TECHWEEK
Samsung is the undisputed leader in 4K TV production, and it seems that competitors will not be able to knock it off this pedestal. OLED models are considered the king of image quality, but Samsung has managed to remain the number one manufacturer without this segment.
And while Samsung’s QLED TVs are the brand’s main attraction, in this Samsung 50TU7002U 4K HDR TV review we take a look at a model that caters to a wide range of users at a reasonable price point.
Samsung divides its UHD TV models into four categories: 8K QLED – they are the best, 4K QLED – the models most buyers look for when looking for good picture quality, and 4K Crystal UHD – the lowest category of 4K TVs. The latter category is further divided into “standard” and TVs with the most basic functions, which include the Samsung TU7002 series.
As for the TU7002, it is not only the lowest spec series, but also the cheapest Crystal UHD TVs Samsung is offering in 2020. Models are equipped with VA LCD display with Edge LED technology and “Crystal 4K” processor.
The TU7002 series supports HDR10, HDR10 + and HLG and features a simple 2.0-channel audio system. And an obvious plus, combined with low cost, is that the models are equipped with the Samsung Tizen smart platform. These are the only TVs in 2020 that come with a less fully featured version compared to all other models.
Samsung TU7000: Design
So, the TU7000 are inexpensive TVs, so don’t expect much in terms of design. But even so, the Samsung 50TU7002U has a rather nice design, even if it is simple and more or less uncomplicated. While this is the “lowest” model you can get from Samsung in 2020, it’s safe to say it doesn’t look as cheap as some of the other lower-end TVs.
Most of all I liked that all interface connectors are located on the side. This is definitely a plus for wall mounting. The Samsung TU7000 has a three-sided bezel-less design like many other Samsung TVs this year. The top and both sides are relatively thin compared to the bottom of the TV.
Although this series cannot be called completely limitless. The bezels around the screen are thin enough not to distract the user’s eyes. The total thickness of the TV is approximately 6 cm, which is comparable to the TU8000 series . And allows this series to look good on the wall.
The rear panel of the 50TU7002U TV is completely made of plastic. Like other Samsung models, it has a distinctive textured design. All connections are grouped together on the left side of the rear panel and placed on a special insert that is convenient for wall mounting.
A definite plus, unlike many other TVs, the TU7002 has a power connector next to the rest of the interfaces and this greatly simplifies the laying and grouping of cables. VESA wall mount holes and special grooves at the bottom for routing cable connections are the only features on the bulging back cover.
The 50TU7002 is equipped with a standard tabletop stand, which is better in stability, but looks a little too clumsy. Samsung 43TU7002 has great stability. Large diagonals can still wobble a little, but much less than with the Y-shaped stand.
The legs of the stand are made of plastic, which is to be expected at this price. The legs are installed without screws, they simply snap into place. This greatly simplifies the installation of the model on a horizontal surface. The legs do not have a special cable recess, but there are special clips.
Remote controller
It seems that in 2020 Samsung decided to use the same “One Remote” for most of its TVs, be it QLED or Crystal UHD versions. The only series that turned out to be “cut down” is TU7002.
It seems to us that this is due to the limited functionality of Tizen offered in the 50TU7002. The fact is that “One Remote” comes with a built-in microphone for voice commands, but since the TU7002 lacks this feature, the remote control is simplified. Thus, the 50TU7002 model received a traditional full-featured remote, which is less impressive, but it does its job. The remote control is made of plastic and equipped with rubber buttons.
It has all the controls you’d expect from a simple remote: a numeric keypad, menu and setting navigation buttons, volume and channel controls, a few play buttons, and three dedicated buttons that include Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Samsung TV plus.
These buttons may have different names and functions for different markets. Overall, the Samsung TU7002 series are TVs with pretty solid build quality when you consider that this is Samsung’s cheapest variant in 2020.
And, of course, the first glance at the showcase with these models does not betray the budget of the TU7002 or TU7000 line. By the way, the Samsung TU7000 series can also be found in some online stores, and it is completely identical with the series in question.
Picture
Samsung’s “Crystal” series has a few changes in specs from 4K and 8K QLED. One of the most notable of these is the different processor used here.
Image processor
TU7002 like TU8500 , is equipped with a “Crystal Processor 4K” processor. By the way, there is currently no information about the differences in this particular processor as compared to the more powerful Quantum processor used in QLED models. But it is obvious that the “younger” versions lack any AI capabilities for image and sound processing.
