Extreme experience Samsung UHD TV UA55HU8500 review

IT168 Review At the Samsung Forum held at the beginning of the year, Samsung launched a new TV product that leads the new trend of the entire color TV industry, including the most powerful UHD TV lineup, revolutionary curved UHD TV, more intelligent The user-friendly Smart TV brings consumers breakthrough ultra-high-definition picture quality, excellent hardware performance, simple and fashionable appearance design, convenient intelligent control technology and richer application content, meeting the all-round needs of users. . Today, one of the new UHD TV products, the high-end model UA55HU8500, came to our review room. This 55-inch TV has 4K ultra-high-definition resolution, Upscaling image quality enhancement engine, ultra-high-definition beautiful color image quality, ultra-high-definition local light control, etc. The latest technology, the performance is worth looking forward to.

As can be seen from the official product positioning, the Samsung UA55HU8500 TV is slightly lower than the flagship HU9800 series, but except for the non-curved screen, there is basically no big difference. The appearance adopts a new "vast minimalist" design concept, and combined with the texture of the metal material of the fuselage, the overall appearance is extremely soft. Samsung UA55HU8500 Ultra HD TV has a 4K resolution of 3840x2160, which is four times that of a Full HD TV, and can present more accurate and realistic picture quality effects.

Before starting the evaluation, let’s take a look at the parameter list of this TV:

Samsung UA55HU8500 detailed parameters

Type

LED backlight LCD TV

Size

55 inches

Physical resolution

3840?2160

Best Viewing distance

More than 3 meters

3D type

Active shutter 3D

Extended functions

Smart TV , USB playback

Main ports

HDMI?4, USB?3

Reference price

16,399 yuan Amazon

Test summary: First of all, in terms of appearance, Samsung UA55HU8500 completely abandons redundant elements and adopts an extremely simple overall style. Simple lines outline the outline of the fuselage, completely returning to simplicity and nature. At the same time, the metal texture of the ultra-narrow frame and The vast minimalist base allows users to have a more perfect experience. In terms of image quality, the improvement brought by Samsung UHD TV can be said to be all-round, especially through the new Upscaling image quality enhancement engine, which can convert ordinary content into ultra-high-definition image quality, which greatly makes up for the problem of insufficient 4K film sources. . In terms of entertainment functions, it adopts an improved version of the smart system and has many customized applications. Both the quantity and quality are better than most current smart TV products. USB playback supports all mainstream formats of video files, even 4K, fully meeting the needs of high-definition enthusiasts.

Not just 4K "Introduction to the main selling points

There are many TVs on the market with the 4K concept, but most of them only meet the physical resolution of 3840*2160 (4K*2K ), other basic indicators (such as viewing angle, clarity and physical resolution, screen refresh rate, etc.) have not been improved, so it cannot be regarded as a true UHD TV. In comparison, Samsung UHD TV has 4K ultra-high definition. resolution, and also incorporates the latest technologies such as Upscaling image quality enhancement engine, ultra-high-definition beautiful picture quality, ultra-high-definition local light control, etc., it is a truly qualified UHD TV that can meet the imaging requirements and bring users the most realistic and natural

1. 4K ultra-high definition quality: The resolution of Samsung UHD TV is 4 times that of full HD;

With 4K ultra-high definition resolution, the TV screen reaches The physical resolution of 3840?2160 is equivalent to doubling the horizontal and vertical dimensions of 1920?1080 (1080P), which is still the standard 16:9 specification. We can use a relatively easy-to-understand example to explain. , four full HD screens are seamlessly spliced ??into four-frame squares to display images with 4 times the full HD resolution. This is the difference between 4K and full HD.

▲4K ultra-high definition resolution brings extreme results. Fine image quality

2. Upscaling image quality enhancement engine: can upgrade the image quality of 2K source to close to 4K effect;

Even if the signal source is not ultra-high-definition content, Samsung UHD The image quality enhancement technology of the Sharpcore image processing engine also allows you to experience almost ultra-high-definition quality. The new image engine can not only display content from ultra-high-definition sources in 4K resolution, but can even enhance TV programs, movies, and movies. Optimize the content of general resolutions such as video on demand and convert it to an almost ultra-high-definition image quality level.

▲The image quality of 2K film sources can be upgraded to a nearly 4K effect.

3. Ultra-high definition and beautiful color image quality (Color Brilliance): The number of color adjustment points is 7.1 times that of ordinary TVs;

Ultra-clear and beautiful color image quality (Color Brilliance) presents you with the real world , natural colors.

