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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Samsung RU9000 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.6
Review updated Nov 10, 2020 at 08:37 am
Latest change: Retest Jul 29, 2021 at 03:16 pm
Samsung RU9000 Picture
7.2
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
7.4
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.5
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.4
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
7.4
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The Samsung RU9000, also known as the Samsung 9 Series, is a decent 4k TV. It's well-suited for dark room viewing, as it has a high contrast ratio to produce deep blacks, and it has excellent black uniformity. However, even though it has decent reflection handling, it struggles to overcome glare in bright environments due to its low peak brightness. It has a great response time to deliver fast-moving scenes with minimal motion blur, and it has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to further improve clarity. Its low input lag makes gaming feel incredibly responsive, and it supports variable refresh rate (VRR) support to help minimize screen tearing. Unfortunately, while it has an impressive color gamut to produce a wide range of colors in HDR, it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop and lacks a local dimming feature. Also, its VA panel's sub-par viewing angles make it less ideal for wide seating areas. Like all Samsung TVs, it runs on the great Tizen OS platform, which has tons of streaming services readily available.

Our Verdict

7.2 Mixed Usage

The Samsung RU9000 is a decent TV for most uses. It performs impressively well for gaming due to its low input lag, fast response time, and VRR support. Its high contrast ratio is great for viewing movies in the dark; however, it lacks local dimming and doesn't get very bright to bring out highlights in HDR movies. Visibility can be an issue if you're watching in a well-lit environment, and its VA panel's sub-par viewing angles result in images looking washed out when viewed from the side.

Pros
  • Excellent contrast ratio.
  • Great response time.
  • Reasonable SDR peak brightness.
Cons
  • No local dimming.
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
6.9 Movies

The Samsung RU9000 is okay for watching movies. It performs very well in dark rooms thanks to its high contrast ratio and excellent black uniformity. It displays native 4k content without any issues and upscales lower resolution movies well. It can remove judder from all sources, but it stutters a bit in low frame rate content like movies. Sadly, it doesn't have a local dimming feature. There's some dirty screen effect; however, uniformity can vary between units.

Pros
  • Excellent contrast ratio.
  • Excellent black uniformity.
Cons
  • No local dimming.
  • Some stutter in low frame rate content.
7.4 TV Shows

The Samsung RU9000 is decent for watching TV shows. It upscales lower resolution content from cable boxes well, and Samsung's Tizen OS platform has tons of streaming services available. Its reflection handling is decent, but it doesn't get very bright, so it isn't ideal for well-lit rooms. Also, it isn't a good option if you like to walk around while watching due to its VA panel's narrow viewing angles.

Pros
  • Reasonable SDR peak brightness.
  • Decent reflection handling.
Cons
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
7.5 Sports

The Samsung RU9000 is good for watching sports. Its response time is great, and it has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to further improve motion clarity in fast-moving scenes. Unfortunately, even though it has decent reflection handling, it doesn't get very bright and might not be able to overcome glare in a well-lit environment. Also, its sub-par viewing angles cause the image to look washed out from the side, so it isn't the best option for watching with a big group of people.

Pros
  • Great response time.
  • Reasonable SDR peak brightness.
  • Decent reflection handling.
Cons
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
7.4 Video Games

The Samsung RU9000 is great for gaming. It has incredibly low input lag, a fast response time, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. It has a high contrast ratio and excellent black uniformity, which is great for dark room gaming. Unfortunately, there's a bit of dirty screen effect as well as image duplication due to the TV's backlight flicker.

Pros
  • Excellent contrast ratio.
  • Low input lag.
  • FreeSync support.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • No local dimming.
6.7 HDR Movies

The Samsung RU9000 is okay for watching movies in HDR. Its VA panel has an excellent contrast ratio and black uniformity, making it a great choice for dark rooms. However, it doesn't get very bright, and it lacks local dimming, so highlights don't stand out the way they should. It can remove judder from all sources, but it stutters a bit due to its fast response time.

Pros
  • Excellent contrast ratio.
  • Excellent black uniformity.
Cons
  • No local dimming.
  • Poor HDR peak brightness.
  • Some stutter in low frame rate content.
7.4 HDR Gaming

The Samsung RU9000 is good for playing games in HDR. It has low input lag, a fast response time, and VRR support. However, its HDR performance is severely limited by the low HDR peak brightness and lack of local dimming. On the upside, it has an excellent contrast ratio and black uniformity, making it a great choice for gaming in the dark.

