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We published new results of an investigative study on the long-term durability of TVs, revealing significant durability issues with popular edge-lit models. Read the full details here.

Samsung KU7000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Review updated Mar 01, 2017 at 06:31 am
Samsung KU7000 Picture
7.4
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.9
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.2
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
7.5
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.9
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.0
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Samsung MU7000

The 4k LED UHD Samsung KU7000 Series has a good enough picture quality for most content but lacks in a few areas. It handles fast motion decently and it feels responsive when playing video games. Unfortunately, HDR performance is average, judder is present in movies and the picture deteriorates when viewed from the side.

Our Verdict

7.4 Mixed Usage

The Samsung KU7000 is a decent TV with a few flaws. It is good for playing video games and sports fans won't complain but movie lovers might be bothered by the small amount of judder and the limited HDR performance. When viewed from the side, the picture of the KU7000 also deteriorates. In the end, the Samsung KU7000 is not easy to recommend since the KU6300 is cheaper and has the same picture quality. If you were looking for an improvement, go with the KS8000 instead.

Pros
  • Better than average uniformity
  • Good TV for playing video games
Cons
  • Judder is present in movies
  • HDR performance is limited
  • Picture deteriorates when viewed from the side
  • 7.4 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 Movies
  • 7.2 TV Shows
  • 7.2 Sports
  • 8.1 Video Games
  • 7.5 HDR Movies
  • 7.9 HDR Gaming
  • 7.0 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Review published.
  2. Updated Jun 22, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  3. Updated Jun 20, 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" (UN55KU7000) version FA01. For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the other sizes.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung KU7000 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.

Update 01/16/2017: The 43" has a AA01 panel, so our review might not correspond exactly to that size.

Size Model US Canada UK Warehouse Warehouse long
40" UN40KU7000 UN40KU7000FXZA UN40KU7000FXZC UE40KU6400 N/A N/A
43" UN43KU7000 UN43KU7000FXZA UN43KU7000FXZC UE43KU6400 N/A N/A
49" UN49KU7000 UN49KU7000FXZA UN49KU7000FXZC UE49KU6400 N/A N/A
55" UN55KU7000 UN55KU7000FXZA UN55KU7000FXZC UE55KU6400 UN55KU700D UN55KU700DFXZA
65" UN65KU7000 UN65KU7000FXZA UN65KU7000FXZC UE65KU6400 UN65KU700D UN55KU700DFXZA

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Samsung KU6300 (UN55KU6300). Bottom left: Sony X850D (XBR55X850D). Middle: Samsung KU7000 (UN55KU7000). Top right: Vizio P Series 2016 (P65-C1). Bottom right: Samsung KS8000 (UN55KS8000).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The Samsung KU7000 is hard to recommend when cheaper TVs offer similar performances with a better value.

Test Results

Design
9.0
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung KU7000 is a great looking TV. Its frame looks like it is made of metal, the classic looking Samsung stand now shares a new style with a shiny reflective finish and the textured back of the TV adds a nice touch. The TV is also quite thin. Compared to the KU6300, it looks better.

Design
Stand

The KU7000 shares the same kind of stand as many other Samsung TVs but with a slightly different new cut and finish.

Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 37" x 13.1"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x400

The back has a textured finish very similar to the higher end Samsung 9 series. If wall mounted, no connections will be blocked.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.51" (1.3 cm)

Borders have a brushed metal finish.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.17" (5.5 cm)

The TV appears quite thin from a 90 degree angle. The bottom part is thicker than the top part.

Picture Quality
8.6
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
4,514 : 1

The contrast ratio of this TV provides good dark scene performance and should not be an issue for most viewers.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

There is no local dimming on the KU7000. For reference, we took a video of our test. The backlight is edge lit, unlike the KU6300 which has a direct backlight.

6.9
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
256 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
134 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
236 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
134 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
236 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
296 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
296 cd/m²

The SDR peak brightness is bad for the Samsung KU7000. At around 300 cd/m² overall, with the 2% and 10% being dimmer than the rest, the SDR peak brightness is lower than what would be considered a good value. The KU7000 would be best situated in a dark room because of the low SDR peak brightness.

7.0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
269 cd/m²
HDR Peak 2% Window
136 cd/m²
HDR Peak 10% Window
240 cd/m²
HDR Peak 25% Window
300 cd/m²
HDR Peak 50% Window
300 cd/m²
HDR Peak 100% Window
398 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
136 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
240 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
300 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
300 cd/m²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
398 cd/m²

The KU7000 is bright enough for normal SDR content but well below the HDR standard of 1000 nits for highlights. There is no local dimming. With an HDR signal, the 2% window dims, but on a standard signal, the brightness remains constant across all window sizes. The peak brightness is lower than the KU6300.
Update: Updated with sustained brightness.

7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.045%
50% DSE
0.182%

There is some banding visible, with the horizontal edges appearing brighter and the vertical edges appearing darker. Overall the uniformity is better than most other LED TVs, with no major gray uniformity or dirty screen effect issues.

4.9
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
LCD Type
VA
Color Shift
35°
Brightness
41°
Black Level
18°

The viewing angle is quite good for a VA TV, and should not be an issue for most people. Color saturation is lost when viewed at an angle however the picture remains more defined than most other VA TVs.

9.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.684%

The black uniformity is really good. Due to the way the TV is edge lit, there is a small 1/4" bright strip extending part way across the top and bottom edge. This should not be an issue for most content.

9.0
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Update 11/09/2016: Our original test was showing 8 bit gradations due to incorrect drivers on our system. After some correction to our test apparatus, we have retested the color depth and found that it is able to display a 10 bit gradient smoothly. There is some little imperfections in the darker green, but nothing that could make normal viewing problematic.

