Samsung UN65HU9000 Curved 65″ 4K 120Hz 3D Smart LED Ultra HDTV Review

4K Ultra HDTVs have been making huge strides in the television market since their introduction to the U.S. market back in October of 2012.  Head out to your local electronics store and you will find dedicated displays set up promoting this latest HD technology. Manufacturers are beginning to roll out large numbers of 4K displays as they continue to grow in popularity, giving consumers a variety of sets to choose from. Prices are steadily dropping making 4K UHD more affordable for many consumers who are interested in this new technology and are looking to purchase one of these ultra high def displays.

Samsung has many models in its 2014 line-up. The UNHU9000 Series features Samsung’s top-of-the-line models offered in three screen sizes – 55″, 78″ and the 65″ UN65HU9000, which is the topic of this review.

Design/Features

The UN65HU9000 65″ screen commands attention as the first 4K display featuring this stylish and beautiful curved design. The bezel and frame are slim and sleek which adds to this TV’s striking appearance. There is still debate on whether the curved screen improves picture quality. Some say it enhances off-axis viewing angles. While most say it’s just for looks and is the latest “must have” feature that many consumers will crave.

The 65HU9000 uses the 2014 Samsung One-Connect box which houses the controls of the display, including Smart TV functionality, GUI, signal processing, and all inputs. It also serves as an upgrade path for future-proofing this UHD TV.

Being a premium 4K model, the HU9000 is equipped with an assortment of features. First on my “must mention” list is the TV’s edge-lit LED display panel with local dimming for deeper blacks and better contrast.  Samsung also has a feature called “cinema black” for shutting down the LEDs near the letterbox black bars to increase the TV’s black levels. Samsung’s new Ultra Clear panel reduces screen reflections (glare) and absorbs ambient light. It also allows the set to display deeper black and enhanced contrast for better picture quality.

The HU9000 is HEVC/H.265 compliant which allows the streaming of 4K video from services such as Netflix. HDMI 2.0 is also on board for increased bandwidth and higher resolutions and allows for frame rates up to 60fps.

The all-new Smart Touch remote is compact with a unique egg-shaped design and touch-pad control, making it simple to use. The remote also features point-and-click functionality and voice command. This set also contains a built-in pop-up camera.

The HU9000 is also 3D-ready and includes 4 pairs of active 3D glasses. Samsung also includes wireless connectivity on this model for connecting to many of its soundbars for better sound quality. Samsung’s Smart Hub has plenty of apps on board, and with a great user interface and intuitive navigation, makes this TV’s “smart” functions easy to use.

Port  Connections

All connections to the set are made through the One-Connect box mentioned above and include:

• 4 HDMI 2.0 inputs
• 3 USB ports
• 1 RF antenna/cable input
• 1 component input
• 2 composite A/V inputs – one shared with component
•  1 Digital audio out (optical)
• 1 Ethernet

Wi-Fi connectivity is available for accessing your home’s wireless network.

Performance

The more 4K UHD TVs I evaluate the more impressed I become with this latest high-resolution technology. In my experience, it really is a step up from your typical 1080p display. And the UN65HU9000 continues this belief.

The picture quality on this set is simply awesome. The increased detail and image transparency that 4K brings is readily apparent on this display which gave this set excellent image depth. I could see all of the fine detail in the image which was sharp and crystal clear. The overall image truly delivered a you-are-there appearance.

Black level rendering on the HU9000 was excellent. A nighttime city-scape scene I viewed showed deep dark blacks with great shadow detail which contrasted well with all the city lights and enabled me to see all the action taking place on the city streets.

Motion blur was not a problem with this set thanks to Samsung’s Clear Motion Rate 1440 which reduces motion artifacts during fast-paced sporting events and action movies.

Color Rendition

In the Movie mode picture setting and the color temperature set to Warm 2, the color palette was very accurate, which produced very vibrant and natural colors that popped from the screen.

Side Angle Viewing

As with most LED displays, side angle viewing can be an issue and the HU9000 was no exception. At extreme angles, the contrast and colors did fade a bit but did not impact the overall image to where it would be considered a problem. To sum things up – this TV’s off-angle viewing is very good for an LED display.

Conclusion

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price:$4,299.99
Warranty: 1-year parts & labor

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Specs

Dimensions (W x H x D, inches): 69.1 X 42.1 x 14.6 (with stand) 69.1 x 40.3 x 5.7 (without stand)

Weight (pounds) 115.5 (with stand) 101.2 (without stand)

Pros:

• All-around excellent performance and picture quality
• Up-scales all content to 4K resolution (non-native)
• This curved model can be wall mounted (Samsung’s WMN450 mini wall mount kit) Other wall mount options are available
• Built-in pop-up camera
• Quad-core plus processor
• HDMI 2.0 complainant

Cons:

• Expensive
• Curved design adds no real benefit to picture quality

The UN65HU9000 is a beautifully designed Ultra HDTV that is reminiscent of a work of art, and it delivers some of the best 4K images I have seen to date. So if you’re in the market for a state-of-the-art, top performing and feature-packed UHD TV, consider taking a look at this model. It is one of the best available. Highly recommended.

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More Samsung reviews: Samsung PN64H5000 64″ Plasma HDTV, Samsung UN55H7150 55″ LED HDTV.