T3 - UK (2020-10)

From £4 49

samsung.com

WE’RE IMPRESSED Solid picture

for the price; fast Game mode;

extensive smart TV platform.

WE’D IMPROVE Not the

brightest HDR performer; no

Freeview Play; no Dolby Vision.

THE LAST WORD The Samsung

TU8500 gives you a cheap 4K TV

that doesn’t feel bargain-bin. It

may lack the picture prowess of

more expensive QLED Samsung

TVs, but it retains much of the

usability, crucially.

VERDICT

Find more great TVs under

£500 at: bit.ly/t3bgttv

78 T3 OCTOBER 2020

Te s te d

Samsung TU8500

hile QLED monopolises the brighter,

higher ground of Samsung’s range,

the majority of buyers pick from the

tiers below, where similar smart

platform connectivity dovetails with more

affordable, though less exotic panel technology.

Here lies the Samsung TU8500, the top model in

the company’s Crystal LED line-up.

It’s not just another cut-price 4K UHD

flatscreen. Rather than use a single colour of

LEDs in the light behind the panel, it actually

employs two different LED colour temperatures

(5000k and 2000k). This helps improve contrast,

giving better black level performance.

Screen uniformity is good, with no obvious

light pooling or halos. Black level performance

and contrast are reassuringly convincing for the

price. If the screen does underwhelm, it’s with

HDR. We measured HDR peak brightness a tad

under 300 nits, which is not particularly jazzy.

There’s no Dolby Vision HDR support, but

the TU8500 could really benefit from a little

dynamic tone mapping guidance when

watching some of the more eye-popping HDR

Bringing good video

performance and a great

smart platform, this a

winner for casual viewers

Samsung

TU8500

GOOD SHOW!

shows on Netflix. On the plus side, there’s

support for regular HDR10, HLG and HDR10+.

We’re also offered two Game mode options.

If you opt to select Game Motion Plus, input lag

measures around 26.7ms (which is fine for

casual gaming). However if you disable Game

Motion Plus, and go hardcore Game mode,

input lag drops to a mere 11.7ms (measured

at 1080p/60fps), which is excellent.

There’s no obvious compromises on the

TU8500 when it comes to smart functionality.

Admittedly it lacks Freeview Play, but we still get

a cart load of catch-up TV services courtesy of

the Tizen operating system, alongside a healthy

selection of other popular streaming services.

In terms of usability, the Tizen platform is

fast and intuitive. Attractions include

Multiview, which enables you to co-display

your smartphone screen; Ambient Mode, should

you want to keep the set busy when not

watching programmes by displaying artwork;

and Samsung SmartThings smart home control.

If you’re looking for a well-specified 4K UHD

TV that won’t break the bank, the TU8500 is an

enticing prospect. It’s more cutting-edge than

you might first think (Samsung can’t help

itself), and smart connectivity is excellent.

Good for movies. Great for games. Cheap as

chips. Colour us impressed.

W