Samsung’s QLED saga continues its unstoppable journey. It was to be expected, given the commitment and performance that the firm is integrating into this truly superb product range. Although later we will go into detail about the reduction of the frame, it is at first glance one of the most palpable novelties, mere detail of the amount of innovations and technologies, as well as improvements, that we can find for the previous model.
8K Quality
The quality or the 8K format, with pixel dimensions of 7,680 x 4,320, is the trend and the maximum that can be accessed until 16K arrives, something that is in testing and that, for the moment, is far from the market of consumption. In the case of the Samsung Q950TS QLED 8K Smart TV, each image consists of nothing more and nothing less than 33 million pixels, all with 100% of the color volume certified by the 8K Association.
Design
As we mentioned at the beginning, having a 99% screen on the front surface is one of the main novelties of this model with respect to the previous 8K QLED range. The firm calls it the Infinity Screen and, as can be seen in the photos, it allows us to talk about a frameless TV, with the consequent contribution in design and frame reduction.
Everything is supported by a 15-millimeter-thick structure that in its rear part, which as has been common for several generations, is very well cared for and finished off in case the television should be in the middle of a room and should show its back. There is no lack at the bottom, where you cannot see, under the logo, some physical commands in case the command or something fails.
Another detail that we cannot overlook is none other than the base. The reason for debate within firms in general in each and every generation that is launched on the market is key is the design and aesthetic effect of the product. A detail that may sound banal in a product as technological as this one, but it is not. In this case the firm continues to improve compared to the previous one, where without reaching the result of two years ago that was not very successful, it is very much in line with what is expected of a product of this type.
Screen
The panel is for obvious reasons one, if not the most, important protagonist of the Samsung Q950TS QLED 8K Smart TV . It is an Ultra HD 8K panel, certified by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and, as we will see, it has all kinds of technologies and technological delicacies to offer a stratospheric image quality. Always also with that magic that Samsung panels have to behave like few others when a lot of natural light arrives, the result is amazing. We will not tire of saying it.
If we start to analyze the technology of the television there are many details but the first perhaps should be the subject of Quantum Dots. Accused in the first version by the competition of being a mere marketing tool, it is a reality that the small dots do a superb job that is perfected in each new generation of product. Quantum Dot technology has been used for years at the firm and this year in its umpteenth evolution it focuses on efficiency (it gets more light with less energy) and the processor has greater adjustment control over them. Their main value is that they can reproduce (DCI-P3 standard, VDE certified) 100% of the color volume, important, with any level of brightness.
In theory, it means reproducing more than a billion colors. In reality, it assumes that we have a beastly color, regardless of the level of brightness or contrast that we apply to the screen. And like it or not, color is one of the fundamental sources for the user to perceive the quality of what is being seen. The DCI-P3, as our HardZone colleagues comment , is a standard created by and for digital video projection. The company that has developed it (Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers) assures that it is a commitment to moving images and provides 25% more color gamut or spectrum than sRGB.
One of the technologies it provides is HDR10 + (in addition to HDR10, HLG and HGIG), which in its umpteenth evolution takes a further step in terms of image resizing, without forgetting the improvement of the brightness / contrast binomial and a great improvement of the image depth. A key, not to say basic technology for any high-end panel worth its salt. It should be clarified that on YouTube, Netflix or even for content that comes on USB, we will enjoy the benefits of HDR as long as the content source is correctly encoded.
Another standard in the firm’s televisions is Direct Full Array Elite , which now comes in its HDR4000 version. Its focus is the relationship of light and darkness, its handling in short, a madness of process that seeks a greater range in the hands of values with the final contrast as the goal.
As these are large televisions, users often do not always sit in the center of the screen. In other words, it is normal that with many people, the Perfect Pictures panel is displayed from different angles. To protect quality regardless of viewing angle, the firm has included Ultra Viewing Angle . It is a technology that maintains the quality and density of colors from multiple angles.
What to say about HDR. For years the High Dynamic Range or High Dynamic Range is the condiment that cannot be missing in any television that boasts. If it is also high-end, you are asked not to be an HDR to use, but to raise the quality levels to the latest evolutions of this technology. In this case, we have HDR 4000 . As is normal, the focus is the detail or sharpness, as well as the brightness, as well as a deep contrast. In addition, it has the help of HDR10 +, which with a mapping in real time that adjusts the color and contrast
Settings
It is another of the great sections of this television and therefore of the test. In daily management, perhaps one of the details that needs to be improved is the direct access to the channels. Although you can place on the first screen of the system, which is accessed by pressing the house icon on the remote, the shortcuts you want to YouTube, Netflix, PlayStation, Apps and others … the same does not happen with channels. The channel shortcut icons are set by the television according to the most viewed, which is fine, but they cannot be edited, so you have to watch a channel many times for the television to put it there. Plus, it does it in the order you set, which may or may not fit what you want.