The colors it presents are more accurate and realistic, and the pictures are brighter and more vivid, allowing you to enjoy clear, lifelike and exquisite picture quality, giving you a more pleasant viewing experience.

▲Provide more realistic and natural color performance

"4.

Ultra HD local light control

" (UHD Dimming) :

Can automatically adjust the brightness according to image needs

Samsung's advanced UHD local light control technology brings you ideal contrast and color, allowing you to get a more shocking viewing experience. shadow effect. Higher resolution also means more detailed processing of images. Samsung UHD local light control technology can optimize all colors in the virtual block, especially black and white, making black deeper and white purer.

▲UHD local light control technology brings better light and dark details

Summary: The new Samsung UHD TV pays more attention to picture quality performance and returns to the basic functions of TV. Give users the best display effect.

Extreme minimalist design Samsung UA55HU8500 appearance analysis

Samsung TV has always led the industry trend in appearance design. Whether it is the previous dynamic glass material or the frameless design, it is a classic. The Samsung UA55HU8500 TV we saw today is still sharp in design and gives people an eye-catching feeling. All redundant pendants are abandoned, allowing users to focus more on the program content and obtain a more perfect experience when watching TV. At the same time, the new minimalist base saves more desktop space, and combined with the metal body texture of the fuselage, the overall look is extremely simple and elegant.

▲Appearance of Samsung HU8500 TV

The back of the fuselage is also simple. Except for the scattered heat dissipation grilles and interface parts, there is no other redundancy, giving people a clean and refreshing feeling. Judging from the actual experience, the whole machine ran for more than 2 hours, and the back was only slightly hot, and the temperature did not exceed human body temperature. It can be said that it is significantly better than most 4K TVs I have tested.

▲The back of the fuselage

The base adopts a new minimalist design concept, with only the UHD logo on the corners. Although it looks a little thin at first glance, thanks to the outstanding industrial design and solid metal material, the entire body is very stable in actual experience without any shaking.

▲The vast minimalist base part

▲The fuselage base part

The details and workmanship of the Samsung UA55HU8500 are also very excellent. It adopts an extremely narrow frame design and there is a Wrapped with a layer of metal outer frame, it greatly enhances the overall fashionable temperament of the TV and gives users a better visual experience.

▲Extremely narrow bezel design

The power on and off keys and control keys of Samsung UA55HU8500 are integrated together and are located on the lower right side of the back of the fuselage. It is somewhat similar to the function of the navigation keys on the remote control. Most of the TV's operating functions can be realized with just a few simple buttons. The actual feel and control sensitivity are very good.

▲The switch and OSD button part (you can also see the texture details on the back in this picture)

The interfaces of Samsung UA55HU8500 are integrated on the back of the fuselage, including 4 HDMI (HDMI2.0 standard, compatible with MHL interface standard), 3 USBs (including one USB3.0), component terminals (Y/Pb/Pr), AV terminals, network cable interfaces, etc., to meet the various connection needs of users.

▲Interface part

The remote control part has also been greatly upgraded. The new smart touch remote control allows you to get a more intuitive TV using experience. You can use the touchpad to flip between smart application centers and scroll up and down to browse web pages. Additionally, you can use the motion remote control to move the cursor around the screen for easier browsing or text entry. With the video control keys, you can also play downloaded movies, TV shows, and more on-demand.

▲Smart remote control

The accessories of Samsung UA55HU8500 also include a body-sensing camera, which can be stuck directly above the TV through a sticker. With this camera, you can realize gesture control, face recognition and other functions, or play somatosensory games.

▲Built-in camera

Summary: The new minimalist design abandons all redundant pendants, allowing users to focus more on the program content while watching TV, while paying attention to details. The design and workmanship are rigorous and solid.

Accurately restored Samsung UA55HU8500 image quality test

Samsung UA55HU8500 has a 4K-level ultra-clear resolution of 3840 to 2160, so the image fineness has been greatly improved. In addition, Samsung's top display technology has also been applied to this flagship product, so its picture quality performance is naturally what people are most concerned about. How much does 4K or 2K resolution improve the picture? In order to complete the test, we used a high-end computer host as the video source. During the test, HDMI was used to connect the computer host and the TV. After booting, the resolution of 3840~2160 was automatically recognized, indicating that the Samsung UA55HU8500 uses a native 4K panel.

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

▲3840?2160 ultra-high-definition picture actual shot

Compared with other 4K TVs currently on the market, Samsung UA55HU8500 joins HDMI2 for the first time. 0 interface, the biggest advantage of this is that it breaks through the limitation of other TVs that can only achieve a 30Hz refresh rate output, and can achieve a 60Hz refresh rate output, so that for FPS shooting games and sports racing games, smoother Run and play games in 4K resolution.

