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Play to the Samsung’s strengths with some 4K HDR10+ content and the AU9000 didn't take long to impress me. It has some real and unarguable strengths when it comes to picture-making. And where edge definition and motion control are concerned, the Samsung UE50AU9000 is similarly confident. With content of this standard there’s just no suggestion of the Samsung losing its grip of on-screen movement, and it draws edges with a deft and steady hand. There’s a definite suggestion of three-dimensionality to the 50AU9000’s images that most comparably priced alternatives would struggle to match. The Samsung BU8500 is on sale now, though at the time of writing this particular model is available in Europe and some other countries, but hasn't been announced for North America or Australia (though it is available in New Zealand). From the front, the Samsung AU9000 TV looks clean enough. The bezel is minimal around the top and sides – and even if the bottom portion is both a bit heftier and doesn’t join the main frame seamlessly at either end, that’s the sort of thing you notice while installing the screen and then never give another thought to. The plastics feel nice enough, even on the rear panel, and as is usual with Samsung there’s an impression of quality construction. After watching all sorts of content, I noticed that edge definition is also handled well, so edges are drawn confidently and with real positivity. Only when combined with properly testing on-screen motion are edges anything less than smooth, and only when on-screen motion gets properly complex does the Samsung do anything except grip movement with real determination. Only in extremis does the AU9000’s Crystal Processor 4K give the slightest hint of how hard it’s working.
That’s unless you want to use Samsung’s Smart Things control app, at least. It’s a clean interface, and performs stably – but it’s quite nosy. Short of inside leg measurement, there’s very little it doesn’t want to know about you, which some folks are guaranteed to find off-putting. If you’re intending to see the Samsung AU9000 TV perform at its best, then you’ll need to serve it some native 4K content with HDR10+ augmentation – because, as is always the case (and as is always galling) with Samsung, there’s no Dolby Vision dynamic metadata HDR standard on the spec-sheet. The bezel across the bottom is a little wider, and stands proud of the screen just a little, but I wouldn’t call it unsightly. ‘Inoffensive’ is sometimes a put-down, but not in this instance. Look directly at it when the TV isn’t switched on, and this Samsung is the best sort of inoffensive.Step down to some 1080p content and the Samsung remains a composed and convincing watch. Inevitably, there are drop-offs in pretty much every area: detail levels aren’t quite so high; skin-tones aren’t quite so naturalistic; colours aren’t quite so wide-ranging; motion isn’t quite so stable. But given the amount of work the 50AU9000’s Crystal Processor 4K is getting through, these shortcomings are minor in the extreme. As yet, we’ve no confirmation as to whether the Samsung AU9000 range will be offered for sale either in Australia or in the United States. Samsung isn’t alone in preferring to have bespoke models in different territories – or, at the very least, to have different model numbers in different territories for the same televisions. Design As I already observed, the Tizen operating system is exemplary – and to help you find your way around it, Samsung has equipped the AU9000 is not one but two remote controls. The first is the sort of rather thin-feeling, over-buttoned handset we’ve come to expect in this area of the market, but the second is an altogether more upmarket alternative with fewer buttons that are much nicer in terms of action.
And while Samsung can’t claim HDMI 2.1 specification, all three of the HDMI inputs here go further towards accommodating next-gen consoles than the model the AU9000 replaces. Auto Low Latency Mode and AMD FreeSync are catered for, and PC gamers will be pleased to learn there’s a facility to replicate the ultra-wide 32:9 aspect ratio some games can run at, too. During setup, the adjustment to color balance is on a bit of a hair-trigger – it’ll tip from ‘just slightly understated’ to ‘rather too lively’ in no time. But play around a bit to find the optimum balance and the color palette is naturalistic, convincing and wide-ranging. Skin-tones, in particular, are detailed and varied. The Samsung AU9000 isn’t the first TV to deliver a sound quite strongly at odds with the pictures it is capable of serving up, and it won’t be the last. But nevertheless, I discovered that there is something quite dispiriting about the Samsung’s sonic performance.
