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Samsung UE48JU6740 review

 Review: June 2015  
 

Last updated October 2015

Rating: 3 stars

In a nutshell: The Samsung UE48JU6740 gets very high marks for its beautiful curved screen and attractive V-shaped stand. It scores well for picture quality too, although its limited viewing angles count against it. The built-in Freeview and Freesat tuners are another bonus. Just watch out for the price!



 

Introduction

The Samsung UE48JU6740 is the same as the UE48JU6500 model, but with a few additions. It's a premium TV, but with a price to match!

Design & looks

The UE48JU6740 is another of Samsung's curved TVs, and it certainly creates a very strong first impression. In terms of appearance, it's very similar to the UE48JU6500, with a narrow black plastic bezel surrounding the screen. The stand is slightly different, and if anything is even smarter than the JU6500's. It's a metal V-shaped stand that's both very slim and sturdy. This is certainly a TV that gets high marks for design.

The sales package includes both a standard remote control and also a handy smart remote, designed to make it easy to navigate the Smart TV menus and apps.

Picture quality

The JU6740 is ranked at the very top of Samsung's Series 6 range. Not only is it a UHD TV, but it claims a feature called UHD dimming, designed to provide intelligent backlighting that varies with the scene being displayed. Samsung has awarded it a Picture Quality Index (PQI) of 1200, indicating that the company believes this to offer the best picture quality of any of its Series 6 models.

UHD is a nice feature to have on such a big screen, as the difference becomes noticeable on screen sizes of 48 inches or larger. It's by no means essential, but it will provide future-proofing for when UHD (4K) content becomes widely available. At present there are just a few 4K titles on Netflix to play with. The choice of titles available on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon will steadily increase, and more choice will become available once Blu-Ray and perhaps broadcast TV go down the 4K route. That may be a year or two away, however. In the meantime, the JU6740 does a good job upscaling ordinary HD content to the UHD screen. Low-quality standard def TV channels don't look so good, but we make this same comment when reviewing any screen sized 48 inches or bigger.

The curved screen is also a talking point. The claim is that the curvature gives you a more immersive and realistic experience, with added depth simulating a 3D effect. While this may be true for gamers, or if you watch TV alone, for a family the case isn't very strong. Unless you're sitting directly in front of the screen, the curve will tend to shut you out, not draw you in.

Whether or not you like the curve, the screen itself is a good one. Samsung's panels are well known for producing very deep blacks, and the JU6740 is no exception. It's very bright too, and the UHD dimming backlighting technology performs well, producing good dynamic contrast and plenty of shadow detail. Colour balance is excellent too. For static images, it's one of the best performing televisions you'll find in the mid-range.

Motion control is slightly less polished. The screen used is intrinsically not very fast, and even with Samsung's motion interpolation processing, fast-moving images can sometimes blur. It's not a big problem, but if you're a movie buff or a big sports fan, it might be something that you notice. On a more positive note, the TV has a reaonably low lag when set to Game mode.

What's more bothersome, and something that everyone will notice, is the narrow viewing angles of the display. While we praised the depth of the blacks and the colour balance of the screen when viewing it head on, the situation is different if you view it from an angle, for instance if you're not sitting in a chair directly in front of the screen. From an angle, the contrast dips quite quickly, with whites and blacks turning grey, and other colours losing their integrity. The curved screen makes this effect even worse, and the viewing angle for which the picture is optimal is really quite narrow.

Note also that this is not a 3D TV.

Audio quality

We'll apply the same comments to this TV as we have done to all of this year's Series 6 models - OK, but could do better. The audio system is very much a mid-range offering, with stereo 10W speakers capable of reproducing dialogue well enough, but lacking bass and treble.

We'd recommend some kind of sound bar or a full home cinema kit to get the most enjoyment from this TV, and to enhance that immersive quality that Samsung has told us so much about.

Smart TV

Samsung's Smart TV system has been overhauled for 2015, and is now based on the open-source Tizen operating system. The new system is nicely integrated into the TV's operation, and lets you select apps and input sources with ease.

You'll find streaming services Netflix and Amazon, as well as catch-up TV from the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All 4 and Demand 5. Other apps include YouTube, a web browser, games, Skype, Facebook and Twitter.

The JU6740 uses a fast quad-core processor for a quick, smooth response. It also benefits from the inclusion of a dedicated Smart remote control, making the menu and apps very easy to drive. The Smart remote includes voice control too.

Connectivity

The 6740 is a step up from the 6500 in that it includes a built-in Freesat HD tuner in addition to a Freeview HD tuner. A 7-day electronic programme guide lets you select your viewing.

The TV comes with a generous 4 HDMI ports (including ARC and MHL compatibility), 3 USBs, an optical audio output, plus composite and component inputs, and a headphone jack, but no SCART. Smart TV access is provided by built-in Wi-Fi and an ethernet connection.

The TV also supports DLNA, and screen mirroring for compatible smartphones and tablets.

Conclusion - a premium TV

We originally awarded the UE48JU6740 three stars, reflecting its high initial price. Then the price was slashed, and we adjusted our rating to 4 stars. Now the price has gone back up to around £950, we've put it back to 3 stars.

The UE48JU6740 is in many ways a fine TV. We love its style and looks, and other top features are its Smart TV and built-in Freesat.

Picture quality is in many ways superb. There's the immersive curved screen (perhaps best appreciated by gamers and single viewers), the UHD capability, the superb black levels, brightness and dynamic contrast. These are the features that give this TV the PQI of 1200, putting it at the top of the Series 6 models. However, that narrow viewing angle is an issue that we can't ignore. It'll be a problem if you intend to use this as a family TV with several people viewing at the same time.

If you plan to buy this model, watch the price carefully. If you can find it for less than £800, it will be worth buying.


Samsung UE48JU6740 features include:

User questions

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Where can i get a replacement bass stand?

Asked by Lynsey from U.K. on 7th Nov 2017

Does it have Bluetooth?

Asked by STEWART from United Kingdom on 10th Apr 2017

What if screen damage? can be replaced?

Asked by Ashfaque bade from Uk on 18th Jan 2017

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Samsung UE48JU6740 user reviews

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