TechRadar Verdict
The combination of a huge screen and an almost-affordable price tag makes the JU6000K a tantalising prospect. It delivers a decent picture, especially with native content, but a lack of connectivity and sluggish smart performance hold it back.
Pros
- +
Big-screen
- +
Decent value
- +
Comprehensive catch-up services
- +
Good upscaling
Cons
- -
Poor definition in dark scenes
- -
Sluggish smarts
- -
Cramped remote
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As we wait for the new wave of 2016 models to hit our homes there's still a whole lot of great TVs available, at great prices, from last year's lists – and Samsung's 65-inch JU6000K behemoth is now one of the best value, vast-screen 4K TVs on the market.
For £1,399 over at Amazon it really is an impressively powerful big-screen display, especially for the price, rocking both the 3840 x 2160 resolution necessary for Ultra HD as well as the Tizen smarts which Samsung has been kitting out its current TV range with.
However, its sheer size does raise some questions. Now that you can afford to buy a 65-inch TV, can you afford the space it needs? I certainly can't, living as I do in a modest flat in small-town Bath.
My lounge isn't tiny, but it felt utterly dwarfed by the huge black mirror looming over me in the corner of the room. I have to say it's been a rather oppressive experience reviewing the UE65JU6000K.
So, if you're looking at that £1,399 price tag and thinking you could find a spot for the JU6000K facing your sofa, give some thought to exactly how far away from it you're going to be sitting…
And given that, apparently, one child dies every three weeks in the US from an unsecured TV falling on top of them, you might want to think about getting it strapped to the wall too.
Connections
So, you've got the space, and you've got the right rigging to keep your epic new TV tied down. What else does the JU6000K offer aside from that 65-inch panel?
In terms of connectivity the three HDMI connections show off where this great-value Samsung is making some savings. Even the excellent, budget-oriented Hisense is rocking four TV inputs – although that manufacturer's 65-inch offering is more expensive than this well-priced Samsung.
And only one of the three HDMIs in the Samsung is the modern HDMI 2.0 / HDCP 2.2 flavour, so you've only got one option for plugging in that 4K set-top box or Ultra HD Blu-ray drive.
Backing up the HDMI inputs are the rest of the standard TV connections. There's the obligatory composite connect, component, RF input, headphone, optical output, ethernet and a pair of USBs (one 2.0 and one 3.0 spec).
Given that the impressive Tizen Smart TV software comes with an impressively complete suite of UK catch-up services, as well as both the main pay TV on-demand providers, the lack of a full roster of HDMI 2.0 connections is not so much of an issue.
You have access to BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and Demand 5, as well as the option of the 4K versions of both the Netflix and Amazon Video apps.
In practice, then, your Ultra HD Blu-ray drive will only be vying for a connection into your TV with either the BT Ultra HD box or the upcoming Sky Q Silver services.
The Smart TV software also offers a limited range of other apps, such as Skype and screen-sharing.
