Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

Release Date: 5/12/2016

MSRP: $1,999.99

I have only ever had two nice TVs in my life, and they were both 50″ plasmas. While plasmas are now discontinued and have faded off the market, a whole new scene of TVs is among us. 4K TVs have come down in price over the last few years remarkably, and now anyone can afford them. Even the larger and curved screens are much more affordable. For myself, I needed something that was future-proofed and could do everything the latest consoles can do today plus more. Samsung makes some of the best TVs out there, and they are at the forefront of 4K entertainment. Their KS series of TVs are some of the best you will ever see. Anyone who says there’s no difference between 4K and 1080p hasn’t seen this TV yet.

Let’s start with the overall features. 60″ is fairly large and 10″ larger than my previous TVs. This is a large cinema, but it takes an understanding of what a 4K TV can do and what 4K even is. 4K, or UHD, is a fancy term for four times the resolution of 1080p. 3840×2160 or 2160p is 4K. The dots are smaller, allowing more detail on larger screens, thus the 55″ plus sizes. Anything under 55″ and you won’t notice much of a difference between 4K and 1080p. Anything over 65″ and you start seeing pixels, and then 8K TVs are needed, which are rich man fantasies. Another feature for 4K TVs is HDR, or High Dynamic Range. This displays lighting effects in content that supports it, as the human eye would see it, and it has better blacks and whites, more varied contrast, and a richer tone.

This TV is just packed to the brim with physical features. 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports, Bluetooth, 2.4 and 5Ghz WiFi, Ethernet, optical audio, RF output, built-in quad-core CPU, dimming technology, OneConnect Ready, AnyNet+, eco sensor, TV to mobile mirroring, and vice versa, and the list goes on. Every single piece of technology available for TVs is crammed into this 50-pound piece of beauty. You won’t find a more advanced TV on the market.

Other features for 4K TVs are motion interpolation, or SOE (Soap Opera Effect). This TV is 240 Hz, which is as fast as you can get refreshed rate-wise right now, and some people don’t’ like it. For content that isn’t 60FPS or faster, the TV predicts the frames and adds some in to reduce blurriness and juddering in fast-moving scenes. With high-definition content, it looks fantastic to me. It looks lifelike and beautiful. A downside of these ultra-high-def TVs is that anything that isn’t high-def really stands out and looks bad. The TV can compensate in some ways, as there are settings for it, but if you don’t like smooth-moving movies and shows, then turn it off.

As a TV in general, this is a smart TV that has access to the internet and includes Samsung’s TV app store for streaming Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, news, and many other things to your TV. There’s no need for a set-top box, streaming device, or game console. It can all be done straight from the TV, which is amazing, and I never dreamed how convenient it could be. You can even stream 4K content straight from the TV without needing special cables or devices. I found setting up the TV just as easy as any other device, and using the UI is simple and a breeze. Samsung didn’t overcomplicate anything but kept the UI similar to what you see on other HDTVs, menu-wise. There are quick access features; switch your sources, and then your settings. Some apps, like Netflix, will show your last-watched shows right from this pop-up menu, and you can even surf the web! You can also mirror-cast your device and display it on the TV to watch videos or pictures, which is really neat and easy and eliminates the need for HDMI cables.

This TV will also recognize your game consoles and allow you to control the menus via the TV remote, which is really neat. Turning off the console will turn off the TV. Turn on your console, and the TV will turn on. The same goes for turning just the TV on. One of my favorite features is the voice-activated remote. Just say “Open Netflix,” and you go straight to the app. Sadly, you can’t use this voice search while in apps, which is really odd. However, it’s all down to the pixels and HD content, right?

Playing HDR games on this beast is something I will love forever. The games look so rich, beautiful, and pop with colors, unlike anything I have seen before. The downside is that neither the game manufacturers nor Samsung will tell you how to make an HDR display right on your TV. You must turn it on in the console settings first, and then you must enable UHD Full Color on your HDMI ports on the TV. After this, you must turn the game mode on, turn the backlight up all the way, turn on the Smart LED to high, and then you will have HDR. Sadly, this is a brand new technology, so only a handful of games support it. I’m not even sure if movies support it at this point, but I’m sure it’s coming. Another downside is that 4K content is brand new, and mainstream movie producers and game companies are just now starting to support it. It’s slow right now, but if you buy this TV, you will future-proof your digital entertainment for years to come.