Pros
  • Excellent contrast ratio.
  • Low input lag.
  • FreeSync support.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • No local dimming.
  • Poor HDR peak brightness.
8.1 PC Monitor

The Samsung RU9000 is good for use as a PC monitor. It has low input lag, a fast response time, and it can display proper chroma 4:4:4 for optimal text clarity. It handles reflections decently well, but it has narrow viewing angles, so the sides of the screen can look washed out if you sit too close.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
  • Great response time.
  • Decent reflection handling.
Cons
  • Sub-par viewing angles.
  • 7.2 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 Movies
  • 7.4 TV Shows
  • 7.5 Sports
  • 7.4 Video Games
  • 6.7 HDR Movies
  • 7.4 HDR Gaming
  • 8.1 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Jul 29, 2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.
  2. Updated Mar 02, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.6.
  3. Updated Nov 10, 2020: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
  4. Updated Aug 19, 2020: Update to HDMI Forum VRR support.
  5. Updated Aug 04, 2020: Review published.
  6. Updated Jul 29, 2020: Early access published.
  7. Updated Jul 22, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Jul 22, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jul 15, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 82" RU9000 (UN82RU9000) and we expect our results to be valid for the 65" RU9000 (UN65RU9000), and the 75" RU9000 (UN75RU9000).

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung RU9000 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 United States Canada
65" UN65RU9000FXZA UN65RU9000FXZC
75" UN75RU9000FXZA UN75RU9000FXZC
82" UN82RU9000FXZA UN82RU9000FXZC

Our unit of the UN82RU9000 was manufactured in March 2020; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Samsung RU9000 is a decent TV for most uses. It isn't the best option for watching HDR content due to its low HDR peak brightness, but it's one of the better options for gaming, as it has low input lag, a fast response time, and it supports VRR. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best HDR gaming TVs, and the best smart TVs.

Samsung RU8000
49" 55" 65" 75" 82"

The Samsung RU9000 and the Samsung RU8000 are very similarly performing TVs. The biggest difference is that the RU9000 has slightly wider viewing angles, resulting in an image that looks a tad less washed out from the side, and its color gamut is a bit wider. Other differences are very minor and will likely be hard to notice.

LG NANO81
55" 65" 75"

The Samsung RU9000 is better than the LG NANO81. The RU9000 has a VA panel with a much higher contrast ratio and significantly better black uniformity, making it more suitable for dark room viewing. The RU9000 has a 120Hz refresh rate, faster response time, and it has an optional black frame insertion feature. Furthermore, it has a wider color gamut and it supports VRR. However, the NANO81 has better viewing angles due to its IPS panel, it has better reflection handling, and lower input lag.

Samsung TU8000
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

Overall, the Samsung RU9000 is better than the Samsung TU8000. The RU9000 has a higher peak brightness, a much wider color gamut, and significantly better gradient handling. The RU9000 also has a faster response time, it can remove judder from all sources, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. Input lag is lower on the TU8000, but if you want VRR support, only the RU9000 has it.

Samsung Q60/Q60T QLED
43" 50" 55" 58" 65" 75" 82" 85"

The Samsung RU9000 is marginally better than the Samsung Q60T QLED. The RU9000 has significantly better motion handling due to its much faster response time, it can remove judder from all sources, and it has a better HDR color gamut. However, the Q60T has a higher contrast ratio, higher peak brightness in SDR and HDR, and it has much better color accuracy out of the box. The Q60T has lower input lag but it doesn't support variable refresh rate, which the RU9000 does.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung RU9000's design is excellent. It's a simple-looking TV with a stand that gives it a modern industrial vibe. The borders are a bit thick compared to other recent high-end TVs, and they protrude from the screen.

Design
Stand

The stand supports the TV well and only wobbles a little bit. The feet are identical, so you don't have to worry about putting them on the wrong side, and they don't need to be screwed in as they just slide into the TV.

