TECHWEEK
Over the past few years, Samsung’s 8 Series has been a great option for TV buyers looking to balance tech and price in a way that has never been possible. The AU8000 series of Samsung’s 2021 lineup continues the tradition of an attractive price / performance ratio, just one notch above the AU7100 series.
It uses Samsung’s Crystal LCD UHD panel technology. This series of TVs is easy to use, has a minimalist design, a choice of built-in voice assistant and a best-in-class Smart TV system. There are also a range of screen sizes to choose from, so you can really find a reasonable screen size for your space.
In the following Samsung UE65AU8000 TV 4K HDR review, as a representative of the series, we will discuss the main features of the TV. We will also try to highlight its advantages and disadvantages.
Samsung AU8000 review
Design
For its price point, it should come as no surprise that the Samsung UE65AU8000 TV’s design consists primarily of black plastic on the back, bezels, and stand. Regardless, it still looks well-built, just like its predecessor, the Samsung TU8000 . Its weight gives confidence in stability. Minimal thickness plastic frames (less than 1 cm) provide a stylish look.
It’s not a bezel-less design like the pricier QLED models, but the bezels are nonetheless less eye-catching and distracting. We can only guess why Samsung decided to give this model, and in others too, widely spaced legs. The center stand, like the Samsung TU8500 , is much easier to place when it comes to placing large TVs on furniture.
The legs are now not V-shaped, but the usual rectangular ones. The legs are assembled into a single unit with the TV by simple snapping. The Samsung logo is off-center to the right side of the bezel. The only control button is located below the logo.
Of course, you can wall mount the AU8000 TV instead. There are no protruding parts on the back that could make this a problem. With the noticeably reduced thickness of the 2021 Samsung TVs (up to 2.6 cm), it should fit quite tightly against the wall. This design is called AirSlim.
However, it is worth noting that one of the HDMI ports will become unusable in this position due to the fact that it is facing backwards. This is an insignificant drawback, given that the number of HDMI connectors is already cut down. That is, even a fairly modest installation of a set-top box, Blu-ray player and game console will use up those ports immediately, and one will be lost when the Samsung AU8000 TV is mounted on the wall.
Image quality
This UE65AU8000 is capable of delivering very good images for its price. But the default settings will require some tweaking to get the most out of it, especially with HDR content. This is because the peak brightness of the Samsung AU8000 TV set is not up to par. Even with high brightness settings, you will probably want more, especially with dark scenes in well-lit rooms.
The used VA panel, in contrast to IPS , provides a high native contrast ratio (over 6000: 1). Combined with Dynamic Crystal technology, it produces over a billion color tones for natural-looking images. The AU8000 is built around the entry-level Crystal Processor 4K. But it also delivers maximum detail even for lower-resolution 4K-scaled content.
Samsung AU8000 does a great job even with skin tones. But this is a difficult balance that TVs of this level cannot always cope with. The Samsung AU8000’s lack of a wide color gamut for HDR means you’re unlikely to be overwhelmed by the brightness when viewing HDR, but the more subtle way of handling shadow detail is still fine.
Of course, as a side-lit TV with no local dimming, the AU8000 has some difficulty in these situations. But with the Samsung Contrast Enhancer turned on, you can quickly improve the balance between light and dark areas and get much more detail in such scenes.
The only noticeable downside to this TV is the annoyingly narrow viewing angles. Sitting too far off the centerline and you will lose a fair amount of contrast and color saturation, degrading overall image quality. If this is a company TV, be sure to stake out a central location for movie nights.
Smart TV
The Samsung 8000 series is powered by the Tizen Smart TV platform . Samsung suggests installing the SmartThings app. It will display all the compatible devices in your home. Then you can control your TV and these gadgets using your smartphone. The OS has made minor design changes, but navigation is largely identical and remains as simple as ever.
There is a store for adding applications in addition to the pre-installed ones. Moreover, the order of the applications that you add to your main menu is completely customizable according to your preferences. You have several voice assist options to choose from – Alexa, Samsung Bixby, and Google Assistant.
Sound quality
Overall, the AU8000’s audio system has a well-balanced sound profile, which is important for listening to dialog clearly, but does not produce strong bass. The TV is not very loud with a total output of two speakers of 20W. Therefore, it is best to avoid noisy environments and there are some clipping artifacts when listening at maximum level.
The bass still lacks the power and depth that you would get from a soundbar. But at least it helps to give the soundtrack a bit of presence and to ensure that the sound doesn’t get too thin. The high frequencies are a little harsh, but not so unpleasant to listen to.
The Q-Symphony option provides more interesting surround sound by combining the sound of your own speakers and a connected compatible soundbar. In this case, the sound from all speakers is synchronized in time and in sound volume. A list of compatible soundbars can be found on the manufacturer’s website.
Connections
The Samsung 55AU8000 TV has 3 HDMI and 2 USB connectors. One of the HDMI supports eARC , and one of the USB supplies current up to 1 A. This is very important when connecting external hard drives. In addition, there is an optical Toslink output, a LAN port for internet connection, and a common interface slot. There is no analog video input. Wireless communication is provided by Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth version 5.2.
Conclusion
Samsung AU8000 TV is worth buying if you are looking for good value for money. A definite plus is a wide range of sizes. You can find a suitable option for any room. If you’re looking for the best choice for HDR, the AU8000 TV isn’t for you.
Low overall brightness and lack of wide color gamut, not to mention the fact that Samsung does not support Dolby Vision, limit the possibilities of HDR content. And viewing angles are not the strong point of this TV. If you have a living room where people will watch this TV from the side, they will have a completely different experience than those who are sitting directly in front of it.
