Not every 4K TV needs to be the biggest, priciest puppy in the window. Meet the recently announced Samsung UN40HU6950 (MSRP $1,199), the smallest member of Samsung's new HU6950 series. While it's small by 2014 4K TV standards—most of them are at least 65 inches—this lilliputian display boasts a comparable affordability that's sure to wag a few tails.
Surprisingly, the HU6950 actually holds its own against much bigger dogs. Great contrast and supremely accurate colors complement the massive resolution. Toss in above-average backlight uniformity and reliable motion performance, and you've got one heck of a TV on your hands.
Overall, the 40-inch HU6950 is a tremendous performer, and may be one of the best 4K deals this year—especially with online pricing at less than $1,000 right now. This TV is also available in 50- and 55-inch sizes.
The Picture
A knockout picture with a ton of pixels
The HU6950's biggest selling point is undoubtedly its 4K resolution; this TV offers four times the pixel count of full HD, which makes for an incredibly sharp image. But consumers should be aware that it's actually a great performer in more traditional areas, too. In fact, for the price, this may be the best mid-range 4K we review this year in terms of overall flexibility.
Time in the lab unearthed strength after strength in this TV's favor. Right out of the box, consumers will find solid black levels, good contrast, and highly accurate color production while using the Movie picture mode. In fact, this is doubly good news: Because the HDTV color standard and the computer monitor color standard are practically identical, you can use this Ultra High Def display simultaneously as a desktop monitor and a television. I also discovered good backlight uniformity—when you're watching head-on, black and dark-gray areas of the screen maintain the same luminance from center to corners.
This otherwise stellar Samsung does have one drawback, though. You simply won't see a good picture while watching from severe off-angles, which strains the viability of group viewing. At wider angles, not only is the image a bit washed out, but the corners suffer from ugly backlight bleed.
Finally, gamers and sports fans will both be pleased by this display. With Game mode activated in the System menu, the HU6950 has a quick response time and very little input lag considering its pedigree. Overall motion performance is also commendable: I saw very little of the blurring or ghosting that sometimes plagues LED televisions. Where it's unavoidable, customizing Samsung's Auto Motion Plus mode cleans things up smoothly.
The Look
Sharp as a tack
Samsung may be crowned king of curves this year, but the HU6950 has a more traditional appearance. A silver-and-black, razor-straight stand complements narrow bezels that terminate into brushed metallic edging. The TV's rear casing is lightly decorated plastic, and houses all of the ports and video connections.
Gleaming silver trim along the flat stand complements brushed metal that wraps the perimeter of the screen.
Speaking of ports, the HU6950 has a plentiful selection—perhaps even too much for a 40-inch TV. Arranged in an L shape on the back of the panel, you'll find four HDMI inputs, three USB 2.0 inputs, an ethernet (LAN) input, composite and component inputs, a coaxial jack for cable/antenna, digital audio out, analog audio out, IR blaster out, and an RS-232 control port. The HU6950 is also One Connect ready, meaning you can download Samsung's latest developments in smart features at any time.
Samsung doesn't include a ton of extras with the HU6950, but seeing as this TV falls within the lower-end of the company's 4K lineup, that's to be expected. Fortunately, the Samsung Smart Control is still included. Because it allows for both motion-based navigation and voice control, this mouse-like remote is a great addition to any Samsung smart TV, though handling it deftly requires some practice.
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The Experience
A hub of smarts
Access to the Smart Hub, Samsung's on-board internet platform, definitely adds to this TV's value—the only thing that bars it from the premium TV club is that it lacks 3D functionality. Once the UN40HU6950 is connected to the internet, the Smart Hub stands in as a terrific content headquarters for streaming services, apps, games, and home network functionality.
The basics are all here: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Facebook, Twitter, an internet browser, and full access to shared WiFi media. Just know that while this particular iteration of the Smart Hub is fully optimized for the TV's higher resolution, most of the apps are not.
The TV's internal upscaling engine does a decent job smoothing out the flaws inherent to upscaling, but picky users may find themselves yearning for a cleaner, pixel-by-pixel appearance: The Plex app, for example, doesn't scale very well, and looks a bit blocky.
For a much more in-depth breakdown of what's available from Samsung's 2014 Smart Hub, click here.
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As for the on-board menu software, it's as easy to use as ever. Samsung's blue-and-white menus scale properly to the HU6950's 4K resolution and look great. Each option in the Picture and Audio menus is explained in some detail, as well, which is always appreciated. The HU6950 sports the usual Samsung picture modes: Standard, Dynamic, Natural, and Movie. You'll also find plenty of audio options, including a virtual surround-sound imitator and an equalizer.
Perhaps the most surprising additions to the HU6950's software are its advanced calibration controls, which eclipse those available on much higher-end 4K TVs. In the Advanced Controls menu, hobbyists and D.I.Y calibrators will find a gamma slider, 2- and 10-point white balance, and a full CMS (Color Management System). These controls ensure that it's very easy to shape the TV's picture quality to ideal standards, assuming you also have the requisite hardware.
