Whether you’re looking at one of Samsung’s basic sets or one of the ground-breaking Curved 4K Ultra HD models, they continue to be one of the most highly sought after brands in our stores. So we’re naturally excited to take a look at the latest range for 2015…
Samsung have always tried to be ahead of the curve (pun intended) when it comes to innovative TV technology and based on their announcements at CES earlier in the year, it appears that the trend is set to continue. They have renovated their award-winning Smart hub, building on an already comprehensive application library, so let’s see what else they have in store.
4 Series
These are set to be for the smaller sizes (24” most likely) and will have the most basic processors built in for motion handling, a 50Hz screen and a quad core processor. A perfect little set for those in need of catch up in the kitchen.
5 Series
Already a firm favourite with many, the 5 series models are the entry level range for most of the larger sizes, ranging between 22” all the way up to 55”. Again, you will be expecting a more basic set-up when it comes to the motion handling at 100Hz (or 400 PQI – Picture Quality Index) and again there will be a quad core processor to keep the application running nice and smoothly. This range features a sturdy 4 leg stand to ensure it will be safe even if it were to get an accidental nudge.
6 Series
The 2015 Samsung UE40JU6400
Last year the H6400 6 series was a What Hi-Fi 5* award-winner and even took the best TV in the 40”-46” and the 47”-52” categories. This year I am sure that they will be aiming for those prestigious awards once again, but this time with a slightly more futuristic approach.
As many of you will have noticed the amount of 4K TVs last year had grown significantly with the popular streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime offering 4K content. Now we have Sky, BT Vision and even BBC iPlayer looking into the 4K service. It is because of this that manufacturers have expanded their 4K availability.
The 6 series is where this journey begins. This year’s JU6400 is an entry level 4K TV that is ideally future-proofed. Last year (and indeed the year before) TVs with 4K capabilities struggled somewhat with upscaling – a system designed to take smaller resolution images and “stretch” them to use all of a 4K screen. There were the odd mentions of motion issues, blurring and sometimes even pixilation on lower quality images (such as standard definition) which detracted away from a truly enjoyable watching experience. This year manufacturers have certainly responded to the criticism with a massive jump up in the way these TVs adjust their picture. Whether you are watching a DVD or a Blu-Ray the images remain much smoother and sharper than ever before. The 6 Series is the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to get to grips with 4K.
The 6 series screens are currently available in a variety of sizes ranging between 40”-55” and curved models also available up to 65”.
7 Series
The 7 series is a firm favourite of mine. It is the top spec flat panel TV from Samsung and offers another huge leap in terms of the upscaling and the black levels when compared to the 6 series. The primary reason for this is a 200Hz panel, a 1300 PQI motion handling rate and Samsung’s PurColour technology to make colours more vibrant and more natural. Whilst it is a direct LED backlit TV, the black levels with the Black Level Pro create a truly wonderful viewing experience. I can see this model being one of the firm favourites over the course of the next year with its thin bezel and striking stand.
This TV is aimed at the larger sizes; available now in 40” all the way up to an enormous 85”. Again, curved models are available between 48”-78”.
8 & 9 Series
This is the flagship range from Samsung for 2015. The 8 & 9 series TVs are gifted with this year’s brand new innovation called SUHD, sometimes referred to as nano crystals or quantum dot technology.
This is in essence an additional layer of filters over the LEDs to create a much purer white clarity and a huge jump in how natural the colour pallet looks. The overall impact is a 64 times better colour expression than a typical 4K LED TV. With their unique colour mapping algorithm at the heart of the upscaling process you will get the very best in picture quality.
The Peak Illuminator system as well as the Precision Black Pro work together in wonderful harmony to give extremely deep blacks and vividly bright whites without bleeding into one another and certainly has to rival even an OLED screen for how precise they can truly be. To get the best out of this screen try watching House of Cards on Netflix to see just how impressive these sets can look when streaming in 4K.
If picture quality is what you are searching for in a TV then look no further than the JS8500 or JS9500 available in 48”-65” and 65”-88” respectively.
All in all, 2015 offers a huge jump forward in picture quality so Samsung, plus a huge variety of apps and 4K is now at an affordable price. Come in and see us for a demo today!
Author – Andrew, Weybridge store
