The Samsung TU6980 is a decent entry-level 4k TV. It's a variant of the Samsung TU7000, and the 70 inch model we tested is one of two options in Samsung's 6 Series lineup, with the other being an 82 inch model. It has a VA panel with a good contrast ratio, but it's lower than most other VA panel TVs, and there's no local dimming to improve it. It has incredibly low input lag and a quick response time for gaming, and there's a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve the appearance of motion. Sadly, HDR content doesn't look all that different from SDR content because it fails to display a wide color gamut and has disappointing peak brightness. Fortunately, it doesn't have any issues upscaling lower-resolution content, such as from cable boxes or Blu-ray players. Also, the built-in Tizen OS is easy-to-use and there are a ton of apps available to download.
Our Verdict
The Samsung 6 Series is a decent TV for most uses. It's good for gaming as it has a quick response time, a Black Frame Insertion feature, and incredibly low input lag. It performs well in dark environments because of its good contrast, but it has only decent black uniformity and lacks local dimming. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles, so it's not suggested for wide seating arrangements when watching TV or sports with a large group of people.
- Good contrast ratio.
- Good response time.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Doesn't get bright enough to combat a ton of glare.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Can't display wide color gamut for HDR content.
The Samsung 6 Series is okay for watching movies. It has a good contrast ratio, but it's not as good as some other TVs with a VA panel. Black uniformity is only decent, and there's no local dimming feature. Luckily, it removes judder from native 24p sources, such as Blu-ray players or native apps.
- Good contrast ratio.
- Removes judder from native 24p sources.
- Only decent black uniformity.
- No local dimming feature.
The Samsung 6 Series is decent for watching TV shows. Its peak brightness isn't bad and it has decent reflection handling, but it's best to avoid using it in bright rooms. It upscales lower-resolution content, such as from cable TV, without any issues. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles, so you quickly lose image accuracy when viewing off-center.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Upscales lower-resolution content well.
- Doesn't get bright enough to combat a ton of glare.
- Narrow viewing angles.
The Samsung 6 Series is decent for sports. It has a good response time and a Black Frame Insertion feature to help improve the appearance of motion. It handles reflections fairly well and its peak brightness isn't bad, but it's not good enough to combat a lot of glare. Also, it's not suggested for wide seating arrangements because it has narrow viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Upscales lower-resolution content well.
- Good response time.
- Doesn't get bright enough to combat a ton of glare.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Dirty screen effect in the center.
The Samsung 6 Series is good for video games. It has incredibly low input lag, a quick response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature to clear up motion blur. It's good for dark-room gaming because of its good contrast ratio. Sadly, it doesn't have variable refresh rate support and lacks local dimming.
- Good contrast ratio.
- Good response time.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Only decent black uniformity.
- No variable refresh rate support.
The Samsung 6 Series is mediocre for watching HDR movies. It fails to display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough in HDR to make highlights stand out. It has a good contrast ratio, but the black uniformity is just decent and there's no local dimming feature.
- Good contrast ratio.
- No local dimming feature.
- Can't display wide color gamut for HDR content.
- Disappointing HDR peak brightness.
The Samsung 6 Series is decent for HDR gaming, mainly due to its good gaming performance. It has low input lag and a good response time to deliver a responsive gaming experience. It has a good contrast ratio, but HDR content doesn't look good because it can't display a wide color gamut, has disappointing peak brightness, and there's no local dimming feature.
- Good contrast ratio.
- Good response time.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- No local dimming feature.
- Can't display wide color gamut for HDR content.
- Disappointing HDR peak brightness.
The Samsung 6 Series is a good choice for use as a PC monitor. It displays chroma 4:4:4 at any resolution, which is important for reading fine text. It also has incredibly low input lag and a quick response time. It has decent reflection handling and performs well in a moderately-lit room. Sadly, it has narrow viewing angles, so the edges look washed out if you sit too close.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4.
- Doesn't get bright enough to combat a ton of glare.
- Narrow viewing angles.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 22, 2022: The TU690T variant was incorrectly referred to as the ‘TU690’. The review has been updated.
- Updated Nov 16, 2022: Added the Samsung TU690 Black Friday 2022 variant to the Differences Between Sizes and Variants section of the review.
- Updated Mar 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.6.
- Updated Nov 12, 2020: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 70-inch Samsung TU6980, which is only sold at Best Buy for Black Friday. There's also a variant available at Best Buy known as the TU6985 and we expect them to perform the same. There's an 82-inch variant known as the TU6950 that's sold at other retailers, and we expect our review to be valid for that model as well. There's also a Black Friday variant of this TV available in a wide range of sizes, known as the Samsung TU690T.
Overall this TV is a variant of the Samsung TU7000, but it performs closer to the Samsung TU8000.
| Size | Model | Black Friday 2022 Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | N/A | UN43TU690TFXZA | |
| 50" | N/A | UN50TU690TFXZA | |
| 58" | N/A | UN58TU690TFXZA | |
| 60" | N/A | UN60TU690TFXZA | |
| 70" | UN70TU6980FXZA | Best Buy exclusive | |
| 70" | UN70TU6985FXZA | Expect to be identical to the TU6980 | |
| 75" | N/A | UN75TU690TFXZA | |
| 82" | UN82TU6950FXZA |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung TU6900 Series doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit was manufactured in September 2020 and you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung 6 Series is a decent entry-level TV, especially for its price. It performs better than the Samsung TU7000 and is closer to the Samsung TU8000. Although it has a lower contrast ratio than other TVs with VA panels, it gets brighter and has a quicker response time than other options in its price range. Also see our recommendations for the best 70-75-77 inch TVs, the best budget TVs, and the best Samsung TVs.
The Samsung TU6980 and the Samsung TU7000 perform quite similarly overall, but they come in different sizes. The TU6890 is only available in 70- and 82-inch sizes, so it's better if you prefer a large TV. The TU7000 comes in a wider range of sizes, and it has a better contrast ratio and gradient handling but has a significantly worse response time.
The Samsung TU6980 is slightly better than the Vizio V Series 2020. The Samsung gets brighter, does a better job at upscaling 480p and 720p content, and has a much quicker response time. However, the Vizio has a better contrast ratio, better black uniformity, and better reflection handling.
The Samsung TU6980 is better than the LG UN8500, but they have different panel types. The Samsung has a VA panel with a better contrast ratio. It also gets brighter, displays native 4k content better, and it has a Black Frame Insertion feature and lower input lag. However, the LG has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, and it also has a slightly quicker response time.
The Samsung TU6980 is better than the LG NANO80 2020, but they have different panel types. The Samsung has a VA panel and displays much deeper blacks. It also gets brighter, has a quicker response time, and a Black Frame Insertion feature. However, the LG has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, it displays a wide color gamut, and has better gradient handling.
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
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