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Samsung JU6500 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Samsung JU6500 Picture
7.3
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.1
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.2
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.9
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.2
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Samsung KU6300

The Samsung JU6500 is a good and reasonably-priced 4k LED TV. However, it has a few flaws, like judder in 24p content and a loss of saturation at a wide angles.

Our Verdict

7.3 Mixed Usage

Decent TV for a mixed usage. The Samsung JU6500 offers an average picture quality thanks to its high contrast ratio. It doesn't have the best viewing angles though.

Pros
  • Great overall picture quality in both dark and bright rooms.
  • Very low input lag.
Cons
  • No 24p support, which means judder is present while movies are playing.
  • Loss of color saturation at an angle.
6.7 Movies

Average choice for movies in a dark room. The JU6500 produces decent blacks thanks to its good contrast, but it cannot play back movies without judder.

7.1 TV Shows

Passable choice for watching TV shows in a brighter environment. The JU6500 upscales lower resolution content well and has a good anti-reflective coating, but it cannot get bright enough for very bright environment.

7.2 Sports

The JU6500 is decent for sports watching. It doesn't have a lot of motion blur, so fast motion looks quite clear. Its screen is also fairly uniform so fields don't look blotchy. Unfortunately, its picture quality degrades when viewed from the sides.

8.1 Video Games

The JU6500 is a great choice for playing video games. It handles fast motion well and its low input lag makes the gaming experience responsive and immersive.

6.9 HDR Movies

Mediocre HDR performance. The JU6500 does support HDR, but it cannot reproduce bright highlights and lacks a wide color gamut.

7.2 HDR Gaming

Mediocre TV for HDR gaming. While a good gaming TV overall, there are no major picture quality benefits due to the TV's limited HDR capabilities.

6.7 PC Monitor

Mediocre PC monitor. The JU6500 supports chroma 4:4:4, but its narrow viewing angle can cause the picture quality to deteriorate when sitting closer to it.

  • 7.3 Mixed Usage
  • 6.7 Movies
  • 7.1 TV Shows
  • 7.2 Sports
  • 8.1 Video Games
  • 6.9 HDR Movies
  • 7.2 HDR Gaming
  • 6.7 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Apr 06, 2015: Our testers have started testing this product.

Test Results

Design
8.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung JU6500 doesn't look like a budget TV. The borders are small and the TV is quite thin.

The stand is very sturdy, and the footprint dimension is average.

Design
Stand

Dimensions of 55" TV stand: 29.75" x 10.5".

Design
Borders
Borders 0.67" (1.7 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.89" (4.8 cm)
Picture Quality
7.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
2,947 : 1

The contrast ratio is average. The blacks aren't as deep as you get with some other LED TVs, but they're still dark enough that it shouldn't be a problem.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct
6.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Peak 2% Window
285 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
285 cd/m²
7.2
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.793%
50% DSE
0.197%

The DSE is reasonably low, and the deviation in the uniformity, while bad, is better than much of the competition.

4.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
20°
Brightness
30°
Black Level
19°

The picture doesn't maintain its color accuracy at an angle, which isn't ideal if you have multiple viewing positions.

Update 01/06/2017: We have changed the methodology of testing. Since this is an old TV which we don't have anymore, we extrapolated the results from 2016 TVs.

9.1
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.932%

The black uniformity is good. No flashlighting. A little bit of clouding, but it isn't noticeable with normal content.

9.3
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.41
Color dE
1.3377
Gamma
2.24
9.9
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.22
Color dE
0.2615
Gamma
2.2
8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The upscaling of lower-resolution and compressed media looks pretty good when 'Digital Clean View' is set to 'High.'

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content like cable TV looks good too.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Upscaled 1080p is also great. It doesn't look soft.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

4k content looks good and sharp.

7.1
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
81.34%
DCI P3 uv
85.39%
Rec 2020 xy
54.83%
Rec 2020 uv
60.87%
8.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.8%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The JU6500 has a semi-gloss screen finish which doesn't reflect a lot of light. A few overhead lights won't be an issue.
It's capable of about average brightness, so it should be fine in most situations.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
8.1
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
16.4 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

The Samsung JU6500 is pretty good for motion blur. If you want less, you might want to upgrade to the JU7100.

4.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
60 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
No
0
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

This TV does not display 24p properly, even though it accepts it as an input. You can see judder when watching movies. It is a small and consistent judder though (called 3:2 pulldown), so not necessarily a deal breaker for most people.
At least, you can turn on 'Auto Motion Plus' to add the soap opera effect to get rid of it.

5.0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No
Inputs
7.6
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
26.5 ms
1080p With Interpolation
117.5 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
118.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
48 ms

When 'Game Mode' is turned on, the input lag of the Samsung JU6500 is low (26.5 ms). Under PC mode, the input lag is 48ms.

8.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes

To achieve Chroma 4:4:4, enable UHD Color and label the input as PC.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth Yes (HDMI 1)
ARC Yes (HDMI 3)
USB 3 Yes (1)
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL Yes (HDMI 2)
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Sound Quality
6.7
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
5.33 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
5.53 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.71 dB SPL
Max
93.4 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
95 Hz

OK low-end cut off for a TV, and it does get loud too. But the frequency response is poor, especially at higher volumes. Pumping may be present.

6.6
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.01
Distortion @ 80
0.019
Distortion @ Max
0.115

Good distortion at lower volumes, but there is a moderate increase in distortion as the volume increases.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

Major Apps Available

  • Netflix
  • YouTube
  • Vudu
  • HBO Go
  • Hulu Plus
  • CinemaNow
  • Crackle
  • Amazon Video
  • Pandora

    Check out our full review of Samsung's smart features.

  • 8.0
    Smart Features
    Interface
    Smart OS Tizen

    The app selection is limited, and it doesn't have a fancy remote. There is a built-in web browser.

    The TV comes with just a basic remote, which isn't a user friendly device for using the built-in web browser.

    0
    Smart Features
    Ads
    Ad-free
    No
    Opt-out
    No
    Smart Features
    Remote
    Remote Basic
    Smart Features
    Misc
    Power Consumption 80 W
    Power Consumption (Max) 177 W
    Firmware 1206