The Samsung Crystal UHD TVs from the current 2021 collection are now also available in a very stylish ultra-slim design. Samsung AU55AU9070 is equipped with Smart TV functions, triple tuner and can be controlled by voice.
The Samsung AU9070 series is available in 5 sizes with screen sizes ranging from 43 to 75 inches. In the Samsung AU55AU9070 Crystal HDR 4K review below, using a 55-inch TV as an example, let’s try to figure out in more detail how good the AU9070 series is and whether it is worth buying.
Design
Samsung AU9070 TV looks gorgeous. Its Titan Gray case is AirSlim. The 55 ” device is only 2.5cm deep at its thickest point without stand! The case with the Samsung logo also looks good.
If you need to hang the TV on the wall, you can do it either with the more expensive Samsung Slim Fit WMN-A50EB / XC wall mount, or with the usual VESA 200 × 200 wall mount.
The included Eco Smart Remote Contro looks great. The batteries are automatically charged via the built-in solar cells on the back. This saves batteries in the long run and is environmentally friendly.
Tizen 6.0 Smart TV
Among flat screen TVs, Samsung Smart TV offers one of the best suite of apps. All well-known streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, Netflix and popular media libraries are pre-installed and can be used directly. Others, like the SkyQ app, can be easily downloaded from the App Store.
Tizen 6.0 operating system works in Samsung AU55AU9070 TV without crashing. The compact Smart Remote works very well. However, when navigating streaming services, it is best to use a Bluetooth wireless keyboard. An example is the Logitech K400 Plus keyboard with touchpad.
Equipment
The Samsung 55AU9070 TV handles all types of reception and no longer requires an additional cable box or satellite receiver. During the setup process, the system automatically detects if a satellite dish, cable connection or an indoor DVB-T2 antenna is connected.
Even a technically inexperienced user can easily get along with the control of the TV. Satellite TV users can count on no longer needing an additional HD + card to receive private HD channels, as the HD + app is already preinstalled.
All private HD and UHD channels are already activated and can be used free of charge for 6 months. The built-in TV tuner is relatively fast. Switching channels takes 2-3 seconds. Recording is also possible by connecting a suitable USB hard disk.
Image quality
The TVs that Samsung advertises as Crystal UHD are actually standard LCD TVs with Crystal Processor 4K and LED backlighting. The same applies to the Samsung AU9070 TV. In terms of brightness, the display does not reach record values.
This value is not quite enough for HDR movies to look good. During the day in direct sunlight, viewing becomes even more difficult. Contrast decreases sharply and colors fade. Only one thing helps: either draw the curtains or watch a movie in the evening. The AU55AU9070U TV also cannot fully display black when viewed from an angle other than 90 degrees.
This is mainly due to the VA matrix installed in it . On the other hand, in a dark room with horizontal viewing, the black level is very good. The 55-inch device is well-tuned from the factory. Using the Home button on the remote control, you can choose between 5 different picture settings for picture options.
In addition to Dynamic and Cinema, Director Mode is also available. According to the manufacturer, with Filmmaker Mode, you can enjoy the Hollywood blockbuster in its original cinematic quality. However, on inexpensive TVs, according to user reviews, everything looks exactly the opposite.
Since all Image Optimizers are off, the screen appears too dark. In Dynamic mode, the brightness is increased and colors are rendered much brighter. The best way to see what the inexpensive AU55AU9070 TV is capable of in terms of picture quality is to watch a 4K movie with HDR10 on Ultra HD Blu-Ray.
The 55AU9070 delivers crisp, crisp images even with fast frame rates. The image convinces with vivid colors and clear gradations of brightness. Also note that HD and SD TV channels also scale very well. However, it should be noted that due to the built-in Edge Lit backlighting, black irregularities can sometimes appear.
Sound quality
When it comes to sound, you shouldn’t expect much from an inexpensive 55-inch device, but always enough to watch news or documentaries. There are 3 different sound modes available for the best sound. The preset is “standard” mode, which doesn’t sound very exciting.
Sometimes it is better to select “Adaptive Sound Mode”. In this mode, the sound is automatically adjusted based on the content. The result is more powerful sound and clearly understood voices. For a rich sound like in a home theater, an external sound solution in the form of a compact soundbar is still recommended.
For example, the Samsung HW-S60A Soundbar with a built-in subwoofer delivers an impressive 200W of playback power. The volume of this panel can be easily adjusted with the TV remote control.
Connections
The connection panel is well equipped. A total of 3 HDMI 2.0 ports and 2 USB ports are available for external playback devices such as Blu-Ray players or PlayStation 5. If you need to connect a soundbar, this can be done via an optical cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
However, a 3.5 mm line-in jack for headphones is useless to look for. He’s gone. This problem can be avoided with a separately purchased SPDIF unit , through which you can continue to use your favorite headphones. Also, the device is equipped with an optical digital output, antenna input, CI + slot, line input for connecting to the Internet and wireless systems Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (BT5.2).
Conclusion
Samsung AU9070 has a conventional 4K LCD with Edge LED backlighting. It has a very nice ultra-thin body and a decent set of equipment. Smart TV offers a large selection of apps with all the known streaming services.
An inexpensive 55-inch device reproduces a fairly high-quality image if viewing takes place in a dark room and perpendicular to the screen. There is no hope that the stated HDR10 + option will work to its full potential.