I did watch a few 1080p Blu-ray movies on this TV, and I noticed details that I didn’t know were there before. Individual fibers and hairs pop with detail, and it’s amazing. Everything comes to life and jumps out at you. From the darkest scenes to huge, sweeping landscapes, every scene is beautiful and breathtaking on this display. 4K movies and shows are beyond human belief. They look so crisp and stunning that I can’t put them into words. Anyone who says there’s no difference between 1080p and 4K is lying, because there’s a stunning difference in quality and fidelity. Hell, even the speakers on this thing are pretty decent for TV speakers—some of the best I have heard. While not as good as a separate system, they will tide you over until you get one, for sure.

Another negative point that really bothered me was the constant adjustment needed for each source. Now, this doesn’t mean input, but the source of content, such as a movie, web browser, or each app. I didn’t get this at first and kept adjusting the TV from the Netflix app to the PS4, which was odd. Thankfully, the TV remembers settings for each input and source, but if you watch movies on your PS4, you will need to adjust it for games and then again to watch a movie. I don’t understand this, but that’s the downside of having a high-end TV. Not one set will look the same for different content. With my plasma TVs, one setting was fine for everything, but now you have HDR settings and movie settings; some shows look bad with Auto Motion Plus, some don’t, and this can really make the average consumer mad. The amount of research and knowledge I had to gain going into this TV was insane. I can’t imagine how many people have 4K TVs and don’t have them set up correctly.

Overall, this TV is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It’s huge, thin, and minimally designed; it has all the latest features going into 2017 and beyond; everything looks beautiful and gorgeous; and it will bring all your HD content to life.

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

Release Date: 3/30/2016

MSRP: $279.99

I have used my Sharp soundbar for over 4 years now, and it still sounds great, but with a TV upgrade comes a sound system upgrade, and I’m glad I made the switch. Samsung’s HW-K550 is easy to set up and sounds amazing. The soundbar itself is fairly flat and features a mesh design with no LED lights, which is minimal and not noticeable. There’s a small LED display, but it doesn’t stay on unless you’re pressing buttons. The subwoofer is rather large, measuring 10 inches, and can be tucked away nicely and easily.

The soundbar is a 2.1-channel, 300-watt system with surround sound and Dolby DTS. The best way to set this up is through the digital optical cable, as you only need one cord. Any modern TV from the last 10–15 years will have this option. Once that’s plugged up, the subwoofer is wireless, so it automatically syncs up; I didn’t have to touch a thing. The options for the soundbar are rather simple, and it didn’t take long to set things up. There are several preset modes, such as movie, night, sports, standard, clear, and music. I found the movie to be the best option for gaming (I wish this had a game mode like my Sharp soundbar). You can change the lag input, treble, bass, and subwoofer levels. That’s about all you can do, which is just fine and works well for what needs to get done.

When actually listening to games and movies, I found them to be crystal clear and vibrant. This model has an extra center speaker, which is used for dialog, and it makes a difference, as with my Sharp soundbar, dialog was always too low and action was too loud. I even had to turn my Sharp soundbar up quite high during some movies and games, which was annoying. An additional feature that this soundbar has is Bluetooth for streaming audio from a Bluetooth device, such as a phone.

If you own a Samsung TV, you can connect the soundbar to it without needing extra cables like optical or HDMI. This is fantastic and keeps the entertainment center clutter-free. There’s also an app available to control the soundbar remotely and access the equalizer for music, which is a nice feature. You can even add to the system by using wireless surround sound kits provided by Samsung. This is a very advanced soundbar, and four years makes such a difference. My Sharp doesn’t even have Bluetooth or an app, and it was the same price four years ago.

With that said, I have to say this is the best sound system I have ever owned. It’s clear, crisp, modern, and has features for music lovers, movie junkies, and gamers alike. If you don’t want to spend thousands on a true surround sound system, then soundbars are the way to go. I highly recommend this soundbar if you have a modern Samsung TV, as the wireless Bluetooth connection allows you to avoid needing more cables outside of power.