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Of course, we don’t all live on a diet of brand-new cutting-edge content - and when it comes to upscaling, the Samsung (mostly) continues its good work. Certainly an HD broadcast of some elite-level tennis suffers hardly at all – colors are confidently described, on-screen movement is stable in almost all circumstances, and detail levels stay high. There’s a little coarsening of skin-tones and a hint of jaggedness to the more difficult edges, but by and large the BU8500 remains eminently watchable. Colours can be bold and vivid when required (I found more-or-less any sports team’s kit falls into this category), or muted and nuanced if necessary (more-or-less any sports team’s manager’s clothing, for example). Gradations made me sit up and pay attention too – so when I was watching football, the numerous almost-identical shades of green from a pitch are described and differentiated well. No, the AU9000 is not the dullest, or the vaguest, or the most volume-adverse, television I've ever heard – but then neither is it all that interesting or engaging to listen to. So not for the first time (and almost certainly not for the last), Samsung has managed to hit a price-point without too many obvious compromises. It's absolutely one of the best Samsung TVs available today for those on a budget. Samsung BU8500 review: Price and release date One thing that’s not new, on the basis that upgrading it would be difficult in the extreme, is the Tizen smart TV interface. It’s long been close to ideal and, though every other manufacturer has undeniably upped their smart TV game to compete, Tizen continues to be a pleasure to use.
It’s quite distinct through the mid-range and, again, quite decent levels of detail. Voices project forwards well, and they're actually quite nicely balanced – until they start to nudge into the upper frequency range. Once it reaches the higher frequencies, the BU8500 becomes quite hard and edgy, bringing sibilance and even a hint of coarseness to treble sounds. It’s a trait that’s only exacerbated by volume.
The Samsung AU9000 sports a lovely design, great pictures and plenty of features at a very affordable price
Would you be staggered to learn the Samsung is quite a bit less impressive in sonic terms than it is in picture quality terms? I doubt it – that’s usually the case with mid-market TVs. Set-up menus are similarly logical, and strike a nice balance between brevity and comprehensiveness. Achieving a picture that scrolls smoothly, defines edges confidently, and is decently bright and detailed, shouldn’t take long. Getting a colour balance you’re convinced by may take just a little longer. There are three HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which (HDMI 2) supports eARC, and all of which are capable of handling 4K resolution at 60Hz, CEC, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) – making this TV a solid choice for gamers. There are also two USB 2.0 inputs, a terrestrial tuner, a CI slot, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port for a wired connection. In terms of wireless connections, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 are supported. There’s an impressive choice of apps for a TV at this price point too, with Netflix, Prime Video, Now TV, Disney+, Apple TV+, Rakuten, YouTube, and all the UK TV catch-up services; plus there’s the Universal Guide to help you sift through the extensive selection of content.
It’s the final figure in the Samsung’s 1119 x 645 x 26mm (h x w x d) measurements that’s the most arresting. That depth is consistent, too – so if you decide to wall-mount your TV, it’ll sit almost flush. Samsung, with no apparent sense of hyperbole, calls this design language ‘AirSlim’.
To test the Samsung AU9000 we used Portrait Displays Calman colour calibration software. Samsung AU9000 review: Gaming The Samsung AU9000 is weakest when it comes to sound, and that’s as much because of the slime-line chassis as its price point. The reality is that it’s nearly impossible to cram a decent set of speakers into a chassis only 26mm deep and to do so would be prohibitively expensive. The chassis itself is only 26mm deep, with the 43in version measuring 966 x 188 x 624mm (WDH) and weighing 8.6kg with its feet attached. These slot into grooves at the rear and provide 80mm of clearance beneath the image. A section of plastic can be used to connect the two feet, which stand 640mm apart, but you’ll want to leave this off if you’re planning to slot a soundbar under the screen. The Samsung BU8500 is impressively slim, but this does limit what its speakers can do. (Image credit: Future) Samsung BU8500 review: Sound quality
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