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Samsung KS8000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Samsung KS8000 Picture
8.2
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.2
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.0
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.9
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.4
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.4
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.5
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.3
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Samsung Q7F/Q7 QLED 2017

The 4k Samsung KS8000 LED is a well rounded UHD TV that delivers a great picture quality. However, its picture deteriorates at an angle. From the front, everything looks colorful and detailed. It handled motion well and input lag was especially low. The KS8000 can also get very bright and does justice to HDR content. The equivalent model in Europe is the KS7000.

Our Verdict

8.2 Mixed Usage

Great TV for a range of usage. Picture quality is excellent and fast motion is well defined. Blacks can get very deep. Extremely bright highlights and deals with reflections well.

Pros
  • Movies and HDR look great.
  • Very bright which is good to handle reflections.
  • Low input lag which is great for playing video games.
Cons
  • Picture deteriorates at an angle.
8.2 Movies

Excellent TV for movies. Performs great in dark scenes. Great contrast results in deep blacks. Plays all content smoothly.

8.0 TV Shows

Great for TV in a bright room. Excellent picture quality. Bright and deals with reflections well. Unfortunately picture deteriorates when viewed from the side.

7.9 Sports

Great for sports. Very good motion handling. Good uniformity for sports fields.

8.4 Video Games

Excels for video games. Very low input lag and very good motion handling for fast paced games. Great picture quality.

8.4 HDR Movies

Very good HDR. Highlights get very bright. Wide color gamut. Excellent picture quality.

8.5 HDR Gaming

Great for playing HDR games since game mode works even in HDR and it has a low 4k @ 60Hz + HDR input of lag 21.1 ms. It has a wide color gamut and 10 bit panel.

7.3 PC Monitor

Great PC monitor. Low motion blur. Very good input lag. Clearly displays a wide range of resolutions.

  • 8.2 Mixed Usage
  • 8.2 Movies
  • 8.0 TV Shows
  • 7.9 Sports
  • 8.4 Video Games
  • 8.4 HDR Movies
  • 8.5 HDR Gaming
  • 7.3 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Apr 20, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Apr 06, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 55" (UN55KS8000) version FA01. It is also available with version AA02. For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the other sizes. 

We've received a report that the 60" (UN60KS8000) has version EA01, with a narrower viewing angle. The 60" also has a different bezel that is thicker.

We also receive information about the 65" model (UN65KS8000), it seem there is also the version FA01 and AA02.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung KS8000 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Size Model US Canada UK Warehouse Wharehouse long
49" UN49KS8000 UN49KS8000FXZA UN49KS8000FXZC UE49KS7000 UN49KS800D UN49KS800DFXZA
55" UN55KS8000 UN55KS8000FXZA UN55KS8000FXZC UE55KS7000 UN55KS800D UN55KS800DFXZA
60" UN60KS8000 UN60KS8000FXZA UN60KS8000FXZC UE60KS7000 UN60KS800D UN60KS800DFXZA
65" UN65KS8000 UN65KS8000FXZA UN65KS8000FXZC N/A UN65KS800D UN65KS800DFXZA

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top row, from left: Vizio P Series 2016 (P65-C1), Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000), Samsung KS9000 (UN55KS9000). Bottom: LG UH8500 (55UH8500), Sony X850D (XBR55X850D), Samsung KS8500 (UN55KS8500). Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The Samsung KS8000 is the best buy for a TV in this price range if you want to use it for multiple usage. Not a lot of other TVs can compete with its high picture quality, number of features and asking price. See our recommendations for the best TVs and the best smart TVs.

Samsung NU8000
49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

These two TVs were tested on different test benches, and the results aren't directly comparable. The Samsung NU8000 is a much newer TV that supports some of the latest gaming features like FreeSync VRR and low input lag with motion interpolation. The Samsung KS8000 has a higher contrast ratio and can deliver deep blacks to improve dark room performance. The two TVs have a similar picture quality and can get similarly bright. Both have a wide color gamut, so HDR content looks equally good.

Video

Test Results

Design
9.0
Design
Style
Curved No

The look of the Samsung KS8000 is particularly good. Its design is simple yet high-end. From the chrome finish to its glossy back, this TV leaves an impression. When viewed directly from the side, its thinnest is striking. Its shiny stand also look good but its footprint is a little wide.

