, you’ll need to connect an external camera.
Can I use it as a PC monitor?
Yes, you can use the Samsung TU8000 as a PC monitor. It has a low input lag and can display chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is important for reading text. However, its viewing angles are not very good, so if you’re sitting close to it or if you’re using it in a meeting room, you may experience image accuracy issues.
Does the Samsung TU8000 have a wide color gamut?
No, the Samsung TU8000 does not have a wide color gamut. Its color gamut is normal, which means that it cannot display a wide range of colors for HDR content.
Can I connect external devices to the Samsung TU8000?
Yes, you can connect external devices to the Samsung TU8000. It has 3 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, an Ethernet port, a composite input, and an optical audio output. You can use these ports to connect devices such as a gaming console, a Blu-ray player, or a soundbar.
Does it have a local dimming feature?
No, the Samsung TU8000 does not have a local dimming feature. Local dimming enhances the contrast ratio by dimming specific areas of the screen to create deeper blacks, but unfortunately, the TU8000 does not have this feature. As a result, the black levels are not as deep as they could be, and you may notice some blooming around bright objects on a dark background.
Conclusion
Samsung TU8000 is a decent Screen for most of its uses. With its excellent contrast ratio and stunning black uniformity, the dark scenes in the cinema look fantastic, but unfortunately, it really doesn’t support a wide range of colors for HDR movies. The viewing angles are quite disappointing, so you won’t even be able to stream your favorite game or TV show in a wide-ranging setting.
