Our Verdict
The N5300 is a mediocre TV for mixed usage with a decent picture quality. Dark room performance is poor due to the low native contrast ratio, so it is not a good choice for watching movies or HDR content. It has good reflection handling, but the brightness is not enough to fight bright room glare. The small size and decent viewing angles make it a good choice for watching TV shows or sports in places like a kitchen, where you also do other work.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle
- The screen has good uniformity
- Poor HDR performance
- Input lag is higher than most modern TVs
- Poor dark scene performance
The Samsung N5300 is not a good choice if you plan to watch movies on it. The native contrast ratio is low and blacks look gray in dark room and the lack of local dimming cannot help improve this. The TV has a 1080p resolution and you won't be able to enjoy 4k content in its native resolution. The N5300 is also lacking motion handling features like the 24p judder removal that can make older movies look better.
It is decent for watching TV shows. It has good reflection handling, and it can get bright enough for an average lit room. The viewing angles are decent, and this is great if you want to do some housework while you watch TV. The TV has a native 1080p resolution and displays cable content well. Finally, the TV has a good smart platform and access to many apps to satisfy everyone's needs.
The Samsung UN32N5300 is good for watching sports. It has good reflection handling that allows you to place it a room with many light sources, like a kitchen. The pixel response time is fast and there is a small blur trail following fast-moving content which makes motion look smooth. The gray uniformity is good and the viewing angles are decent so you do not have to sit straight in front. Unfortunately, the TV cannot fight the glare of a bright room so you will need to place it in an average lit room for better results.
The N5300 is decent for playing video games. It has a low input lag which is good for casual gamers, but not low enough for anyone who enjoys more competitive gaming. If you play fast action games you will notice a little motion blur due to the fast response time. Unfortunately, the only way to make the image crisper is to lower the level of the backlight. The PWM dimming flicker will do the job, but at the same time, your screen will not be as bright.
This TV has a poor performance in HDR movies. Although the TV supports HDR it cannot get bright enough to deliver the creator's intent. Furthermore, it has poor dark room performance where HDR is meant to be viewed, Finally, the color gamut is ok for SDR but you will not be seeing rich and saturated colors in HDR content.
This TV is not good for HDR gaming. It cannot display 4k content and although it supports HDR you will not benefit much from using it in this mode. The input lag is decent but not at par with most modern TVs. The response time is good with a small blur trail, but the contrast is low so blacks do not look good in a dark room, where you would be playing HDR games. Furthermore, the N5300 cannot display rich, saturated colors in HDR content.
The N5300 is decent for use as a PC monitor. The input lag is decent, but not as low as most modern TVs and you will notice a lag in the TV's responsiveness, especially when moving the mouse around. The pixel response time is fast and you will notice a blur trail following your mouse. This helps make the motion look smooth but not crisp. The TV can display proper chroma 4:4:4, which is good. Finally, due to the decent viewing angles, you are not likely to spot any uniformity issues at the sides of the screen when you sit close to the TV.
Changelog
- Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Feb 28, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Nov 05, 2018: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 32 inch Samsung N5300 which is the only available model in the US. There is a 43-inch model available which also has a 1080p resolution.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung N5300 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Size | US Model | Full Model Code | Panel Type | Refresh Rate | Notes |
| 32'' | UN32N5300 | UN32N5300AFXZA | IPS | 60Hz | |
| 43" | UN43N5300 | UN43N5300AFXZA | IPS | 60Hz |
You can see the label of the specific model we tested here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung UN32N5300 is a budget TV that is designed for use in smaller rooms. See our recommendations for the best TVs under $300 and the best cheap TVs.
The Samsung N5300 is much better than the Hisense H4F. The 32" N5300 supports 1080p while the Hisense doesn't. The N5300 can get brighter, has better black uniformity, can handle reflections better, and supports HDR, although there's not much gain using it in this mode. The Hisense has wider viewing angles and better response time, which great for sports.
The Samsung N5300 is somewhat better than the Vizio D Series 1080p 2017. The Samsung N5300 is brighter and has better reflection handling, so it's more suitable for a brighter room. It also has a better smart platform. The Vizio D Series 1080p 2017 has a lower input lag which is great if you play games and can remove 24p judder from older content.
The Samsung M5300 is marginally better than the Samsung N5300. The M5300 has a lower input lag that is great if you play games and a motion interpolation feature for the soap opera effect fans. On the other hand, the N5300 has better SDR peak brightness which is great if your TV room is slightly brighter and also a better gray uniformity, so you can enjoy watching sports without dirty screen effect.
The Samsung N5300 is marginally better than the TCL 1 Series/D100. The Samsung N5300 has a good smart platform, whereas the TCL D100 is a plain TV. The Samsung also has better viewing angles due to its IPS panel, and better reflection handling, which makes it a better choice if your room has many small light sources. The TCL D100 has better dark room performance due to the high contrast ratio of its VA panel, and a lower input lag to please those who play video games.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