Design
Stand

The stand of the Samsung KS8000 is simple and boast a chrome metallic finish. Assembly for these two stands were just a one step job, needing no screws or tools.

Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 44.1" x 9.1"

On the 65" TV, an alternate middle position can be used for the stands where the two feet are about 39" apart.

On the 60" TV, an alternate middle position can also be use for the stand.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x400

The Samsung KS8000 has a black reflecting plastic backing, that is prone to both dust and scratches.

Remove the plastic stoppers to expose the mounting points. Bolt sleeves are included in the box for mounting.

The back panel of the TV is attached by glue, which is reported by some readers to become unstuck over time. This does not affect the picture quality of the TV.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.28" (0.7 cm)

Metal borders are thin and elegant.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.5" (3.8 cm)

At an 90 degree angle, the TV looks extremely thin.

Picture Quality
9.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
6,906 : 1

Very deep blacks and remarkable native contrast ratio results in a rich picture quality. The contrast is very similar to the Samsung KS9500.

3.5
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Edge

The Samsung KS8000 wasn't able to brighten the little dot in our video that much. When local dimming is activated, it produces blooming around bright highlights, on a big vertical column. Still, for regular movie watching and especially HDR content, local dimming ('Smart LED') is worth it for the deeper blacks it produce and the very bright highlights. Blooming is more noticeable at an angle.

8.5
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
489 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
1,116 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
1,332 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
723 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
528 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
532 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
644 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
522 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
538 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
530 cd/m²

The KS8000 has a very good SDR peak brightness. It is a bit less bright than when in HDR mode, but it is still one of the brightest TV tested in 2016.

8.5
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
453 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
1,472 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
1,431 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
964 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
513 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
509 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
505 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
508 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
509 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
513 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
510 cd/m²

Like for other TVs, we use the local dimming setting ('Smart LED') that brighten the 2% window the most, in that case 'High'. The peak brightness of small highlights is very high at 1472 cd/m². On a static image, the maximum brightness drops to around 500 cd/m². For the best HDR experience, leave 'Smart LED' to 'High'.
Update: Updated with sustained brightness and remeasured the peak brightness (which is now even closer to the KS9000).

7.5
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.536%
50% DSE
0.165%
5% Std. Dev.
1.319%
5% DSE
0.106%

The left and right edges of the screen are darker and the top and bottom edges are slightly brighter. That said, there is no obvious banding problems which result in a minimum of the 'dirty screen effect' (DSE). Compared to most TVs, this is good.

4.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
21°
Brightness
41°
Black Level
19°

Viewing angle is a notable downside of this TV but we have seen worse. Still, from an angle, the blacks aren't as deep and the colors change.

9.9
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.432%

While displaying a completely black picture, the KS8000 doesn't exhibit any obvious issues. Some very faint clouding spots but as a whole the screen looks uniform.

9.5
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Very smooth color gradations. Very minor inconsistencies in reds prevent the Samsung KS8000 from getting a perfect score. In regular content though, this won't be noticeable.

9.2
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.46
Color dE
1.6381
Gamma
2.15

Very low dE for out of the box which is excellent. Some TVs can't even get at that level after calibration.

9.9
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.3
Color dE
0.2146
Gamma
2.2

Near perfect post calibration results. As with other Samsung TVs, calibration was easy to achieve. Both white balance and color has very low dE. Gamma sit correctly at 2.2. Our calibration settings can be found here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The Samsung KS8000 does a great job with every resolutions it supports, even the low ones like for DVDs and SD channels looks good.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Cable TV is also looking very good on the KS8000.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content like Blu-rays looks great and well detailed.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

4k looks superb on this TV, like on the rest of Samsung SUHD line of TVs.

8.2
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
91.95%
DCI P3 uv
95.54%
Rec 2020 xy
66.79%
Rec 2020 uv
73.68%

Good color coverage as a whole. Colors can get very rich under HDR materials.

