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Samsung UE50JU6800 review

 Review: November 2015  
 

Last updated November 2015

Rating: 5 stars

In a nutshell: New for Autumn 2015, the Samsung UE50JU6800 is the best of the company's affordable range of Series 6 TVs. It's a UHD (4K) screen with Samsung's new nano crystal technology, but it's priced significantly lower than the Series 8 & 9 TVs that first introduced this feature. The difference between this and the cheaper Series 6 models is subtle, but the price difference is slight, and as this is a 50-inch screen, we think it offers excellent value for money.



 

Introduction

We have a new favourite in Samsung's Series 6 television range for 2015! The 50-inch version of the JU6800 hits us right in the sweet spot!

Design & looks

Like all of Samsung's 2015 range, the JU6800 has a very modern and stylish look. With a slim brushed metal silver frame, and a matching V-shaped stand, it looks premium and high-end. Mercifully, it's a flat screen, not one of the company's curved designs. It's the best looker of the Series 6 TVs.

As a bonus, the JU6800 starts at 50 inches, instead of the more usual 48 inches, giving a welcome boost to screen real estate.

Unlike some other models, you only get a single standard remote control in the package, but you can buy an optional smart controller as an accessory.

Picture quality

The JU6800 replaces the JU6740 as the best in the Series 6 range, with a Picture Quality Index (PQI) of 1400. There are several reasons why it's rated so highly.

First of all, this is a UHD (4K) screen, capable of displaying an incredible amount of detail, if you feed it with a 4K source, such as Netflix 4K. Native 4K material is scarce at the moment, but hold tight - it is coming. For the moment, you'll need a fast internet connection to stream it. The majority of your viewing will probably be HD for the foreseeable future, and the JU6800 upscales this effortlessly to 4K resolution. Standard definition content can look a little jaggy on a screen this big, but that's a problem common to all big screens.

Secondly, this is a VA-type screen with a very high native contrast ratio. That means that it can reach the very deepest blacks, as well as achieving good brightness levels. UHD dimming helps to reach even greater contrast ratios, while retaining plenty of shadow detail. Backlighting is nice and uniform, with very little clouding.

Thirdly, this is the first Series 6 model to feature Samsung's new nano crystal technology. The JU6800 doesn't have the full capabilities of the more expensive Series 8 & 9 TVs, but it delivers a wider colour gamut than standard UHD screens, for more natural colours. It's a subtle effect that not everyone will notice, but worth having.

This isn't the fastest panel we've seen from Samsung this year. It has a native 60Hz response time, and that can lead to slight motion blur while watching sport. Gamers should be happy though, as the screen has very low lag in Game Mode.

Like all of Samsung's VA panels, the J6800 does suffer from relatively poor viewing angles. This isn't as bad as some of the cheaper Series 6 models, but if you sit at about 45 degrees off-centre, you'll notice that the screen contrast starts to fade, and colours begin to shift.

Note also that this is not a 3D TV. Nevertheless, we're very impressed overall, and this is the best Samsung screen you can buy without stretching to the more expensive Series 7, 8 or 9 models. The Series 7, although it lacks the nano crystal colour, has a faster screen (120Hz instead of 60Hz) and supports 3D.

Audio quality

You won't notice anything out of the ordinary when it comes to sound quality. This is very much a mid-range sound system, with two 10W speakers producing good mid-range frequencies, but lacking in bass. It's good enough for general TV, but movie buffs will benefit from adding a sound bar or a full home cinema kit.

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 JU6800 uses a fast quad-core processor for a quick, smooth response.

Connectivity

The 6800 includes a built-in Freesat HD tuner, plus a good selection of i/o ports. 4 HDMI ports are present, and the TV supports ARC and MHL compatibility. There are 3 USBs, optical audio output, composite & component input, 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 - the best of the Series 6 TVs

Samsung waited until the autumn before releasing its best affordable TV. This is a very well-priced model - around £800 at the time of this review - and offers excellent value. We love its designer looks, superior picture quality, and excellent Smart TV. It also has the advantage of being a 50-inch screen, instead of the more common 48-inch size.

We'd definitely pick this instead of the entry-level UE48JU6400, or even the more expensive UE48JU6740.

Update (15 Nov 2015): The price of this TV has fallen further in the lead up to the Black Friday sales, and is now incredible value. We've uprated it from 4 stars to 5 stars to reflect just how good it is.


Samsung UE50JU6800 features include:

User questions

Sorry - questions and comments on this page are now closed.

Does it have a 2.0 hdmi connection?

Asked by Paul from Uk on 28th Jul 2017

I have this tv and was wonder what was the best picture settings and how do I get them?

Asked by Tim Brown from Uk on 14th Jun 2017

What does it mean when it says this TV supports HDR can you clarify please?

Asked by j from spain on 8th Nov 2016
Does this TV have HDR? Samsung ju6800 50 inch.

Reply by stephen from england on 7th Jan 2017
it dont say it has HDR on the box

Reply by Another Stephen from Irelamd on 13th Jan 2017
It does support HDR after the latest firmware update. But it isn't HDR because you need to have a 10bit panel, which this does not. But yes, if you (like me) have a PS4 you can enable HDR on this Tv.

Reply by Radu from Romania on 25th Apr 2017
To Another stephen: i have this Tv with all firmware updates and ps4 with the 4.5 update for hdr. However, when i check in the video options of the ps4, it says "your tv doesn't support HDR". This is funny because i downloaded the HDR video fron samsung's website to test the hdr and it ran wonderfully. If this has anything to do with the hdmi 2.0a, we can't use it on the standard ps4, as it only knows hdmi 1.4 Only ps pro knows 2.0a as hdmi input. Any solution in how to get my ps4 to recognizr hdr on my tv?

Reply by Radu from Romania on 26th Apr 2017
Wow…reply to my own reply.
So…apparently it works. This particullar tv sees HDR CAPABILITY only through HDMI 1 (the one with ARC included). Once inserting the hdmi into that port, go to UHD color and make sure that HDMI 1 is set to off.
This ia very easy done in game mide, which is how the tv changes when you turn ps4 on. You can do the same without game mode but you have to up your brightness by 20% at least.
Hope this was usefull.

Reply by gordon from UK on 5th May 2017
Hi Radu,are you the Radu who worked with me and Haide in Bucharest? if so please contact us on gordonbosson@gmail.com.

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Samsung UE50JU6800 user reviews

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