Samsung BU8500 evaluation: A wonderful mid-range performer

The Samsung BU8500 is a cracking mid-range 4K HDR TV that gives wonderful image high quality, intensive options, a really low enter lag, and help for all the principle streaming companies because of a complete sensible platform.

There’s no help for 4K/120Hz, VRR or Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and the sound may very well be higher, however in any other case, this wonderful TV deftly balances efficiency and worth.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Key specs

Display screen sizes obtainable:	43in UE43BU8500 50in UE50BU8500 55in UE55BU8500 65in UE65BU8500 75in UE75BU8500
Panel kind:	VA-type LCD
Decision:	4K/UHD (3,840 X 2,160)
Refresh charge:	50Hz
HDR codecs:	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Audio enhancement:	Object Monitoring Sound Lite
HDMI inputs:	3 x HDMI 2.0
Freeview Play compatibility:	No
Tuners:	Terrestrial
Gaming options:	ALLM, Sport Bar
Wi-fi connectivity:	Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2
Sensible assistants:	Bixby built-in, works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Sensible platform:	Tizen OS

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Samsung BU8500 evaluation: What you should know

The Samsung BU8500 is a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) HDR sensible TV that is available in display sizes starting from 43in to 75in. It’s a part of Samsung’s entry-level 2022 Crystal UHD vary, which sits under its collection of QLED and Neo QLED TVs. Like the remainder of the Crystal UHD vary, the BU8500 is powered by the South Korean producer’s Crystal 4K Processor.

It makes use of a 50Hz VA LCD panel with a direct LED backlight, runs Samsung’s Tizen-powered working system, and helps HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+. All the foremost content material streaming platforms are current and proper, plus numerous gaming-related options.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Value and competitors

You may at present purchase the 65in Samsung BU8500 reviewed right here for £849, which is a price ticket that ought to put a smile on the face of even probably the most frugal TV fan.

The opposite display measurement choices are equally well-priced, with the 43in mannequin costing simply £399, the 50in variant priced at £449, the 55in model obtainable for £649, and the 75in mannequin setting you again £1,069.

The LG NANO76 seems equally spectacular, and the 65in mannequin is available in barely cheaper than the BU8500 at £749. It affords an completed efficiency in terms of image high quality, mixed with an in depth set of options, together with loads of gaming help, plus a webOS sensible system that gives a complete selection of streaming apps.

It’s additionally obtainable in a wider vary of display sizes, with 70in (£999) and 86in (£1,799) fashions along with the 43in (£429), 50in (£499), 55in (£579) and 75in (£1,099) choices you should buy the BU8500 in.

Samsung’s AU9000 was one in every of our favorite reasonably priced TVs of 2021 and stays a fantastic choice however has change into more and more onerous to search out. The 65in continues to be obtainable at Currys for £599, although. It shares a number of similarities with its 2022 Crystal UHD stablemate, together with its AirSlim design and Crystal Processor 4K.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Design, connections and management

The Samsung BU8500 is the proper instance of economies of scale, with a stage of construct high quality that exceeds its reasonably priced worth. It additionally doesn’t look low cost, with a sublime black chassis that’s pleasingly slim, and a display surrounded by a minimal bezel.

The 65in mannequin is just 26mm deep and sits on a pair of toes that may be made right into a stand by including a plastic cowl. This does cheapen the look a bit, nevertheless. The toes present strong help and create enough clearance beneath the display to put in a soundbar. The BU8500 may also be wall-mounted if you happen to favor, with fixings on the rear for a 400 x 300 VESA bracket.

There’s a trio of HDMI inputs, one in every of which (HDMI 2) helps eARC, and all of that are able to dealing with 4K/60Hz, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and ALLM. Since it is a Samsung TV there’s no Dolby Imaginative and prescient, however the 50Hz panel means the BU8500 can’t deal with 4K/120Hz and VRR both. There are additionally two USB 2.0 inputs, a terrestrial tuner, a CI slot, an optical digital output and an Ethernet port for a wired connection. For wi-fi connections, there’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

There’s a selection of a regular Samsung controller or a SolarCell distant that recharges utilizing photo voltaic power, and affords a stripped-down set of keys together with fundamental navigation controls, quantity and channel up/down, plus direct entry buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and TV Plus.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Sensible TV platform

One of many nice benefits of Samsung’s lower-tier TVs is that they arrive with the model’s full Tizen sensible system. The BU8500 isn’t any exception and consists of enough processing energy for the platform to be responsive, intuitive and straightforward to navigate utilizing its full-screen dwelling web page.

There’s a formidable selection of apps for a TV at this worth level, with Netflix, Prime Video, Now TV, Disney+, Apple TV+, Rakuten, YouTube, and all of the UK TV catch-up companies; plus there’s a Common Information designed that can assist you sift by the intensive collection of content material on provide.

There’s additionally Samsung’s TV Plus characteristic, an online browser and the SmartThings app. The latter makes setup easy and even supplies an extra diploma of management. On the subject of including smarts, there’s Bixby built-in, and the TV additionally works with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Picture high quality

The Samsung BU8500 could be a lower-tier mannequin, however it produces a formidable image because of a VA panel that, for an LCD TV, delivers an honest distinction ratio of round 3,200:1. There’s some good shadow element as properly, though the optimum viewing angles are pretty restricted. The LED backlighting can also be comparatively efficient, producing good display uniformity.