7.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
80.52%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
56.817%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
63.192%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
42.406%

The Samsung KS8000 is one of the 2016 top performers in color volume and produces very saturated colors at high luminosity levels. Unfortunately, at low luminosity levels the colors can't get very saturated.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0%
IR after 2 min recovery
0%
IR after 4 min recovery
0%
IR after 6 min recovery
0%
IR after 8 min recovery
0%
IR after 10 min recovery
0%

Like many other VA TVs, the Samsung KS8000 does not present any image retention at all. Even right after the 10 minutes burn-in scene, no faint image can be seen from any of the colored logos. This is a very good result and should please any gamers of PC users.

9.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
0.5%
Screen Finish
Glossy

Very faint reflections. The picture can still be seen through reflections which is great. The TV can get bright enough to fit in any room, even the brightest.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
7.8
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 120 Hz
Response Time
18 ms
Overshoot
0.2 ms

This isn't the fastest response time we've seen but it won't be a problem in most cases. The trail behind our logo has an average length but is faint enough not to be an issue in regular content.

4.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
60 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
No

The KS8000 uses PWM to dim the backlight, which results in some duplications following the logo. It is possible to reduce the flicker frequency to 60Hz which helps to clear up motion, but this isn't possible when in the 'Game' special viewing mode.

10
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-free 24p via 60i
Yes

24p sources is always judder-free no matter the TV settings. To remove judder from 60p and 60i sources, set 'Auto Motion Plus' to 'Custom' and both sliders to 0. This won't add the soap opera effect (SOE).

10
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

Since this TV is 120Hz, 'Auto Motion Plus' can be used on 30Hz and 60Hz signals. This will add the soap opera effect (SOE). Low custom values will work well to smooth out motion with a minimum of the soap opera effect.

Inputs
8.1
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
20.9 ms
1080p With Interpolation
118.9 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
113.5 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
37.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz
22.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
37.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
21.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
37.6 ms

Great, even for competitive gaming. Not to say that this TV will make anyone's skills improve but those who like to have every little advantages on their side will enjoy that low of an input lag. The overall experience feels very responsive even for the games that requires very fast reflexes. To get that low input lag, 'Game' mode has to be enabled. When sending and HDR signal under game mode at an 1080p resolution, the input lag is 22.6ms.

Update 04/21/2017: Some users are reporting a bug with game mode which causes an infrequent and temporary (1-2 seconds) separation of colors.

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

Most of the tested inputs works except for 120Hz. To ge 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4, 'HDMI UHD Color' has to be enabled from the picture menu. For other resolution, labeling the HDMI input to 'PC' will do the trick. Input lag in PC mode is 37.8 ms.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs

Inputs are located on the required One Connect box.

Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
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
ARC Yes (HDMI 4)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No

The TV supports 5.1 passthrough for Dolby Digital and DTS, but it is necessary to select the correct audio type in the sound settings, since it doesn't change automatically.

Sound Quality
7.1
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.72 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.33 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.49 dB SPL
Max
92.2 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
84.76 Hz

Decent frequency response, especially for a TV. The low-end cutoff of 85Hz and maximum loudness of 92dB are good. However, there will be noticeable pumping and compression under heavy load.

5.7
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.024
Distortion @ 80
0.073
Distortion @ Max
0.165

Subpar results. The overall amount of harmonic distortion is rather high, but at the same time, there is not a big jump at higher SPLs and distortion remains relatively constant.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

Most popular apps (YouTube, Amazon, Netflix,...) are available and the whole selection is good.

8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen (2016)

The Samsung KS8000 smart platform isn't the best but offers a good experience. Navigating through the different menus and launching apps feels responsive. Most popular apps are available.

When a new device is detected (such as when a computer is woken from sleep while plugged into an HDMI port) the TV automatically switches to this device. This may be an annoyance if you are watching other content at the time.

0
Smart Features
Ads
Ad-free
No
Opt-out
No

Unfortunately, there are ads on this TV. There is also no way to completely disable them.

Smart Features
TV Controls

A button located underneath the bottom right of the TV can be used for basic operations like changing volume, inputs and turning the TV on and off. This button can be operated in a setup where the TV is wall-mounted.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Smart

The remote is simple and comfortable, making it easy to navigate through the Tizen interface. It can be used with voice command but not as a pointer which could have been handy for text input.

Smart Features
In The Box

- Remote
- Batteries
- Wall mount spacers/adapters
- Mini One Connect box with cable
- Manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 52 W
Power Consumption (Max) 139 W
Firmware 1008