Samsung UN65H7150 Review (UN65H7150AFXZA)

65 inch 1080p 240Hz Smart 3D LED TV

by , Reviewer

Samsung 7 Series LED TVThe UN65H7150 65 inch LED TV is a top contender for 2014 when it comes to picture quality and the feature set. You get the super fast 240Hz panel for fast motion images and panning smoothing. This model replaces the F7100 series last year and contains a feature rich set without going overboard. It's one of my favorite models for the year and in my opinion is one of the best looking TVs on the market. What's the most unique thing about this series? It's the highest series in Samsung's 2014 lineup to offer a flat 1080p picture. The biggest picture quality difference between this one and the H8000 above it is in the micro-dimming feature. The H8000's micro-dimming really makes for increased contrast where needed while the H7150's micro-dimming failed to make a difference that was noticable. A big plus for the 65H7150 series over the H6450 series is the inclusion of the split screen Smart TV feature powered by a quad-core processor.

Strengths

  • Contrast, Color, Black Levels are excellent for an LED TV
  • Stong LED edge lighting produces top notch light flow-through for dynamic images
  • SD programming upconversion looks great
  • Game Mode is perfect for gamers
  • Quad core processor makes the Smart Hub run very smooth and fast
  • Smart Hub has a great mix of usefull paid and free apps
  • Automotion plus really comes in handy for optimizing 3D content picture quality
  • Appearance/Design is very impressive
  • New split screen feature makes the Smart Hub even more useful
  • Smart touch remote now has point and click functionality

    Weaknesses

  • Side angle viewing for 2D content
  • Worse side angle viewing for 3D content
  • AutoMotion Plus really highlights unnatural effects to 2D shows and movies
  • Microdimming on the H8000 and above is much more effective

    Neutral

  • TV guide is nice, but probably isn't going to replace a cable or satellite box guide
  • Wifi Connectivity works well
  • Audio and Volume is good but not the best (2 woofers built-in help)
  • Voice Recognition may come in handy for getting around the Smart Hub
  • Color saturation very good but no competition for plasma displays of days past

    Picture Quality Rating: 90/100


    Samsung UN65H7150 LED TV
    This shot is an excellent of the strong contrast the H7150 can muster. A strong display of depth is seen here as well

    Strong LED Edge Backlight

    Just like the 65F7100 from last year, the light flow through created by the LED Backlight on this TV is amazing. We consider it one of this TVs best picture quality characteristics. LED edge lighting is known to cause uniformity issues, but it can be addressed with a simple adjustment. Tone down the LED backlight in the picture settings menu to keep it from causing some uneven screen uniformity issues. 80% is a setting the what we usually recommend. This will keep screen uniformity issues from arising and you still have plenty of brightness from this super bright LED TV. Having powerful LED backlighting in case you need it for super bright room conditions is a plus.

    Auto Motion Plus - Know When to Use this Feature

    The Auto Motion Plus feature in the UN65H7150 is something that comes as a blessing and a curse. By default it is set to On in all of the preset picture setting modes. You should turn it off for streaming content, DVDs, Blu-rays, and TV shows. You end up with the dreaded 'Soap Opera' effect, making images look terribly unrealistic by eliminating natural background blur. Turn it off in the Picture Options menu and everything will be fine again. You'll immediately see judder when you disable it, but your eyes will adjust momentarily. We've noticed that it actually helps when it comes to displaying 3D content and sports programming. When viewing 480i based content we saw slight improvements when the setting was low as well. Just be familiar with how to adjust this and it won't be a problem.

    (Note: to get to the setting click on Menu, swipe across to Picture, Scroll all the way down to Picture Options, Scroll down to AutoMotion Plus.)


    Samsung UN65H7150 LED TV
    This example shows great color reproduction and contrast across both dark and light areas of the screen

    3D Dual View

    Active 3D viewing quality on the UN65H7150 provides an excellent performance like the F7100 predecessor. Samsung's active 3D glasses are the lightest and most comfortable in the active-3D marketplace and now have a new rounded design. Aside from that there is little difference as there was not much to improve upon. There is little to no crosstalk or distraction when viewing 3D content, but keep away direct light from the front of the room in which you are viewing or you will likely get a slight flicker from the edges of the glasses.