▲HDMI supports 4K 60Hz refresh rate

In the default mode, the dynamic definition performance is relatively good. Even when viewed at a close distance, it is difficult for ordinary people to recognize the smear phenomenon. It has reached LCD TVs are currently at a higher level.

▲Dynamic sharpness test results

▲Dynamic sharpness test actual shots

The following is a set of actual 4K ultra-high-definition pictures and videos, screen shots are inevitable There is a slight distortion, but you can still see the accuracy of color performance, the richness of details and the natural transition through comparison of different pictures. As a normal TV, when playing 4K images, there will be basically no graininess at a distance of 1 meter.

▲Real shots of 4K test pictures (click on the picture to see the big picture)

▲Real shots of the 4K test pictures (click on the picture to see the big picture)

▲4K test Actual shot of the picture (click on the picture to see the big picture)

▲Real shot of the 4K test picture (click on the picture to see the big picture)

Summary: The picture is very delicate at 4K resolution. It perfectly displays various details, while color restoration and dynamic effects have reached the top level in current TVs.

Ease of use upgrades the Samsung HU8500 smart UI experience

In addition to using top-notch screen and image processing technology, the Samsung UA55HU8500 has also undergone major changes in the smart system. Although the system interface The style remains consistent with previous products, but the previous dual-screen interface of the smart application center and smart audio-visual center has been upgraded to a four-screen interface, which are news, applications, movies and TV programs, and multimedia playback.

▲Main UI interface

In the experience, we saw that the news module added to Samsung UA55HU8500 uses a Metro interface similar to Windows 8, which will update the news information of the day in real time. Moreover, there is also a fixed weather forecast section, which is very eye-catching. According to reports, the news part adopts the form of cooperation with Sina News. All news will be refreshed every half hour, while the weather forecast data is cooperated with Huafeng, and there is no problem with accuracy.

▲News browsing

In addition, changes in the system are also reflected in the APP interface. Previously, a separate Samsung APP Store would be set up in the application interface. On the new system, Samsung has segmented the APP Store applications into the most popular, new content, and category pages to facilitate our search. In addition, in the APP interface, we can also perform one-click upgrades to downloaded applications.

▲Application interface

▲App store interface

The Samsung UA55HU8500 app store has rich App resources. It is roughly estimated that the number of programs is nearly 500, including games. There are about 100 APPs, and they are constantly being updated and added. We also downloaded several APP programs to try them out. Basically, they all have interfaces optimized for TV screens, and the operating experience is relatively good.

▲NetEase News Client Interface

▲A darts mini-game

In fact, in addition to system changes, the new Samsung UA55HU8500 also adds football mode and One-click dual enjoyment function. The so-called football function means that when we watch football matches, the TV can optimize the picture and sound effects, and cooperate with the UHD screen to enhance the sense of presence. And one-click dual enjoyment can divide the screen into two halves, allowing us to watch TV and surf the Internet at the same time.

▲One-click dual display function can divide the screen into two parts

Summary: The page layout is more reasonable and easier to use.

Voice gesture multi-screen interconnection innovative intelligent control experience

The control method of Samsung UA55HU8500 smart TV has also been greatly improved. The new smart touch remote control can provide more intuitive TV use. experience. First look at the remote control part. The remote control of this TV is very exquisite in workmanship and feels good in the hand.

▲New smart remote control

Using the touch pad on the remote control, you can also operate up, down, left, and right. In actual experience, the interface slides smoothly, and there is no obvious delay when switching between different interfaces. , and at the same time, the aesthetics and ease of operation of the icons have indeed reached the highest level of current smart TVs.

▲Smart remote control section

Voice input is also a popular smart TV application, and Samsung UA55HU8500 has also added related functions. However, the voice part is relatively imperfect and is limited to dozens of commonly used passwords, such as the most commonly used commands such as power on, power off, channel forward/reverse, etc. The actual recognition rate is still relatively high.

▲The voice box can be called out on any interface

In addition to the built-in remote control, as long as the mobile phone installs Samsung-related APP programs, the smartphone can also be used as a remote control to control the TV.

▲A smartphone can also be used as a remote control to control the TV

Samsung UA55HU8500 has a built-in camera with gesture control and facial recognition functions. You can directly complete various controls with your hands, or scan your face. ?Log in to your account or set a password lock.