The Verdict
A champion for value
The UN40HU6950 (MSRP $1,199) is one 4K TV with a bite that's bigger than its bark. For the price, you're getting next-gen resolution, great black levels, stellar color accuracy, and well-designed smart features. It may be on the small side for a 4K display, but that gives it serious advantages over larger edge-lit TVs more prone to backlight bleed and uniformity problems.
If you're wondering about the merits of a 40-inch 4K, listen up. First of all, the drawbacks of upscaling sub-UHD content are less apparent at this size. Secondly, the HU6950 can comfortably straddle the line between TV and computer monitor, giving it a welcome flexibility. Finally, it's simply a great out-of-the-box performer—I barely had to calibrate it to achieve ideal picture quality.
Want a great value that fulfills multiple display needs today and tomorrow? Stick this Samsung in your pipe and... consider it. If you're on the hunt for a slightly more premium experience (such as 3D functionality), Samsung's 50-inch HU8550 is only $200 more in the same size.
Behind The Screens
The Samsung UN40HU6950 (MSRP $1,199) is an all-around great television. Smart features, design, and even 4K resolution aside, it produces as good a picture as almost anything else we've reviewed this year. Time in the lab revealed a great contrast ratio, accurate colors, and very solid grayscale tracking across the luminance spectrum. The only time the UN40HU6950 didn't shine was during our horizontal viewing angle test, which is sad news for clusters of dedicated cinephiles hoping to watch something together.
Calibration
All around the world, TVs and computer monitors are calibrated in order to meet a set of international standards. Televisions, specifically, should adhere to a correlated color temperature of 6500K, a gamma curve between 2.2 and 2.4, and a specific set of color coordinates for their red, green, and blue primary colors.
We calibrate each TV to "dark room" ideals: a peak brightness of ~40 fL and a gamma curve of 2.4, as well as to the rest of the specifications outlined above. Calibrating a TV not only helps pinpoint how well it adheres to the international standards, it also shows consumers what the display is capable of should they seek out an informed calibration. I made adjustments to the HU6950's 2- and 10-point white balance to hone in on 6500K across the grayscale. I also made small adjustments to the TV's primary and secondary colors.
The HU6950 is calibrated very well within the Movie mode pre-set out of the box, but we corrected the present negligible error nonetheless.
Contrast Ratio
A TV's contrast ratio is determined by dividing its peak light output (or 100 IRE) by its minimum light output (or 0 IRE). A higher contrast, expressed as X:1, is often a telling result of how immersive and realistic a TV will look.
Compared to other, higher-price 4K displays from 2014, the HU6950 just crushes it. Its black level (0 IRE) of 0.06 cd/m2 is not the darkest we've seen all year, but it's coupled with a terrific brightness of 210 cd/m2 . This gives the HU6950 a contrast ratio of 3,500:1, which bests all three comparison models.
A solid black level of 0.06 and plenty of brightness gives this Samsung 4K a great contrast ratio of 3,500:1, better than the three other 2014 4K TVs we used for comparison.
Viewing Angle
Our viewing angle test measures just how far you can watch a TV to either side of "head-on" before the picture becomes difficult to watch. We measure the TV's contrast in 10° increments from the center out, and consider the extent of the viewing angle capped when contrast falls below 50% of its original value.
This is one area where the HU6950 could have performed better, though it's simply average for its pedigree. I measured a total viewing angle of 52°, or ±26° from the center to either side. This is a better result than the comparison models, but it's still on the stingy side for viewing flexibility.
Perhaps its weakest performance area, the HU6950's total viewing angle of 52° is not terrible, but it's not very generous either.
Color Gamut
A color gamut is a visual illustration of the millions of colors a TV can produce. Televisions have three primary colors (red, green, blue) and three secondary colors (cyan, magenta, yellow). These six colors, as well as the TV's white point, should adhere to exact locations on the gamut in terms of hue/saturation.
The HU6950 tested very well in this area, with minimal error at all seven points of the color gamut. Using the TV's custom color space, I was corrected small discrepancies in colors like red and green. For the most part, however, this is nit picking: the TV's color is terrific right out of the box as long as you're using Movie mode.
Gamma
Gamma refers to the amount of luminance a display adds at each luminance interval from black to white. The amount of luminance added is measured in a number expressed commonly as 2.0, 2.2, or 2.4. While a gamma curve of 2.4 is ideal for a black, home theater room, the HU6950's default gamma of 2.28 (roughly 2.3) is great for a room with some lighting. After calibration, it adhered to a 2.4 curve quite willingly.
The HU6950's default gamma sum of 2.28 is great for a room with mild ambient lighting, but we were also able to calibrate it to a sum of 2.39, very close to the 2.4 dark room ideal.
Other Tests
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Meet the tester
Lee was Reviewed's point person for most television and home theater products from 2012 until early 2022. Lee received Level II certification in TV calibration from the Imaging Science Foundation in 2013. As Editor of the Home Theater vertical, Lee oversaw reviews of TVs, monitors, soundbars, and Bluetooth speakers. He also reviewed headphones, and has a background in music performance.
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