Samsung’s F9000 series represents an exceptionally promising 4K Ultra HD debut for the South Korean TV manufacturer. It carries over the many strengths and relatively few weaknesses of the company’s HD-resolution SPVA LCD panels into the new Ultra-HD world.
As is often the case, early adopters of cutting-edge technology are rewarded with a display which is one of the best in its class. 2160p or not, the UE65F9000 is one of the best quality LCD TVs we’ve seen. Samsung have reached a stage of having a high-contrast LCD panel which is married to a video processor which gives enthusiast users full control over the picture quality: full calibration controls are present, and there’s no obtrusive unwanted video processing. While not a substitute for the contrast performance of a full-array LED local dimming LCD (or an HD plasma, for that matter), the [Smart LED] function is a great example of video processing and LED control working together to provide deeper blacks while avoiding dimming whites.
Our only criticisms – beyond the inevitable edge-lit LED problems of some slight non-uniformity (which Samsung has taken great steps in mitigating recently) – relate to the resolution of the coloured components in the picture, which is a minor issue. We’d also like to see input lag reduced a little further for smoother-feeling video gaming use (Sony has been putting out some incredibly snappy HDTVs lately, although we should point out that these are 1080p, and we haven’t measured lag on one of their UHD efforts yet).
The only hold-up now before the ultra high-definition party can truly start is a high quality source, and 4K OLED TVs. It’s very unlikely we’ll ever see commercialised Ultra HD plasmas, and there are some things that LCD still can’t do – although having said that, we do appreciate the dither-free, clean image they produce. Perhaps the Blu-ray Disc Association will have some good news about 4K Blu-ray come CES time, which will be an important step in upping the resolution stakes. Bring on the content!