And while AI technology may seem like a very cool and buzzword to use in marketing, the Crystal Processor 4K does an excellent job of upscaling images from low resolution to 4K without it. All conclusions on this part, given in the Samsung TU8000 review, apply to the Samsung TU7000 series.
The processed images look very good without any major scaling artifacts. This is a testament to the good work that Samsung has put on the less powerful processor.
But, as is the case with the older TU8510 series , not only AI image processing is lost in this line. As there are certain AI-related audio features that sound goodies are also missing. Thus, the TU7002U has only what is called “Adaptive Sound” and nothing else in terms of sound enhancement.
Backlight
Unlike OLED technology, when it comes to LED LCD TVs, manufacturers use different types of backlighting. For the most expensive models, a full – matrix direct illumination system is used Full Array (FALD) system, while for the cheaper models Samsung prefers to use the Edge LED system.
In 2020, the manufacturer made a bit of a difference by introducing the Dual LED system used in some 4K QLED and high-end Crystal UHD TVs. But a couple of lower end series TU8000 and TU7000 (TU7002) come with a simple Edge LED system. The use of Edge LED backlighting affects more than just image brightness. This function can affect the image quality in certain cases.
Because the LEDs are located at the edge of the screen (usually at the top or bottom), when a very bright object appears against a very dark background, streaks of light are usually produced. They appear all over the panel, reducing the overall image quality. This backlight also affects light control and accuracy.
Overall, Edge LED is not a bad system, but obviously the FALD is far superior. And that is why Edge LED systems are currently only used in low-spec TVs to reduce production costs.
This picture quality is suitable for general viewing. Another advantage is the TV’s lighter thickness compared to FALD TVs. Thanks to this, such models look better when installed on the wall.
Brightness and contrast
A little about the brightness of the Samsung TU7002 series TVs. In most cases, this item uses the “Movie” picture mode, which produces the most accurate colors and sets the picture to its maximum brightness.
In this mode, the TV 50 TU7002U “outputs” 240 nits with SDR content in the window of 10%. This is absolutely average, although the SDR brightness requirements are not that high. It should also be added that this series will have problems in very bright indoor lighting. In low light conditions, the picture will be much better.
In HDR mode (10% window), the maximum brightness was almost 260 nits, which is very low and is not suitable for the HDR standard. With such low capabilities, the TU7002 cannot display very bright areas, which has a detrimental effect on the overall HDR image quality. In general, these data correspond to the indicators declared by the manufacturer and are slightly lower than in the TU8000 series.
If you want a 4K TV that can really show you what HDR is, then Samsung’s Crystal series isn’t good enough and you should look at at least the Samsung Q60T QLED .
In terms of contrast, the 50 TU7002U performs well, and this is the result of the VA matrix, as they have good contrast ratios. In a low-light environment, blacks will appear quite deep.
Viewing angle
As for the viewing angles, everything is pretty standard here. Since the TU7002 uses a VA panel, there will be narrow viewing angles. This problem is slightly solved in a positive way in some more expensive models by using an additional layer on the matrix.
Unfortunately, due to the budget of the Samsung TU7002, this technology is omitted here, so the user only gets a “bare panel”. The image accuracy is maintained up to 25 degrees, the maximum deviation is 30 degrees, after which the picture becomes ugly.
HDR support
There is one plus that is universal across all Samsung 2020 lines – the HDR standards supported. This means that the Samsung TU7002 comes with the basic HDR10 protocol, which is mandatory for the 4K UHD label. Further, HLG is mainly used for broadcasting content on the air.
There’s also the more advanced HDR10 +, which uses dynamic metadata and was created by Samsung to compete with Dolby Vision. Obviously, Dolby Vision is completely absent from all Samsung TVs. The principled position of the manufacturer, or how to call it …
And in the case of the TU7002 there can be no talk, since with such low capabilities that the series in question has, it does not really matter. But, for the consumer, there are TVs from other manufacturers that support both HDR10 + and Dolby Vision, so the choice is yours.
Color gamut
The TU7002 series does not feature Samsung’s widely advertised quantum dot technology, but instead uses what is called a “Crystal Display”. This technology is also used in the TU8000. This means that the color gamut is significantly lower than that of any QLED. In this case, the TU7002 covers about 76% of the DCI-P3 color space and about 55% of the REC.2020 color space.
This is actually slightly lower than the TU8000 series. Again, the TU7002 and TU8000 may be advertised as 4K HDR TVs, but this is a misleading advertisement because with such a low color gamut and lack of wide color gamut support, 4K HDR cannot be fully supported as intended.