8.5
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.18
Color dE
2.2247
Gamma
2.26

Out of the box, the White Balance dE, Color dE and Gamma had few issues. The reds were a little too high and the blues were slightly too low. This issues will not be visible for the average viewer.

9.9
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.35
Color dE
0.2655
Gamma
2.21

Just like previous Samsung TVs we've reviewed, the calibration was quite easy to do and took little time. We were able to correct most of the issues that were present in the pre-calibration.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

DVDs and SD TV channels looks good on this TV without being too soft.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

Cable TV also look great once upscaled.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Blu-rays and other 1080p content looks very good, as with most of Samsung UHD TVs.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

Native 4k content looks very good and crisp.

8.0
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
86.86%
DCI P3 uv
94.23%
Rec 2020 xy
65%
Rec 2020 uv
72.81%

Update 08/18/2016: The color gamut was re-tested and found to be wide, covering most of the P3 color space.

6.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage
70.683%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage
34.309%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage
51.921%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage
25.97%

The KU7* series of TVs can produce fairly saturated colors for P3, but the coverage becomes worse at low brightness levels.

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%
7.0
Picture Quality
Reflections
Reflection
2.4%
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss

Reflections can appear large and diffused. They can also be seen through as long as they aren't too bright.

0
Picture Quality
3D
3D
No
3D Type
No
2D to 3D
No
Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Motion
7.4
Motion
Motion Blur
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time
20.3 ms
Overshoot
0 ms

The response time of this TV is similar to that of the Samsung KU6300 because they have a similar panel. A faint trail is visible behind the logo meaning that fast moving object will appear to have a following trail behind them just like this one. The backlight flickers at twice the frequency of the KU6300.

2.8
Motion
Image Flicker
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz
BFI
Yes
BFI Frequency
120 Hz
BFI In Game Mode
No

The 'Auto Motion Plus' setting can be customized to introduce black frame insertion. This helps to clear up motion blur due to eye tracking. Unfortunately this option isn't available in the 'Game' special viewing mode.

0
Motion
24p Playback
Judder-free 24p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-free 24p via 60i
No

The TV was not able to remove judder when 24p content is played through any input source. Those sensitive to it will notice judder when watching movies.

5.0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

Enabling 'Action Motion Plus' to 'Auto' will allow you to smooth out content that outputs 30fps, this isn't the case for 60fps content. Even though Samsung advertises that this TV has a '120Hz Motion rate' it is a 60Hz TV.

Inputs
8.0
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
24.7 ms
1080p With Interpolation
116.5 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
110 ms
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
37.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz
21.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
37.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
21.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
37.1 ms

The input lag of the KU7000 is great, enable 'Game Mode' in 'Special viewing modes' to reduce it as low as possible.

Update 09/08/2016: In 'Game Mode', when sending an HDR signal at 1080p resolution, the input lag remain the same at 24.7ms

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

Enable 'UHD Colors' for 4:4:4 at 4k and 60Hz on HDMI1. This is not possible on HDMI2 or HDMI3. Text becomes more clear when sending a 4:4:4 signal. 120Hz input is not supported.

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs

There are no connections directly going straight out of the back, only side facing.

Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (incl. adapter, shared)
Composite In 1 (incl. adapter, 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
ARC Yes (HDMI 3)
USB 3 No
HDCP 2.2 Yes
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No

HDMI 2.0 full bandwidth is only available on HDMI1.

Sound Quality
7.0
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Std. Dev. @ 70
4.27 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ 80
4.4 dB SPL
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.68 dB SPL
Max
90.7 dB SPL
Low-end Cutoff
95 Hz

Decent frequency response, low-end cutoff and maximum loudness for a TV. The responses at 75dB and 85dB SPL are pretty good, however, at maximum volume pumping and compression are present.

6.2
Sound Quality
Total Harmonic Distortion
Distortion @ 70
0.018
Distortion @ 80
0.04
Distortion @ Max
0.093

Average distortion results. At lower volumes, the performance is very good. At maximum volume however, there is a noticeable jump in the harmonic distortion.

Smart Features
Smart Features
Apps

The most popular applications such as Netflix, Amazon Video and YouTube are available on this TV. You also have plenty of applications that can be downloaded from the store.

8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen (2016)

The Samsung KU7000 offers an impressive smart interface performance that is both smooth and responsive. The TV comes with a fairly fast CPU and memory which allows applications to load quickly even when heavily multi-tasking, showing no hiccups at all.  Also, the operating system supports a great deal of different applications such as Netflix, Amazon Video, Youtube, and many more, making it a very polished smart interface. As for the inputs, the Samsung TV offers many inputs of different variations making it capable of plugging all your devices in it. Be careful though, if you want to use the full capability of the TV make sure you use the HDMI 1 port as it's the only port that supports HDMI 2.0.  

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
Smart Features
TV Controls

Looking at the TV from straight on, the TV controls are located at the bottom right of the TV. This small button offers many basic operations such as changing the volume, inputs, and turning the TV on or off. This button is still accessible even if the TV is wall mounted.

Smart Features
Remote
Remote Smart

The remote is identical to the Samsung KS Series remote. It's comfortable and is very easy to use to navigate through menus. It also has the voice command functionality that the KS Series remote has, which is a nice addition. This remote, compared to the Samsung KU6300, is somewhat better and has the voice command functionality.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote
  • Batteries
  • Manuals
  • Component In adapter
  • Composite In adapter
  • Wall mount spacers
  • Cable management accessory

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 54 W
Power Consumption (Max) 135 W
Firmware 1104