For gamers
And for gamers … there could not be a lack of technology that makes the console an even more spectacular place to enjoy. In this case, the firm has integrated Real Game Enhancer + (Samsung has used it since 2016) which also shows the direct image from the console includes a series of technologies created by and for the most gamers. We refer to FreeSync (VRR) (modulates the display frequencies), Dynamic Black Equalizer (a successful graphic equalization for games), Game Motion Plus (seeks to avoid jumps or “gaps” in the graphic development of the game) and ALLM (minimum time response graph). The objective of this complete mode is none other than to correct blurring or errors in the movements of objects in games, there is nothing. We are therefore facing a truly essential imaging technology for video game lovers.
MultiView
It is one of the features that became famous on televisions at the beginning of this busy century and continues to prevail on high-end dual-tuner televisions. Great unaware of the enormous advantages it has. In this case we can see two channels at the same time, with a single audio source obviously, which we can change by just pressing and holding on the central part of the control, as well as placing the secondary screen in parallel or smaller.
We can also enjoy the MultiView if we “come” from YouTube and even with the mobile as we will see later. All of this is ideal to watch one channel while we wait for another to finish with the eternal publicity or watch a football game without sound while the other side watches the current program. In theory it works with some apps, but not with all of them, so if we want to have multiview with an app that doesn’t support it, just load it on the mobile and do Tap View and everything is solved.
I send
The One Remote Control is a classic of the firm and in this model it has taken a small leap compared to the previous model, which in turn did not provide many new features compared to the previous model. These are shortcut buttons to Netflix, Amazon Video and Rakuten. It seems to us a complete success, in addition the new buttons are perfectly integrated into the control, that is to say they carry the logos of the firms, but not their colors.
Samsung has been adamant about the design of its controller in terms of colors and such. Posts to ask, perhaps in other regions of the world Rakuten has a pull, but in Spain, an HBO button would have come even to the hair. Final note we are talking about a Bluetooth remote, a standard in high-end models, so it works in any position, whether or not you are “looking” at the TV.
Intelligence
It is a reality that artificial intelligence has come to stay, so that in the firm’s products and more with what they have opted for it, we always have a little seasoning of it. In this case, it is used in Adaptive Picture and AI Upscaling, which are always looking for the best image quality. The first is a process that analyzes the surrounding conditions, while the second polishes textures, edges, reduces the noise of the image independently in each pixel, while managing the lighting and varying it depending on the ambient brightness. .
Installation and accessories
As has been the norm in the house, installation is one of the issues that is taken with more care. For many it may seem trivial, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is no longer a question of satisfying the most demanding designer, but of the end user who increasingly demands less interference from his television in his environment.
For this, One Connect was devised several generations ago , a single connector that leads from the box, through an elegant fiber cable, the connections that we have in it (HDMI, digital sound, antenna …). In this way the box is hidden or located where it best suits us and it will be a single cable that goes behind the television. The current unit does not improve the location that is central and vertical, but is right in the middle of the rear support, which makes installation much easier than in the previous version. Just look at the photos.
Another option that cannot be missing is the wall mount that takes its utility to the extreme, since it leaves no space between the TV, the support and the wall, nothing, zero. In fact, the firm refers to it as “no GAP” giving an idea of how meager it is. The objective is clear, that it is as close to the wall as possible, something that is not achieved with television supports, let’s say conventional.
From the phone
There are many things that we can do from the mobile phone on this television, even more than what could be done in previous models, because the firm’s race to healthily “put” the mobile phone on TV is unstoppable. As in the previous model, it is essential to use two things, on the one hand the official SmartThings app and on the other the Samsung account, without it we are nobody.
One of the novelties that we have compared to previous versions is Multi View using the mobile, it is a kind of PIP (Picture in Picture) or double screen on demand for smartphone users.
With it we can see the screen of our mobile on one side, while on the other we can see a channel or TV app. Obviously we can also display the mobile screen on the entire television screen, with the typical action of doubling the screen and even transferring content to the television by means of the Tap View option, new in this version, that is, by touching directly with the mobile in one of the the sides of the TV.
Apart from all the mischief in terms of handling that can be done, what we liked the most was the aforementioned screen mirroring and the SmartThing app in particular. It is more than a true remote control and allows you to operate almost 100% of the television without resorting to the remote. We cannot forget that we have a large screen such as that of the mobile, so certain actions of Ambient Mode adjustments and others are quite pleasant and easy to do from the world. During the test we did everything with an Android mobile that was not Samsung, something that we had done on previous occasions. In other words, the compatibility is total with Android mobiles.
Connections
Although Bluetooth and WiFi supply many of the connections we need to get the most out of and enjoy the equipment, it is true that HDMI and others are still absolutely necessary.
In addition to the typical antenna connection and the Common Interface, we have an optical audio output, a LAN connection and four HDMIs. One of them indicated for the console and another with ARAC. In addition, on the side it has 3 USB 2.0 5V, one of them being indicated for hard drives.
