The Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED TV is one of the best examples of what the future of television will look like. We say will, despite this being out now, as this is probably too expensive for most homes. But, as with all TV tech, you can expect that price to drop fast, soon. In the short term a 4K alternative, like the Samsung Q90R is a great option too. But money no object, this is the best TV you'll find. So if you demand future-proof 8K, and are ready to pay $13,000, then read on to find out more.
Expect 8K content to arrive fast as now streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus simply need to start adding the new format and it'll be ready. It's not like the days of solid state media where there was a long wait for content to catch up with hardware. And with the smart 8K upscaling onboard this TV will make even current content look more impressive.
With 65, 75 and 82-inch options, these are some super immersive screens that offer true 8K resolution to create some of the most realistic images you can get on a screen right now. Want four times more pixels than 4K in your home? Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED TV review: Picture
- Impressive 8K resolution
- Full 100 percent DCI-P3 color space
- Great HDR and contrast
The QLED tech in this TV is paired with AI smarts to create some stunning images. The 33 million pixels of the 8K resolution also go a long way to help make this one of the best looking screens on the planet.
Average price: $13,000
Sizes available: 65", 75", and 82"
Screen type: QLED
4K ready? Yes
8K ready? Yes
HDR type: HDR10+
Audio type: Dolby Digital Plus
HDMI connections: 4
Other connections: 2 x USB, Optical out, Ethernet, ER in, CI slot, eARC, Bluetooth 4.2
The brain in this TV is the Quantum Processor 8K. Alright, it's not actually a quantum computer, but it's still very impressive. The key here is that it's able to upscale 4K and 1080p images to 8K quality, meaning even without a lot of content you can still enjoy the enhanced 8K image.
This processor accesses a database of images to adapt the screen to suit the scene, frame by frame. But impressively it also uses a neural network to tap into a limitless and continually growing database of algorithms to better enhance quality. In other words it can only get better as it learns more.
The screen itself uses zones, 480 in total. The use of direct backlighting and local dimming means you get deep blacks but still have high peak brightness for highlights – without any bleed or halo effects.
Thanks to a huge range of color, the full 100 percent of the DCI-3 space, you get superb shading and grading with skin tones taking on a realism that's truly immersive.
Contrast is fantastic thanks to a very smart system which analyzes the luminance of an image and applies signal processing to fine tune the perceived contrast. It can even relocate power from darker areas to brighter parts of the image for improved energy efficiency while creating a better balanced picture.
Motion is also handled adeptly with tracking totally smooth, no matter what level of action or movement is on-screen. This is where that super powerful processor really comes into its own for a seamless result. Noise is kept down while edges are sharp, all resulting in a great depth of picture that, again, adds to how lifelike this looks.
Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED TV review: Sound
- Object Tracking Sound+
- Up and side firing speakers
- Eight speaker drivers
Sounds on a TV as slender as this isn't something you'd expect to be good, yet Samsung has worked very hard to make it far more impressive than expected. This is thanks to an array of speaker drivers pointing in all sorts of directions.
The result is Object Tracking Sound+, as Samsung calls it. This uses a total of eight speaker drivers to create a 4.2.2 arrangement. That gets you two mid range drivers firing from the top of the TV, a pair of mids and lows firing from the bottom, and a tweeter either side about halfway up. This is done to fire sound around the room and open up the soundstage for a more immersive experience.
The total 70 watts of power is well presented creating a big sound in the room. Separating of layers is excellent and there is an element of the claimed object tracking there where you can hear movement around the room. But of course it's never going to live up to the decadence of the image quality. So despite it being better than most TVs, the image quality is so much better too that it makes the sound feel a little lacking.
Of course you can attach a soundbar or home theater system and you'll get a more powerful and immersive result. So perhaps factor that in on top of the price of this TV's steep pricetag.
Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED TV review: Design and build
- Super slender bezel
- 2mm thin screen
- QLED tech
Samsung has outdone itself with this design of near seamless quality. The screen itself is just 2mm thick and that's surrounded by a super slim bezel that makes it seem almost just like a pure floating screen.
The chassis itself bulks the depth to 0.59-inches to accommodate the backlighting required for QLED. While that'll never match OLED, it is still slim thanks to the inputs and outputs being taken off the board into the One Connect box. That gets you four HDMIs, three USBs, optical out, Bluetooth 4.2, to name a few.
The TV comes with a centralized pedestal stand which looks the part making it minimal. Yes wall mounting looks great but the stand option is good too as it leans back about three degrees to give a better line of sight.
Everything is run by the Tizen smart TV OS. This just works well, with a clear and simple design that allows you to flit between apps and inputs easily. You can also use Alexa voice controls, built-in, and Google Assistant is coming as an update too.
Should you buy the Samsung Q950TS 8K QLED?
If money is no problem and the absolute best picture out there is what you're after, then this is the TV for you. The 8K resolution paired with QLED full-array dimming and that super smart processor combine to offer superb visuals no matter the input – even enhancing 4K content while 8K content is still not around in decent supply.
If you don't mind 4K and want to save some money, there is the Sony A9G OLED which uses the glass panel as a speaker and offers stunning visuals.
Other TV reviews: Samsung Q90R review | LG C9 OLED review | Vizio M-Series Quantum review | Hisense H9G ULED TV | Sony A9G OLED review | TCL 6-Series TV
