Product review: Samsung UE55MU6100 TV

A massive surge in readily available 4K content over the past 12 months has really opened up the 4K TV market to the masses. We are seeing releases from manufacturers left right and centre,  and crucially at all price points. Good news! Now here comes the 2017 “entry level” 4K 55 inch offering from the South Korean giant Samsung. I say “entry level”, when in truth it’s anything but. Read on to find out whether it could be the right TV for your home…

The 55MU6100 is the starting point that Samsung’s 2017 55 inch 4K range starts from. There’s nothing “entry level” about this set as far as I can see. Starting with how it looks, as nobody wants to be staring at an unsightly, archaic looking statue every single day. As you’d expect from Samsung, nothing has been glossed over when it comes to the cosmetic side of things. The TV has a narrow black surround with a nicely placed silver trim running along the bottom edge. This allows it to then flow into the silver stand it accompanies. If the stand option isn’t for you then you can use a Vesa 400mm x 400m wall bracket to place it on a wall. Due to it only being 64mm deep, this will keep it as close to the wall as possible and maintain that aesthetically pleasing look.

Hooking up anything from a games console to a Sky Q box shouldn’t be an issue due to the fact it has 3 HDCP 2.2 connections. ARC (audio return channel) is included so if the inbuilt speakers aren’t enough, you can take it into your home theatre system without the need for extra cables. There are two USB ports that offer playback of movies, pictures and photographs. You can also record via the USB from Samsung TV plus. What’s that I hear you all cry? This is Samsung’s own, personalised “Freeview” service which syncs up to the smart platform to give you a more personal feel to the TV. You get all the same channels as Freeview without the Freeview license. The guide is slick and graphics are also to a high standard.

This can also be cleverly set up to talk to your smart TV and it will recommend things to watch via the in-built apps based on your viewing habits. As this is of course a Samsung smart TV, there are plenty of apps and features to cycle through. New for 2017 TV’s alongside TV plus, are new sports and music services. You can customize the sport service to receive alerts on your TV when your favorite team is playing and one simple click takes you to that channel. Music has been taken up a notch with apps such as Spotify, Napster and Deezer all included. This is only the tip of the iceberg though as topping all of this is the addition of Shazam. What’s that song playing in the background of this film? Just ask Shazam and all will be revealed. Also Shazam will offer you suggestions of music you may like based on these listening habits. Is there anything the smart hub can’t do? Powered by a quad core processor, I’m yet to find something it can’t.

Now for the most important aspect of any ultra HD TV… the picture quality. Samsung have upped their whole range this year and the 55MU6100 is no exception. Using an 8bit panel capable of receiving HDR (high dynamic range) signals, the picture is the brightest I’ve seen from a set at this prize and size. Motion is handled well enough due to its Auto Motion Plus feature. This helps elongate that annoying blur and picture noise which is sometimes apparent in other sets. Samsung give this model a 1300 PQI (picture quality index), which is the same as last year’s KU6100, however, the picture definitely seems a little brighter than the preceding model. UHD dimming helps with any image distortion and keeps the overall picture as smooth as possible. Black levels are better than last year but not at the level I was wishing for. Skin tones could also be a touch more natural as they sometimes get a bit bright in places. Having a play around with settings is advisable as for me personally, everything seems a touch high. For gaming and movies these may work well but personally I like things a bit softer. Everybody is different so I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that suits you without too much fuss.

A good starting point from Samsung this year and at a good price to match. Want to have a look for yourself? Give us a call and arrange a visit at your local Richer Sounds store.

Click to find out more about the Samsung UE55MU6100.

Author: Bradley, Plymouth Store