Footprint of the 82" TV stand: 46.5" x 15.1"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 600x400

The back of the TV is made out of plastic, with a horizontal texture etched into it. All the inputs are side-facing, making them easier to access when wall-mounted. For cable management, there are grooves to guide cables towards the back of the stand, allowing to you hide them in the hollow section of the feet.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.63" (1.6 cm)

Unfortunately, the borders are on the thick side compared to other higher-end Samsung TVs, even slightly thicker than the Samsung RU8000.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.44" (6.2 cm)

The TV is fairly thin but the back isn't flat, so it sticks out a little bit when wall-mounted. The 82" model that we reviewed didn't come with any wall-mount spacers, although it may be different for the smaller sizes.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The Samsung RU9000's build quality is okay. It feels pretty sturdy despite its plastic construction, and there's very little wobble for a TV this size. There's a lot of flex in the back panel near the edges and around the inputs, but it doesn't feel flimsy and shouldn't cause any issues.

Picture Quality
8.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
5,017 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

The Samsung RU9000 has an excellent contrast ratio, which is expected of most VA panels. It isn't as good as the Samsung RU8000 and sadly, there's no local dimming to further improve the black level. Note that the contrast ratio can vary between units.

6.9
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
331 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
164 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
317 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
316 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
316 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
316 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
160 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
316 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
316 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
315 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
315 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.047

The SDR peak brightness is okay. It's better suited for a dark to moderately-lit room, as it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare in very bright lighting conditions. The brightness is fairly consistent except for the dimmer 2% window, which is caused by frame dimming. If you need a TV that gets brighter to combat glare, check out the Samsung Q60/Q60A QLED.

We measured the SDR peak brightness after calibration, in the 'Movie' Picture Mode, with Color Temperature set to 'Warm 2' and Gamma set to 2.2.

If you don't mind losing image accuracy, you can get a brighter image by setting the Picture Mode to 'Dynamic, with Contrast Enhancer set to 'Max', and all other settings left at their default value. We achieved 362 cd/m² in the 10% window with these settings.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

Update 07/29/2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.

The Samsung RU9000 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video above is provided for reference only.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming In Game Mode
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

Update 07/29/2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.

5.2
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Real Scene Highlight
303 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
158 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
307 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
306 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
306 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
306 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
155 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
306 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
306 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
306 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
306 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.047

Unfortunately, the Samsung RU9000 has a poor HDR peak brightness, lower than its peak brightness in SDR. There's also brightness variation in the 2% window, so small highlights in dark scenes appear dimmer.

We measured the HDR peak brightness before calibration in the 'HDR Movie' Picture Mode, with Brightness and Contrast set to max, and Color Temperature set to 'Warm 2'.

If you don't care about image accuracy, you can get a brighter image in HDR by setting the Picture Mode to 'HDR Dynamic', with Contrast Enhancer set to max, and all other settings left at their default value. We achieved 372 cd/m² in the 10% window with these settings.

5.4
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Real Scene Highlight
335 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
133 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
331 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
330 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
330 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
330 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
132 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
330 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
329 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
329 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
329 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.062
7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.780%
50% DSE
0.182%
5% Std. Dev.
1.686%
5% DSE
0.099%

Gray uniformity on our Samsung RU9000 is decent; however, this can vary between individual units. The sides are visibly darker and there's some dirty screen effect at the center of the screen. There's also a bit of flashlighting in the bottom corners of the screen, but it isn't visible in regular content. Uniformity is much better in dark scenes.

8.9
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.662%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Excellent black uniformity. There's a bit of clouding throughout the screen, but it isn't distracting and shouldn't be visible in normal content. Note that black uniformity can vary between individual units.

5.5
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
23°
Color Shift
32°
Brightness Loss
29°
Black Level Raise
19°
Gamma Shift
20°

Like most VA panel TVs, the Samsung RU9000 has sub-par viewing angles. This makes images look washed out when viewed from the side, so it isn't well-suited for wide seating areas.

7.4
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
5.2%
Indirect Reflections
1.0%
Calculated Direct Reflections
4.2%

Decent reflection handling. The semi-gloss finish handles indirect reflections well, but not direct reflections, so it's best to avoid placing the TV opposite bright light sources.

6.5
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.92
Color dE
3.84
Gamma
2.02
Color Temperature
5,881 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

Out-of-the-box, the Samsung RU9000 has acceptable color accuracy. Most colors are somewhat inaccurate, white balance is off, and the color temperature is much warmer than our 6500K target. Gamma doesn't follow the 2.2 target at all; most scenes are too bright while dark scenes are over-darkened. Note that color accuracy can vary between units.

