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Samsung J5500 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Samsung J5500 Picture
6.3
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.8
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.0
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
3.6
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.3
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The Samsung J5500 LED TV is a good basic 60Hz TV. While it does have a good smart TV interface, it lacks more advanced features like motion interpolation or 24p playback. The picture quality is good in both dark and bright rooms, but it has quite a lot of motion blur.

Our Verdict

6.3 Mixed Usage

The Samsung J5500 has great picture quality overall, both in dark and bright rooms. However, its motion blur could be an issue for gamers or sports enthusiasts. It also has judder when displaying 24p movies.

Pros
  • Great overall picture quality both in dark and bright rooms.
  • Very thin bezel.
Cons
  • A good deal of motion blur
  • Colors change at an angle.
  • Judder in 24p movies.
  • 6.3 Mixed Usage
  • 5.8 Movies
  • 6.7 TV Shows
  • 6.7 Sports
  • 6.7 Video Games
  • 5.0 HDR Movies
  • 3.6 HDR Gaming
  • 5.3 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated May 04, 2015: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Apr 10, 2015: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
8.0
Design
Style
Curved No
Design
Stand

The Samsung J5500 has the same stand as the pricier J6300. It is stable, but a bit wide.

Design
Back

The bezel of the Samsung J5500 slants in like on the JU7100. It is very thin.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.39" (1 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.97" (5 cm)
Picture Quality
8.5
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
4,430 : 1

The contrast ratio is great, and the blacks are deep when viewed in a dark room.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct
5.9
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Peak 2% Window
254 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
254 cd/m²
7.3
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
4.18%
50% DSE
0.17%

This TV has very little DSE, which is great. However, the edges and corners are a bit darker than the rest of the screen.

4.3
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
20°
Brightness
30°
Black Level
20°

The colors on the J5500 change as soon as you are at an angle. You can still see the picture, but it won't be as good.

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.

9.7
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.567%

The black uniformity is very good. Our unit had one brighter spot near the bottom, but it was very minor.

8.0
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.25
Color dE
2.9081
Gamma
2.26
9.9
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.23
Color dE
0.2391
Gamma
2.2
8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The upscaling of lower-resolution content like DVDs or SD channels is good.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content also looks good once upscaled.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Blu-rays looks sharp and well define on the J5500.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input
7.3
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
83.57%
DCI P3 uv
86.3%
Rec 2020 xy
57.01%
Rec 2020 uv
63.25%
8.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
1.8%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

The semi-gloss finish on this Samsung doesn't reflect a lot of light. You will have no problem having a few lights on.
The maximum luminosity of the screen is average, so while it isn't the best choice for a porch or sunroom, it should be fine in a room with a few windows.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
5.5
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
30.7 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

The Samsung J5500 has a good deal of motion blur. It won't be an issue for normal TV shows or movies, but it could be for sports or video games.

2.0
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
Yes
0
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

Unfortunately, there is a small judder in every movie. It is not that noticeable, though.

0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No
Inputs
7.3
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
40 ms
1080p With Interpolation
N/A
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
91.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
41.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A

Game Mode on this Samsung brings the input lag to 40 ms. PC mode is barely higher, at 41.9 ms. Movie mode has 91.7 ms of lag.

2.0
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 2
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
No
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 No
ARC Yes (HDMI 2)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC Yes
MHL Yes (HDMI 3)
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Sound Quality
6.7
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.9 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.17 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.91 dB SPL
Max
89.8 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
100 Hz

Doesn't get very loud, and the low-end cut off is decent for a TV. Frequency response is good at lower volumes, but it gets worse under load and may produce pumping.

6.8
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.012
Distortion @ 80
0.021
Distortion @ Max
0.055

The distortion levels are good all-around. It increases as the volume increases, but not by much compared to some other TVs.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

This TV has Samsung's new Tizen smart interface, which includes a full web browser.

8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
0
Smart Features
Ads
Ad-free
No
Opt-out
No
Smart Features
Remote
Remote Basic

The included remote isn't great for navigating the smart features on this TV.

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 44 W
Power Consumption (Max) 84 W
Firmware 1205