Samsung UE55KS7000 review

The UE55KS7000 is a good-value effort. Its ability with HDR is impressive, and while it may lack the extreme niceties of the UE65KS9000, it is half the price. For those largely watching the UE55KS7000 head-on rather than from an angle, it's arguably better value than anything more expensive in terms of native image quality. The inclusion of HDR+ is a boon for anyone wishing there was more native HDR material out there, while the all-around design is welcome.

We liked

HDR+ is a fine creation, and somewhat unexpected. Being able to create your own HDR-like footage offers a decent stop-gap while we wait for more native HDR material to find its way onto our TV screens. HD TV channels and Blu-ray discs benefit most from the HDR+ treatment, while Auto Motion Plus proves handy during HD sports broadcasts. Motion handling overall is impressive when watching in 4K, too.

Elsewhere the UE55KS7000's slinky design is worth a mention, as is the excellent 'smart' remote, while the inclusion of the One Connect box lends some installation flexibility. And top marks to the Smart Hub, and especially its 'accelerator' bar, which provides three-touch access to the last thing watched on Netflix or Amazon.

We disliked

Although the UE55KS7000's clip-on feet are something of a boon to a TV reviewer, it's a risky move to put those feet so near to the corners of the TV; it means folk will need a TV stand that stretches the entire length of the UE55KS7000 and many will have a stand or table smaller than that. The lack of a swivel will also annoy some, not only when it comes to placement, but also because the UE55KS7000 does have an issue with viewing angles.

The colour and black levels don't exactly drain quickly when watching off-centre, but the edge LED backlighting does start to become obvious, as does a slight blueish tinge to blacks. I was also somewhat disappointed with the upscaling of standard definition TV channels, a common issue with 4K TVs.

Other complaints are minor. The lack of 3D support seems a little churlish (even though most of us have moved on from that particular novelty), and for all the apps on the UE55KS7000, UK viewers would benefit from the inclusion of either YouView or Freeview Play, which competitor TVs from Sony (YouView) and Panasonic (Freeview Play) offer on similarly-priced and specified TVs.

Verdict

Short on HDR content? Create it yourself. What Samsung calls HDR+ is the key feature to get excited about on this, its entry-level 'true' HDR TV – aka UHD Premium – which offers detailed and involving, yet subtle, images imbued with luscious colour and throughly decent black levels.

It's not perfect – restricted viewing angles and visible edge LED backlighting see to that – but its great-value images are joined by Samsung's light-touch Smart Hub, which makes finding what you were watching on Netflix or Amazon so, so easy.

However, it's with native HDR or up-rezzed HDR+ material that this sumptuously designed 55-incher most impresses – feed the UE55KS7000 a Hi-Def or 4K diet and watch it purr.