9.2
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.33
Color dE
1.72
Gamma
2.21
Color Temperature
6,496 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes

After calibration, the color accuracy is outstanding. White balance is almost perfect and the color temperature is much closer to our target. Gamma is very good, although dark scenes are still darker than they should be. Some people might be able to spot the inaccuracies with reds and blues, but the inaccuracies with the other colors shouldn't be noticeable without the aid of a colorimeter.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The Samsung RU9000 upscales 480p content well and without any issues.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content such as from a cable box is upscaled without any obvious artifacts.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content from sources such as Blu-rays looks good.

9.9
Picture Quality
4k Input

4k content looks amazing, but there's some sub-pixel dimming that results in crosshatching, and there's some dithering as well. That said, they're very difficult to spot unless you're an inch away from the screen. The dithering can be seen in this photo if you zoom into the shadowy parts, as it causes a slight purplish hue.

0
Picture Quality
8k Input

The Samsung RU9000 can't display an 8k signal.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA

The Samsung RU9000 uses a BGR sub-pixel structure. This doesn't affect image quality, but it can affect the way text is rendered when using the TV as a PC monitor. You can find out more about it here.

8.3
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
90.86%
DCI P3 uv
96.14%
Rec 2020 xy
67.55%
Rec 2020 uv
75.53%

The Samsung RU9000 has a great HDR color gamut. It has outstanding coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most content, and decent coverage of the wider Rec 2020. The 'HDR Movie' EOTF follows the PQ curve almost perfectly until the roll-off, which starts earlier than the Samsung RU8000. The 'Game' mode EOTF doesn't follow the curve as well and most scenes are too bright, but the roll-off starts later.

If you find HDR content too dim, you can make it brighter by setting the Picture Mode to 'HDR Movie', with Contrast Enhancer set to 'High', ST.2084 set to max, and Color Temperature set to 'Warm 2'. These settings result in this EOTF.

6.8
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
76.1%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
23.6%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
58.7%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
18.2%

The color volume is okay. The TV can display dark colors well due to its high contrast ratio, but it struggles with bright colors.

7.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.134
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.100
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.123
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.109

Good gradient handling. Although there's banding in all colors, it's only noticeable in reds and greens. The banding in other colors is in the darker shades, so it's not as obvious. Enabling Digital Clean View can smooth out most of it, but it may cause the loss of fine details in some scenes.

10
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

The Samsung RU9000 doesn't show any signs of temporary image retention; however, this can vary between units.

10
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
No

We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.

Motion
8.4
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
4.1 ms
100% Response Time
9.9 ms

The Samsung RU9000 has impressive response time, which results in very little motion blur in fast-moving scenes. There's a small amount of overshoot in the 0-20% transition, causing some motion artifacts in dark scenes. There's a bit of image duplication due to the backlight's flicker.

6.0
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
240 Hz

The backlight is flicker-free only when the brightness is at maximum. If the brightness is set below maximum, the backlight flickers at 240Hz in all picture modes. With LED Clear Motion Plus enabled in the Game Motion Plus Settings menu, the flickering frequency drops to 120Hz. With LED Clear Motion enabled in the Auto Motion Plus Settings menu, the flicker frequency is 60Hz.

9.2
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz

The Samsung RU9000 has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature that can help improve motion clarity. To use it, set Auto Motion Plus to 'Custom' and LED Clear Motion to 'On'. To use this feature while gaming, perform the same steps within the Game Motion Plus Settings menu.

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

This TV can interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120fps to make motion look smoother. It works quite well, and the TV continues to interpolate in more intense scenes without causing too many artifacts. To use motion interpolation, set Auto Motion Plus to 'Custom', and adjust the Judder Reduction to max for native 30fps content, or adjust the Blur Reduction slider to max for native 60fps content.

6.7
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
31.8 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
6.8 ms

Due to the TV's fast response time, lower frame rate content such as movies can stutter. If it bothers you, using motion interpolation can help.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

This TV can remove judder from all sources. To do so, set Auto Motion Plus to 'On'.

8.2
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Unknown
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
60 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
48 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
HDMI

Update 08/19/2020: We changed HDMI Forum VRR to 'Unknown' because we currently don't have an accurate way to test for HDMI Forum VRR compatibility. Once we do, we'll test for it and update the review.

The Samsung RU9000 supports FreeSync to reduce screen tearing when gaming. To use it, set FreeSync to 'Ultimate' in the Game Mode Settings menu.