Dynamics
For action scenes and motion processing, the TU7002 uses 50 / 60Hz panels, while processing takes place at 120Hz (120 MR). This means that with certain settings, flickering may be visible on the screen. Overall, the motion processing performance can be described as adequate for this price point, although blurring is visible in some scenes.
But in general, for such a cheap model, one cannot say that there are serious problems in this regard. Of course, a “motion interpolation” setting is available, which is designed to smooth out action scenes with satisfactory results.
To enable this function, go to the “Image clarity” menu item and adjust the slider in the direction of decreasing accordingly. Be aware that reversed slider positions may produce a soap opera effect. .
By the way, it should be noted that there is a black frame insertion function (BFI), which is a bit surprising for such an inexpensive Samsung TU7002 series, but this specification should be further clarified. With BFI, the TV can smooth out some inaccuracies in motion processing.
But even with this technology, not all is well. On the one hand, BFI can smooth motion with very good results, but visible flickering, lower brightness, and image duplication can occur. So it is not ideal for this particular 50 TU7002U model.
As with the base TU8000 series, the TU7002 (TU7000) line does not support variable refresh rate (VRR), be it FreeSync, HDMI Forum VRR, or G-Sync. If you need these features, you have to look at the Samsung QLED options. .
Sound
When it comes to the audio system, you shouldn’t expect anything different from the other “Crystal UHD” TVs from the TU7002 series. The Samsung TU7002U has the same audio system as the TU8000 – a simple 2.0 circuit with a total output of 20W. As a result, the TVs in this series do an excellent job of normal viewing, with clear sound, quite loud, and very clear dialogues. But for juiciness or volume immersion you need a soundbar.
Sound can of course be quite loud, but high volume does not necessarily mean quality. At low frequencies, the soundtrack lacks depth or sharpness. It will never give you the low end of a subwoofer. The bass sounds boring.
The TU7002 series supports Dolby Audio, although it cannot play Dolby Atmos. It is possible to transfer it via HDMI, since there is eARC support. If there is one feature that can be described as a little more “advanced,” it is Adaptive Sound. This automatically adjusts the audio settings to match the content.
Interfaces
In terms of available connections, the TU7002 has a different layout than the TU8000. This is a result of the reduced number of ports available. So TU7002 has only side connectors and their number is less. There is an optical digital audio output, a USB port (5V / 0.5A), a regular cable or antenna input, an Ethernet port for wired network connection, two HDMI inputs and a power jack.
Everything is as standard as possible. However, we have to clarify that the USB ports are only v2.0, the HDMI inputs are also v2.0. But even in this case, we get eARC on one HDMI interface. That is, Dolby Atmos transmission to an external audio device is possible through it.
Samsung Tizen
As for the smart platform that powers the TU7002, there are some differences from other Samsung models this year. And although the Samsung Tizen 5.5 platform works in this series, it seems to be a stripped-down version. Although all the basic functions are still present, there are fewer animations to be seen here and there.
As for the user interface, if you’ve already owned a Samsung with the Tizen platform, then you more or less know what to expect from it. The visual style is slightly different from last year, but this change was purely aesthetic and did not affect its functionality in any way. We will not fully consider the difference between Tizen 5.5 and previous versions in this review.
Conclusion
You could say the TU7000 series has all the specs you need to be a great budget TV. Obviously, when shopping for this line of TVs, picture quality shouldn’t be in the forefront.
If you are satisfied with that, then this purchase is not bad and is suitable for most who want to buy a cheap 4K TV. On the plus side, the TU7002 series TVs offer good build quality for their class. They have excellent contrast ratios, making them ideal for low-light rooms.
Video latency is excellent. These TVs can be used with game consoles. Scaling is good with very small visible artifacts. Color gamut and motion processing are not bad. These parameters can be classified as simply adequate.
Obviously, the price of these Samsung TVs is the number one factor when choosing such a model. And all “Wishlist” should be compared with this. So, is Samsung TU7002 a bad model or not? When looked at in terms of a native 4K HDR model, it can be said that you will only get half the experience of the anticipated promotional stickers.
This series simply does not have the ability to reproduce HDR content “completely right”. But if you look at it in terms of a low-budget, affordable TV that can be hung in the kitchen or dacha, then the Samsung 43TU7002U is a great model for everyday viewing, be it streaming, broadcasting or gaming.
