Samsung UE49KS8000 review

The UE49KS8000 has three big attractions to its name. First, it's one of Samsung's so-called SUHD TVs. This means it combines a super-bright LCD panel with a local dimming system for the backlight plus wide colour spectrum capabilities built on a proprietary version of Quantum Dot technology.

Second, it's a flat TV rather than a curved one. This makes it a relative rarity in Samsung's SUHD range, yet for many AV fans flat remains very much where it's at.

Finally, for a TV that offers so many cutting edge features and so much 'next-generation' potential, the UE49KS8000's £1300 price tag looks like it could represent great value. Provided the TV lives up to its on-paper promise, of course.

Design

Samsung has sensibly stepped away from the aggressively stylised but chunky look of many of its 2015 TVs in favour of the sort of slimmer, more minimalist looks that have served it so well in years gone by.

The narrowness of the screen frame is echoed by a slender rear that stands in stark and, for me, welcome contrast to the quite chunky depth created by Samsung's curved TVs. In fact, with its 1094 x 636 x 43mm (W x H x D) dimensions, the UE49KS8000 lends itself much more naturally to wall hanging than any of Samsung's curved models.

The addition of a gleaming metallic trim to the outer edge of the UE49KS8000's screen frame gives the set a really high-end feel that's sealed by a nifty curved single-bar foot mount finished in polished aluminium.

I did notice while setting the TV up that its build quality isn't as imposing as that of Samsung's more expensive 2016 TVs. There's a rather plasticky feel to the non-metal bits. Still, most normal people don't stroke their TV once it's installed, and from a typical viewing distance the set certainly looks reassuringly expensive.

The UE49KS8000's connectivity is strong too, thanks to its highlights of four HDMIs, three USBs, and the usual choice of either wired or Wi-Fi network connectivity. The only major connection disappointment is the lack of a normal headphone port; the only way to use headphones with this TV is via Bluetooth.

Screen sizes available: 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD |4K: Yes | HDR: Yes (HDR10) | Panel technology: LCD with edge LED lighting |Smart TV: Yes, Tizen | Curved: No | Dimensions: 1094 x 636 x 43mm (W x H x D) | 3D: No | Inputs: Four HDMIs, three USBs, optical digital audio output, Wi-Fi, Ethernet port, Tuner input

Design TL;DR: The UE49KS8000 is one of the prettiest TVs around this year - so long as you're not bothered by the fact that it isn't curved.

Smart TV – Tizen

Samsung's latest Tizen-based Smart TVs make it much easier than their predecessors did to get quickly to interesting or favourite content.

Calling up the home screen still initially presents you with the same single row of icons along the bottom of your screen you got with 2015's Samsung smart TVs, showing your most recently used and favourite apps. Highlight one of the icons, though, and you'll now see a secondary contextual 'deck' of icons appear above the main one that changes depending on the icon you've selected from the lower deck.

There's really no overstating how much slicker this simple change makes the process of navigating through all the UE49KS8000's myriad content options.