Verdict

Pros

• Superb 2D and 3D picture quality
• Content-rich Smart TV system
• Good setup flexibility and feature list

Cons

• Average sonics
• Unhelpful picture presets
• Input lag slightly high for gamers

What is the Samsung UE65HU7500?

The UE65HU7500 is a 65-inch TV with a native 4K/UHD resolution. It’s a couple of steps down from Samsung’s 2014 flagship UHD TVs, but with a price tag of £3300 it represents a potential value ‘sweet spot’ in the range. Especially as it still benefits from Samsung’s full Smart TV system and, until 24 December 2014, comes with a free UHD Video Pack containing three Hollywood movies.

Samsung UE65HU7500 – Design and Features

By Samsung’s standards the UE65HU7500 is a rather straightforward-looking TV. A fairly unremarkable, though well-built, black frame runs around the screen, offset attractively by a metallic silver trim.

The centrally attached angular desktop stand (if you use it) is a bit more distinctive, although it’s certainly not as eye-catching as the ‘boomerang’ version you get with Samsung’s curved TVs.

Yes, the UE65HU7500 is not curved. It’s resolutely flat, meaning we don’t need to get into the whole debate over the pros and cons of curved screens. Phew.

The UE65HU7500’s connections are excellent. While you don’t get the built-in camera found on Samsung’s HU8500 flagship TV series, the four provided HDMIs offer support for UHD playback at 60fps and the new UHD-focused HDCP 2.2 copy-protection system.

There are also three USBs for playback of video, photo and music files from USB keys, or for recording to USB hard drives from the TV’s Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners. Plus you’ll use one of the USBs to attach the free Samsung UHD Video Pack you’re entitled to if you buy a 65HU7500 before Christmas 2014. 

We’ve tested this Video Pack recently, so we’ll just say here that it delivers three 4K Hollywood movies: World War Z, The Counselor, and The Life of Pi.

The UE65HU7500 can also, of course, be added to your home network either wirelessly or via LAN cable, enabling you to stream content to it from DLNA-enabled source devices or go online with Samsung’s Smart TV service.

This service is outstanding from a content perspective, especially in the way it supports Netflix’s UHD streams, and the catch-up TV apps of all the UK’s key terrestrial broadcasters: The BBC iPlayer, The ITV Payer, 4OD and Demand 5. What’s more, Samsung is also soon to become the first TV manufacturer to support Amazon’s imminent UHD streams.

See our separate review for more detail on Samsung’s Smart TV platform for 2014.

SEE ALSO: Best TVs Round-up

The UE65HU7500 doesn’t benefit from Samsung’s absolute top-level picture technology. You don’t get the wide colour gamut panel used in the HU8500 models, for instance, and the HU8500s’ LED dimming controls are more sophisticated. The HU7500’s motion processing isn’t as powerful, either.

Also, the UE65HU7500’s image processing – including the upscaling of HD and standard-def content to the TV’s 3840 x 2160 resolution – doesn’t benefit from the ultra-fast, ultra-powerful Quad Core Plus chipset sported by the HU8500 series.

However, the UE65HU7500 still enjoys a 1000Hz-emulating motion engine and a Quad Core processor, and we’ve seen enough from previous 7-series models over recent years to know that even its slightly less sophisticated Micro Dimming system can still deliver very tasty results.

One last thing on the UE65HU7500’s feature list is its 3D playback. This is of the active type, with two pairs of glasses included.

Samsung UE65HU7500 – Setup

As usual with Samsung TVs the UE65HU7500 requires some effort to get the best from its pictures, with none of its provided picture presets doing a great job.

The main problem is that Samsung’s tastes are too aggressive, leading to pictures that push brightness and sharpness too hard – at least when you’re trying to watch something ‘seriously’, with the lights dimmed.

The backlight is set so high out of the box, for instance, that the TV’s black-level response only looks average, and there’s evidence of backlight clouding. So if you’re watching a film or drama – which tend to use extended contrast ranges –we’d recommend reducing the backlight setting to its 8 or 7 level.

Contrast should be reduced from the Max level Samsung is prone to favour, too. We’d suggest its 80-83 setting if you want the best balance between image dynamism and noise.

We’d also recommend that you nudge down the set’s sharpness for most viewing. Even native UHD playback can look a bit ‘gritty’ and forced if you stick with the default sharpness values.

Make sure you turn off all noise-reduction systems for UHD and, we’d argue, HD source viewing. Finally, use the provided motion processing on its Clear setting for upscaled content or, potentially, its Standard setting for UHD.