Rating of the best Samsung 5 series TVs for 2021

Some believe that Samsung 5 series TVs were the most successful. The models differ in the basic parameters and capabilities of the image processing system. How to choose the right TV? When evaluating a device, attention is paid to the brightness indicator in combination with contrast and resolution. Some TVs are suitable for viewing photos or videos from the Internet, so preference is given to products with the Smart system. To really evaluate the parameters, it is recommended to consider our rating of the best Samsung 5 series TVs for 2017. Additionally, the connector panel deserves attention. Often there is a need to synchronize a new TV with a laptop or tablet. A USB port is useful for this, and separate connectors are allocated for peripheral devices.

Samsung UE32J5005AK

5th place
The rating opens with an inexpensive but good TV for the kitchen Samsung UE32J5005AK, which has a high-quality tuner with DVB-T2 support.
The 32-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels is extremely bright and the device additionally outputs 100 Hz. Unique 10 W speakers are another advantage of the model. This cheap TV for movies is perfect for the living room. It is worth remembering that there are important HDMI ports, as well as USB, necessary for connecting digital media. In terms of functionality, only the most necessary things are used here, namely: a timer and an independent tuner. As a result, the presented TV is very good in terms of price-quality ratio.

⇡#Conclusions

To summarize, let's start with a larger model. It turned out to be quite specific. The presence of an optical drive and a traditional hard drive resulted in a lack of space in the case of this model. Because of this, the designers had to use a rather low-capacity battery, so the Samsung 530U4B, frankly speaking, does not shine in battery life tests.

Unfortunately, we tested the slowest version of this laptop. Those that will be sold on the Russian market must justify their money, including good performance in games. It is not very clear whether the world really lacks an ultrabook with an optical drive and discrete graphics, but there will probably be a buyer for it.

With the 13-inch Samsung 530U3B everything is simpler. At the moment, this model promises to become the most affordable ultrabook in Russia. Its direct competitor is the Acer Aspire S3. Compared to the latter, the Samsung ultrabook has a more spacious keyboard, a higher-quality screen, a richer set of ports and an order of magnitude better location.

However, calling it more successful in all respects is greatly hampered by the insufficiently rigid plastic case, which seriously spoils the impression and is quite annoying when actively working with the keyboard. It is possible that this problem will not be so pronounced in serial laptops. So we advise you to go to a large electronics store closer to March 8th and check if the rigidity of the case suits you. In other respects, this is a pretty good ultrabook.

The editors of 3DNews would like to thank you for putting the Spyder3Studio measuring system at our laboratory’s disposal.

Samsung UE40J5100AU

4th place The
4th place in the TOP is taken by the inexpensive Samsung UE40J5100AU gaming TV, which supports Full HD resolution and has DVB-T2 digital tuners in addition to DVB-S2 satellite.
The unique backlight and the presence of progressive scan are additional advantages. If necessary, you can easily adjust the sound here and there are high-quality 10 W speakers with a DTS decoder. If desired, the owner can always synchronize this TV with a smartphone or tablet via connectors on the rear panel, where there is HDMI, USB and component output. Unlike the earlier model, it has the 24 True Cinema option, with which the system selects the optimal picture mode. In addition, this device, which was included in the rating of the best Samsung 5 series TVs for 2021, can be set on a timer to turn off according to time.

Samsung UE48J5000AK

3rd place
A good TV for home, Samsung UE48J5000AK, which does not stand out for its high frequency (50 Hz), but supports 1080p resolution, crept up to the leader in 3rd place in the TOP. The model is used with progressive scan and the manufacturer provides a DVB-T2 digital tuner for tuning terrestrial television. The model is also made with a powerful 20 W speaker system, and the decoder uses the Dolby Digital series. As experts note, you can synchronize the device with a smartphone or tablet via HDMI or USB outputs. Next to the headphone jack is a component port. This beautiful TOP level TV attracts attention with its chic design, but do not underestimate the functional component of the product. In addition to an independent tuner, the owner in the main menu will be able to use a timer, button lock, or a mode for searching for “picture in picture” channels. To summarize, this TV is on par with the best models of 2021 in terms of image quality.

Samsung UE49K5500AU

2nd place
The venerable 2nd place in the TOP was taken by a reliable TV for the bedroom Samsung UE49K5500AU with a diagonal of 49 inches, supporting Full HD resolution. The model uses the Smart system and has progressive scan. The difference from the earlier model device is the presence of DVB-T2 and DVB-S2 tuners, so the TV can be easily tuned to terrestrial satellite television without any problems. There is a Smart TV system that allows access to files online. You don’t have to worry about setting up effects, since the Tizen system is used here. As for the stereo system, this premium LED TV amazes with its clarity of sound, and the total acoustic power is 20 W. Interestingly, the model has a variety of functions that are useful when watching television channels. If desired, the recording can be saved to a memory card, and do not forget about the 24 True Cinema option, without which you would have to manually search for the optimal picture mode for a long time. If we talk about the interface of the model, it is worth mentioning the HDMI x3 and USB x2 inputs. This will make it possible at any time to quickly synchronize this mid-price TV with any laptop, tablet or mobile phone for playing multimedia or viewing photos.