Inputs
9.4
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
15.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
72.0 ms
1440p @ 60Hz
14.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz
14.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
14.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
14.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
70.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
22.5 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
1080p @ 120Hz
6.8 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
6.3 ms
4k @ 120Hz
N/A
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
6.8 ms
1440p with VRR
6.6 ms
4k with VRR
14.4 ms
8k with VRR
N/A

The Samsung RU9000 has excellent low input lag. It should be good enough for most gamers, especially when playing at 120Hz. To get the lowest input lag, you only need to be in 'Game' mode, and PC users only need to have the input in use labeled 'PC'.

This TV allows the use of motion interpolation when gaming. The settings are located in a separate menu called Game Motion Plus Settings, but it has the same options as the Auto Motion Plus Settings menu. There are sliders for Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction, which you can adjust to your preference, and an LED Clear Motion toggle for the Black Frame Insertion feature. Using motion interpolation when gaming adds a bit of input lag, but it shouldn't be noticeable for most people.

There's an 'Auto Low Latency' mode that puts you in 'Game' mode automatically when the TV detects a game being launched from a compatible device. To use it, enable Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) in the External Device Manager settings menu.

9.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes (native support)
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (native support)
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes (native support)
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

This TV supports most common resolutions, and it can display proper chroma 4:4:4 at all supported resolutions, except for 1440p @ 120Hz. To display chroma 4:4:4, label the input in use as 'PC'. For signals that require the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.0, enable Input Signal Plus.

Inputs
Advanced Console Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
PS5, 4k @ 120Hz + HDR
No
PS5, 4k @ 120Hz
No
PS5, 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
Yes
PS5, 1440p @ 120Hz
PS5 can't do 1440p
PS5, 1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
PS5, Variable Refresh Rate
PS5 can't do VRR yet
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 120Hz + HDR
No
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 120Hz
No
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
Yes
Xbox Series X, 1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
Xbox Series X, 1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Xbox Series X, Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 2
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
Audio Passthrough
ARC
Yes (HDMI 4)
eARC support
No
Dolby Atmos via TrueHD via eARC
No
DTS:X via DTS-HD MA via eARC
No
5.1 Dolby Digital via ARC
Yes
5.1 DTS via ARC
No
5.1 Dolby Digital via Optical
Yes
5.1 DTS via Optical
No

Unfortunately, the Samsung RU9000 doesn't support eARC or any DTS formats.

Sound Quality
7.1
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
84.76 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.44 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.62 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.94 dB
Max
89.5 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.30 dB

The Samsung RU9000's frequency response is decent. It's fairly well-balanced overall and dialogue sounds clear. There's very little bass extension, so even though the bass is quite prominent, you won't get that low rumbling sound. It gets pretty loud but there are compression artifacts when playing at max volume.

6.7
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.241
Weighted THD @ Max
0.512
IMD @ 80
4.90%
IMD @ Max
10.75%

The distortion performance is okay, a bit better than the Samsung RU8000. The total amount of distortion at moderate volume level is good. At max volume, there's some distortion, but it might not be noticeable for most people and it also depends on the content.

Smart Features
8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
Version 2019
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
5 s
Advanced Options
Many

Samsung's Tizen OS is great. It runs very smoothly for the most part. We had an issue with the remote control losing its pairing and would require repeating the pairing process to get it to work. There was also a bug with the 'Home' button not working, but it only happened when the remote lost its pairing, so both issues may be related.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

There are ads and suggested content on the home screen and within the Samsung app store. Unfortunately, there's no way to opt-out of them.

8.5
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

Samsung's app store has a large selection of apps available for download and they run smoothly.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
Yes
Remote App Samsung SmartThings

The remote control is the same as the one that came with the Samsung RU8000 and other high-end Samsung TVs. There are shortcuts to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Samsung TV Plus. There's a built-in microphone for voice control through Bixby. Changing the TV settings and general inquiries work well through voice control, but content search is a bit of a hit or miss depending on the app, as it's able to search for content on YouTube but not Netflix. The remote can be programmed to work with other devices, even if those devices don't support HDMI-CEC.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The TV's control is just a single button located below the Samsung branding on the bottom bezel. It allows you to turn the TV On/Off, change the channel, change the input source, and adjust the volume.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • User guide
  • Remote control
  • 2x AAA batteries
  • Power cord

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 93 W
Power Consumption (Max) 209 W
Firmware 1361