    Dual View actually works great now and the picture is stunning. You can watch two different programs on the same screen with two people (or more) wearing active 3D glasses. It even works with 1 HDMI input.You can toggle back and forth between the two programs on as well by pressing a small button on the ear-handle of the glasses.

    Samsung UN65H7150 3D Glasses
    These are the 3D glasses for 2014 model Samsung LED TVs. The button to engage Dual View is located on one of the arms

    Features Rating: 92/100

    Samsung Smart Hub

    The Smart Hub keeps the same basic design as last year with subtle improvements. Samsung hit the mark with their user interface and intuitive nagivation. This time around you will see a Game tab as one of the major smart TV pages. The Smart Hub also allows for logins so each member of the family can have recommendations tailored to their viewing history. These changes show that Samsung really pays attention to the details when it comes to user experience. Just like last year the Smart Hub is one of the best options for a good smart TV experience. The quad core processor is just icing on the cake.

    Touch Pad Controller and Split Screen Multitasking

    Samsung UN65H7150 Touchpad Remote
    This year's touch remote features an egg shape with a smaller touch pad, but more buttons

    Surfing the web and the Smart TV features is a breeze with the new touchpad remote. It's much faster and easier than a traditional 5-way controller. The actual touch pad is a bit smaller this year, but that's okay because it now supports motion control. This brings it closer to LG's Magic Remote. The smaller touch pad also leaves room for more useful buttons on the remote instead of the on-screen menus. This is a huge plus in our book! The new split screen feature is another addition that we think is a move in the right direction by Samsung. This makes it easy to view live TV and browse the web or use social media at the same time. This also allows tweets on right hand side of screen streaming while you watch programming.

    Samsung UN65H7150 Split Screen Smart TV
    Here you can see the newest and extremely useful faeture of the Samsung Smart Hub, split screen multitasking

    Appearance

    The arch stand beneath the display of the UN65H7150 is a new look for Samsung. It reminds us of the design LG uses in most of their mid to high tier LED TVs. The glossy black plastic bezels measure in at an astounding 0.25 inches. This really helps with the frameless image look. The overall look is very sleek with a depth of 1.4 inches.

    Samsung UN65H7150 LED TV Design and Appearance
    This is a new look for Samsung. The arching stand under the display give the TV a low profile look

    Value - Bang for the Buck Rating: 89/100

    The UN65H7150 is a very complete package when you really look at it. It also starts at around $2,299. You get some of the best features, a solid smart TV experience, and stellar picture quality. You give up a few high end features such as the quad-core processor, but in all I think this models covers most of the very important bases. Some of the low points like side angle viewing and built-in sound quality are not any reason to overlook this TV. Competition in the high end 1080p LED TV arena has been greatly reduced by the introduction of 4K and OLED models that are capturing the attention of manufacturers. The closest competitors for the year will be the Sony KDL-65W950B and new upcoming models from LG.

    Overall Rating: 91/100

    Quick Specs

    • 64.5" diagonal measurement
    • 1920 x 1080 resolution
    • 960 Clear Motion Rate
    • Quad Core Processor
    • Micro Dimming Pro
    • 0.25" Bezels / 1.4" Depth (not including stand)
    • 4 HDMI, 3 USB
    • 2.2 Channel Sound (10W x 2 / Woofer 10W x 2)
    • Dimensions without stand (W X H X D): 57.0" x 32.9" x 1.4"
    • Dimensions with stand: 57.0" x 34.9" x 11.9"
    • Weight without stand: 49.4 lbs.
    • Weight with stand: 55.1 lbs.


    Jack Burden Jack Burden has been reviewing and writing reviews in the consumer electronics category for 7 years with CEAG. He considers grayscale gradation, film patterned retarders, and focus field drives to be fun topics. Read more about Jack
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