Interesting video especially for you:

⇡#Testing - performance

The Core i3-2367M is a very slow CPU model. Of course, it is faster than Intel Atom or AMD E-350. But still very, very slow. This is the rare case when it’s really not worth saving on the processor. We recommend choosing the Core i5-2467M (see Acer Aspire S3 results).

Samsung UE55K5500AU

1st place
Samsung UE55K5500AU is the best TV for the living room among the 5 series models. It also uses the Tizen system, and there is an important DVB-T2 digital tuner. It is worth mentioning separately about the Smart system, and the screen resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels. Luxurious speakers with a decoder are the advantages of the model, and the acoustic power is 20 W. In addition to the optical input, on the back panel you can find USB x2, HDMI x3 connectors, and additionally there are ports on the side panel. The presence of DLNA and TimeShift options greatly simplifies sharing files over Wi-fi and watching videos. The LCD TV has an independent tuner and the ability to record any TV show or movie onto a memory card. The system player supports MPEG4, MKV formats, and the user can connect to the network (Smart TV) at any time in order to download interesting games or communicate on a social network.

⇡#Technical characteristics

The upper part of Samsung's price range is reliably covered by the Series 9 laptops - 900X3A at the moment and, accordingly, 900X3B in the near future. The Series 5 should play in the mid-price segment. Therefore, the configurations of Samsung 530U3B and 530U4B are quite modest. Let's say that on the Russian market, exclusively low-end processors will be used, and the SSD will be available in a single configuration.

We tested both Series 5 representatives in the lowest configurations, with a Core i3-2367M processor. This is the slowest of the “second generation Core processors”, its frequency is only 1.4 GHz - and this is the maximum; this processor does not support Turbo Boost. Configurations with a more interesting option will be on sale, the Core i5-2467M - also not the fastest, but at least capable of dynamic acceleration.

In Samsung Series 5 Ultra laptops, the basic amount of RAM - 4 GB DDR-1333 - is soldered on the motherboard. There is only one expansion connector available to the user. The 530U3B and U5304B we tested had 2 GB modules installed. However, retail laptops will not have this addition - the connector will remain empty.

The more compact Samsung 530U3B will hit domestic shelves with an integrated video adapter. But the 14-inch Samsung 530U4B, on the contrary, will be available exclusively with external AMD Radeon 7550M graphics with 1 GB of its own GDDR3 video memory. In the pre-sale samples we tested, integrated Intel graphics were used in both cases.

In all configurations equipped with a traditional hard drive, as in our case, miniature SSDs will be installed to implement Samsung proprietary technologies - caching frequently used data (ExpressCache) and non-volatile sleep (Fast Start).

Conclusion

The rating of the best Samsung 5 series TVs for 2021 has been compiled, and now you can understand all the differences between the models. The top-ranked device outperformed other products due to its superior screen performance. Also, a high-quality Smart TV TV is distinguished by its support for DVB-T2, S2 standards and multifunctionality. All models use teletext in Russian and support many formats. Thanks to access to the network, you can always find an interesting program to watch without wasting time on advertising.

⇡#Testing - display

Both Series 5 models and all configurations will feature displays with a resolution of 1366x768 and a matte finish.

We were unable to find out the name of the LCD matrix model that was used in the tested 530U3B. But we took apart the lid of the larger ultrabook and looked at what it contained. Of course, the Samsung matrix, model LTN140AT21-802.

The displays of both laptops are stated to have the same brightness. However, in our case, the “trinashka” screen shone a little less brightly - about 240 cd/m2 versus 265 in the center of the display at the maximum backlight level. It's difficult to say whether there will be a difference in production laptops.

The contrast of the 13-inch and 14-inch displays is also not the same, although the difference is not fundamental at all. Both screens have a low contrast level.

The color gamut of the 14-inch matrix is ​​also slightly wider than that of the 13-inch. Although, again, both displays are not particularly good, including in this parameter.

Gamma curves of Samsung Series 5 Ultra displays (black lines) compared to ideal ones (colored lines):

Gamma curves of the Samsung 530U3B display

Gamma curves of the Samsung 530U4B display

Both models use low-quality displays, which is normal for relatively inexpensive laptops. Among the positive aspects, it makes sense to highlight the fairly good, although not record-breaking, brightness, as well as the matte finish. For an ultramobile laptop, this is not just a nice bonus, it is a necessary feature.