The BU8500 ships within the Normal mode, which as traditional is simply too shiny, has colors which are oversaturated and introduces an extra of blue into the grayscale. Fortunately, switching to the Filmmaker mode instantly produces better accuracy, with a greyscale that measures a mean Delta E (error) of 1.6, which is properly under the seen threshold of three.

The color accuracy is equally spectacular, producing common errors that additionally hit round 1.6 on a full saturation sweep, whereas the gamma is superb too, carefully monitoring our goal curve of two.4. Because of this, the SDR efficiency is excellent, with photos that seem properly outlined and freed from artefacts or different aberrations, mixed with colors that look pure.

The general image feels properly balanced, with first rate blacks regardless of the dearth of dimmable zones, shiny highlights, and superb gradation within the shadows. There’s additionally some efficient picture processing and upscaling, enabling the BU8500 to render lower-resolution content material in a clear and detailed style that permits customers to get pleasure from normal and high-definition content material together with native 4K.

The movement efficiency is mostly good for an LCD TV, with the usage of a 50Hz refresh charge making sense within the UK. Importantly, the BU8500 handles movies in 24p or video games in 60Hz with out introducing judder or different points. Image Readability affords body interpolation choices, and whereas good for fast-paced sports activities akin to soccer, needs to be averted when watching movies and TV dramas.

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Samsung BU8500 evaluation: HDR efficiency

The Samsung BU8500 could be a formidable TV when dealing with SDR, however its limitations change into obvious when shifting on to HDR. That is very true by way of peak brightness, which solely hits 330cd/m² on each a ten% window and full-field sample in Dynamic mode, and drops to round 285cd/m² on each a ten% and a full-field sample with the extra correct Filmmaker mode.

Regardless of the slight drop in brightness, it is best to use the Filmmaker mode as a result of it delivers photos which are extra correct and higher mirror the content material creator’s intentions. That is because of an correct greyscale, and tone mapping that carefully tracks the PQ curve regardless of the brightness limitations. The colors are additionally pretty correct, even when they solely cowl 90% of the DCI-P3 gamut.

On the subject of truly watching HDR content material, the general image seems pure and properly detailed, with suitably saturated photos. The blacks aren’t as deep as extra succesful shows, and the specular highlights lack a level of influence, however if you happen to feed the BU8500 a very good HDR supply you’ll be rewarded with an general efficiency that’s superior to a lot of its opponents.

The BU8500 helps HDR10, HLG and HDR10+, however not Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Nonetheless, the absence of the latter has nothing to do with the TV’s mid-range standing as a result of none of Samsung’s fashions help the format. The HDR10+ efficiency was good in testing, and whereas not as prevalent as Dolby Imaginative and prescient, the format is utilized by Prime Video, some 4K Blu-rays, and now Apple TV+.

To check the Samsung BU8500 we used Portrait Shows Calman color calibration software program.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Sound high quality

The Samsung BU8500 might look slim and chic, however that doesn’t depart a lot room for big audio system, and the sound high quality suffers because of this. That’s to not say the sound is horrible, however for a display this massive the BU8500 struggles to ship the form of overwhelming sonic presence {that a} fashionable blockbuster calls for when utilizing solely a pair of downward-firing audio system.

There’s a level of low-end extension, however not one of the actually deep bass that offers film audio better influence, and the mid-range typically feels a bit flat. Nonetheless, dialogue is offered in a transparent and centered style, and the general supply within reason balanced. Sadly, the treble can really feel harsh and sibilant, and the 20W of amplification struggles at larger volumes.

Samsung consists of its Object Monitoring Sound (OTS) Lite immersive audio algorithm and AI Adaptive Sound acoustic processing, however their impact is gentle, to say the least. For the reason that BU8500 consists of Samsung’s Q Symphony characteristic, which integrates the TV’s audio system with that of a supporting soundbar, you would possibly need to take into account shopping for one of many firm’s suitable fashions.

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Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Gaming

The Samsung BU8500 isn’t the best selection as a gaming TV, partly as a result of the 50Hz panel precludes help for 4K/120Hz high-frame-rate gaming, together with VRR (variable refresh charge), Freesync and the Movement Xcelerator Turbo Professional know-how discovered on different Samsung TVs.

On the plus aspect, the BU8500 does help 4K at 50Hz, together with HDR10, HDR10+ and HGiG. It additionally consists of ALLM (automated low latency mode), which detects a console and selects the Sport mode, and as with most Samsung TVs, this produces an extremely low enter lag of 10ms.

The BU8500 additionally consists of Samsung’s Sport Bar, which brings collectively game-related info, controls and options in a handy location. It pops up routinely when a recreation console is detected, however may also be chosen by merely holding down the play/pause button.

Samsung BU8500 evaluation: Verdict

The Samsung BU8500 is an completed mid-range 4K HDR TV that manages to steadiness strong efficiency with an reasonably priced worth. It seems costlier than it’s, affords a bunch of sensible options and is straightforward to arrange and use.

The SDR image high quality is superb, with Filmmaker mode producing photos which are pleasingly correct. The upscaling and processing are efficient, the display uniformity good, and the distinction ratios first rate for an LCD TV. The HDR is not as spectacular attributable to restricted brightness and colors, however an correct supply and first rate tone mapping enable for a efficiency that’s at the very least succesful.

Finally, the Samsung BU8500 is the proper instance of why the model is so sturdy within the lower-tier TV market, delivering wonderful construct high quality, complete options and strong image high quality at a worth that gained’t break the financial institution. For those who’re in search of higher-end efficiency at an reasonably priced worth, this funds magnificence is price investigating.