However, we would like to highlight that all the connections, as is the norm in the firm, are grouped inside a box outside the television. It is finished in piano black on the front, with the sides open to facilitate cooling. The objective is to combine the cables and connections in a single device, in fact the most demanding take advantage of it to hide it. We consider that it is quite comfortable to have everything “there”, more operational than in the back of the television.
Sound
It is one of the most important improvements of the Samsung Q950TS QLED 8K Smart TV over the previous generation QLED 900R. It is not necessary to see the specs (70 W + · 4.2.2CH (2 Woofer)), nor the technical improvements, which have them, but the leap in sound that the firm has achieved with this model is, quantitatively and qualitatively, the greatest of all . One of the culprits of this improvement is the Object Tracking Sound + (OTS +) that manages, using artificial intelligence (AI), the six speakers of the television to achieve a 4.2.2 sound. The idea is that the sound is launched or located in the area of the image where it occurs. Without a doubt, a detail that music lovers will appreciate.
The culprits for the sound are flat-diaphragm rear speakers. Although they are at the back and a few millimeters from the wall, they work like a cinema since the low frequencies of the woofers are omnidirectional, so they do not need to be “focused” towards the viewer to achieve the desired effect.
If we want to go one step further, we can install a signature soundbar and enjoy Q-Symphony innovation. It is an advanced sound management that once the bar is installed, it turns the TV speakers into help channels of the sound bar. That is, not all the sound passes to the bar.
This improvement, awarded at CES 2020 as best innovation, reinforcing the surround sound effect, something key for those looking for a more realistic sound. To complete the list of delicacies we have, Active Voice Amplifier, Dolby Digital Plus, Multiroom Link and Bluetooth Audio.
The voice
For years television manufacturers have been playing with the possibilities of the human voice in the control, operation and use of them. It is true that this model continues to do the same, with a button on the remote that allows you to give certain voice commands and perform searches. For us it is not the strong point of the television, even with the support of Bixby, the voice assistant of the firm. However, if we talk about the voice, we cannot stop commenting on the Active Voice Amplifier (AVA). It is a technology that identifies ambient noise in real time, automatically raising its volume, something extremely practical.
Apps Zone
The operating system of the app area is the same as we had the previous model, where yes, you have to enter the Samsung Account, to download and install. It is a feature that will delight the most technological as it allows having apps from the computer or mobile phone on the TV screen, with the consequent visualization improvement that comes from enjoying an application on a giant screen.
Before explaining how they are installed and what options they offer, it should be said that our impression with respect to the previous model is that the apps are much more stable. In the previous model we detected some applications that either did not show all the options they had or that after a certain time they were turned off. We believe that the firm has made a significant effort in this area, working together with suppliers and obtaining a more satisfactory and stable result.
When you enter you will first find a selection from the editor, the most popular and the most downloaded. Below you have the ones downloaded and two sections, one for group and one for gender. There are two ways to group the apps to select them in a faster way. In this way we have applications for lifestyle, sports, games, information, education, lifestyle … all with the aim of finding things in the simplest way.
The installation process remains the same as always. When you click on any of them, a screen is displayed in which you see general details, such as the classification, size in megabytes, if it is free or paid … as well as a small description of its functionalities and two or three screenshots. Related applications are also shown below. Once you want to install it, just press the “install” button and run.
Ambient Mode
It is one of the benefits that the firm has been installing in its models as a point of added value. It is a feature that turns the television into an element of decoration when we are not watching anything. In this way we can place the photo or motif that we consider as the wallpaper. The firm advises taking a photo of the wall or decoration behind us so that we can really achieve the desired frame effect. However, the television comes equipped with a series of preset themes (Routine, Special Edition, Mood, Relaxation, Decoration, My album, Information, Art, Background theme and Musical mural) that make it very difficult for us not to fit any from them. In addition, there are several topics that can be set by the hour and that includes weather information certified by The Weather Channel.
However, for us the best thing about this feature after testing it is that it has a precise adjustment of tones, surplus effects, brightness, saturation or color, key for that use out of hours, since otherwise we run the risk that the The TV is bright and does not do that decorating / photo frame function for which it is designed. If you want to go a little further and thanks to the integration of Bixby we can even change the environment just with you or ask for something depending on our mood.
Conclution
The saga of the firm does not stop and does so as it could not be otherwise, polishing aesthetic and technical details to create an almost round product. The panel has a superb performance, to its historical quality in environments with a lot of external light, it is added the constant refinement that goes well beyond 8K. Hundreds of technologies, image filters and others make, thanks to an exquisite work with the processor, that the levels of image quality are optimal at all times. Perhaps the jump of this version is due to that seasoning provided by Artificial Intelligence, very settled in the mind of the television processor that it does not occupy. By the way and as it was being demanded, the frames are practically non-existent, so the design returns to where it had always deserved.