▲Built-in camera shooting effect

▲Supports gesture operation function

Summary: The most comprehensive control method in smart TVs at present, although it is not practical in terms of practicality It has yet to be tested, but it has fully demonstrated Samsung’s technical advantages.

Samsung UA55HU8500 online video function experience

Like other TVs with network functions, Samsung UA55HU8500 also supports online video on demand. This TV has a cooperative relationship with CNTV and has built-in iCNTV Internet TV. It includes a large number of genuine film and television resources and high-definition dramas. The number is about thousands, and the definitions include 480P, 720P and 1080P.

▲Online video interface

▲iCNTV interface

In actual on-demand playback, the playback fluency depends on the accessed network environment, based on the 2M used in the evaluation Judging from the bandwidth, the loading time of opening a video is about 3 seconds, and there is no more lag after buffering is completed and playback begins. The author's actual experience with the film definition includes standard definition and quasi-high definition.

▲Video on demand page

▲Real shots

Summary: Online film sources are relatively abundant.

Actual measurement of 3D playback effect and USB playback function

As the top TV, Samsung UA55HU8500 uses the shutter 3D solution commonly used by most high-end TVs, and supports 2D to 3D conversion. . Compared with polarized 3D, it has the advantages of high picture definition and outstanding 3D effect. Fully taking into account the current problem of relatively few 3D film sources, the built-in CNTV also has a dedicated 3D film source area. Users can easily find native 3D video resources and adjust them to 3D mode for playback through the menu.

▲Function adjustment menu

▲Supports 2D to 3D conversion function

In terms of 3D effects, the actual experience effect and detail performance are relatively excellent, especially 4K The large ultra-high-definition screen, ultra-narrow bezels and stunning stereo sound give people an immersive and shocking experience.

▲Native 3D real shots in left and right formats

Playing from an external hard drive through the USB port of the TV is also a commonly used function for many users. The number of supported formats directly tests the high-definition decoding of the TV. ability. Actual testing found that Samsung 55HU8500 can recognize 1T mobile hard drives, and currently mainstream video formats such as MKV, AVI, RMVB, MP4, MOV, etc. can be played smoothly, and 1080P and even 4K files can be decoded relatively smoothly.

▲Smoothly read the mobile hard disk

▲Real shot of 1080P film source

▲Real shot of 4K film source

▲4K film source Real shot

Summary: The shutter-type 3D effect is outstanding, and the 2D to 3D conversion function is also more practical. The USB playback function supports most of the current popular video formats, and even 4K-level videos or high-definition 3D film sources can be played smoothly.

Power consumption test and evaluation summary

In the power consumption test, the author tried the power consumption in different application situations. The test results show that the power consumption at startup is 150 watts, which is still slightly higher than the current mainstream LED backlight TVs. However, considering the 55-inch 4K panel, it is still relatively good compared with products of the same specifications on the market.

Samsung UA55HU8500

Boot time

2 seconds (the quick boot function needs to be turned on separately)

Channel changing speed

Start-up power consumption

150W

After the second-speed boot function is turned on, the startup time of Samsung smart TV will not exceed 2 seconds. It is faster than the 2013 Samsung Smart TV, significantly reducing your waiting time and allowing you to watch more immediately.

▲Samsung UA55HU8500

Through the previous tests, it can be said that Samsung UA55HU8500 performs relatively well in all aspects. First of all, the appearance completely abandons redundant elements and adopts an extremely simple overall style. Simple lines outline the outline of the fuselage, completely returning to simplicity and nature. At the same time, the ultra-narrow metal frame and the vast minimalist base allow users to get a more perfect experience. experience. In terms of picture quality, the improvement brought by Samsung UHD TV can be said to be all-round, especially through the new image processing engine, which can convert ordinary content into ultra-high-definition picture quality, which greatly makes up for the problem of insufficient 4K film sources. In terms of entertainment functions, it adopts an improved version of the smart system and has many customized applications. Both the quantity and quality are better than most current smart TV products. USB playback supports all mainstream formats of video files, even 4K, fully meeting the needs of high-definition enthusiasts.

In terms of price, the Samsung UA55HU8500 e-commerce price is 16,399 yuan, which is relatively expensive for a 55-inch TV, but with its solid and simple workmanship and 4K ultra-high-definition picture quality, it is suitable for high-end users. , it is still very worth buying.

Advantages: minimalist and atmospheric design, 4K ultra-detailed picture performance, 2K to 4K conversion, gesture voice operation, outstanding 3D effects, and many video resources.

Disadvantages: Lack of killer apps.