SAMSUNG UN65AU8000FXZA 65 inch TV: In-Depth Review and Customer Opinions

The Samsung 65” AU8000 is a mid-range 4K TV that offers a good balance of features and performance at an accessible price point. Part of Samsung's Crystal UHD series, this 2021 model provides a crisp 4K picture quality and utilizes Samsung's Crystal processor to upscale lower resolution content.

With a sleek, minimalist design, the Samsung 65" AU8000 is well-suited for most rooms. It has a 60Hz refresh rate, which is typical for TVs in this price range. For smart features, Samsung's Tizen operating system gives access to top streaming apps and voice control support. The AU8000 also works with Alexa and Google Assistant if desired.

Overall, the 65" Samsung AU8000 brings robust 4K picture quality, smart connectivity and intuitive usability together in a competitively priced package. Keep reading to learn more about the AU8000's design, display quality, features and audio performance.

Design

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA has a very sleek, minimalist design that looks great in any living room. It has an ultra-thin profile, with bezels that are barely noticeable around the screen. This helps create a nearly borderless viewing experience that looks fantastic.

The stand has an elegant twisted shape with a small footprint, so it doesn't require much table space. It has a brushed metal finish that complements the TV's frame nicely. The stand provides sturdy support, allowing for some swivel adjustment to reduce glare if needed.

Overall, the design is modern and refined. The skinny bezels, streamlined stand, and thin depth give this Samsung a striking silhouette. It effortlessly blends into your decor instead of dominating the space. The subtle details like the twisted stand elevate the look beyond a generic box-style television.

The minimalist aesthetic allows the Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA to fit in with a variety of interior design styles. The slim form factor doesn't distract from the home theater experience. It directs focus toward the brilliant 4K picture rather than the television itself.

In contrast, the Sony XR65A95L has a bolder, more substantial design. It's framed in metal with two feet supporting it rather than a central stand. This gives it a more robust, high-end look compared to the Samsung's streamlined appearance.

While the Samsung aims for an understated look, the Sony embraces a striking, premium aesthetic. The metal frame and feet make a bolder statement. This may appeal more to those wanting their television to have a real visual presence.

Both TVs have strong but distinctly different designs. The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA integrates seamlessly into your living space with its minimalist style. The Sony XR65A95L makes more of a declaration with its substantial metal-framed build.

Your own interior design taste and goals will determine which approach you prefer. The Samsung suits those wanting their TV to disappear when not in use, while the Sony caters to those wanting an eye-catching focal point.

With the ultra-thin Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA, you're getting incredible 4K picture quality in a streamlined, discreet package. The television itself becomes secondary to the viewing experience. For many, this refreshing minimalism will be highly appealing.

The Sony XR65A95L makes a bolder stylistic statement for those wanting their TV to command attention. Both deliver amazing performance, but their designs speak to different aesthetic priorities. Identifying which best matches your own goals is key.

Display Quality

The SAMSUNG 65-Inch Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV delivers stunning picture quality perfect for enjoying movies, shows, sports, and gaming. With 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), images come to life in over 8 million pixels for a crisper, more realistic viewing experience.

Complementing the 4K resolution, High Dynamic Range (HDR) support enables the TV to produce a wider range of colors and brighter highlights for enhanced contrast and image depth. From bright sunny skies to night scenes, shadows and highlights retain more detail.

In terms of brightness, this TV achieves up to 800 nits to make content really pop. The high brightness allows you to appreciate HDR content even in sunlit rooms. It also features a great native contrast ratio of 6400:1 for deep blacks and vivid colors.

You'll get wide 178-degree viewing angles with this TV so the picture retains its quality even when viewed from the sides or off-center. The anti-reflective screen further minimizes glare so you can enjoy your programs from anywhere in the room.

Overall, the display quality produces truly cinematic visuals whether you're streaming movies, binging shows, or keeping up with live sports. The Samsung 65-inch 4K TV delivers an immersive viewing experience with stunning clarity and vibrant colors. If you're looking for a new TV to upgrade your home entertainment, the Hisense 65A6H is another great 65-inch option worth considering. It features Dolby Vision HDR support for enhanced contrast and color. With Ultra Motion technology, action scenes and sports stay smooth and clear with minimized motion blur. For gamers, it has Auto Low Latency Mode to reduce input lag and Game Mode to optimize settings. The Hisense 65A6H runs on the user-friendly Android TV interface for quick access to popular streaming apps. It also works with Google Assistant and Alexa for handy voice control capabilities. At just $649, this affordable 4K TV packs in premium technologies and delivers impressive image quality that punches above its price.

You can't go wrong with either the Samsung Crystal UHD or the Hisense 65A6H. Both 65-inch smart TVs provide gorgeous 4K resolution, rich colors, high brightness, and smooth motion handling. The Samsung has slightly better contrast and wider viewing angles while the Hisense is more budget-friendly. Compare their features and decide which model better fits your needs and budget constraints.

For the optimal home theater experience, also look into upgrading your audio with a soundbar. The built-in speakers on most slim TVs don't produce the best sound quality. A soundbar can provide impactful bass and clearer dialogue that amplifies the immersion. Soundbars from companies like Sonos, Vizio, Samsung, and others connect seamlessly to your new TV. You can even find soundbar and subwoofer bundles to build a complete surround sound system.

When setting up your new TV, make sure to adjust the picture settings for your optimal preferences. Turn off any unnecessary video processing effects that can degrade the original 4K source. Set the picture mode to Movie or Cinema for the most accurate colors suitable for films. Adjust the brightness, contrast, sharpness, and color temperature settings as needed. Turn on HDR modes for HDR-compatible content. Enable gaming presets when playing video games. With some tweaking, you can get your TV picture looking its absolute best.

For the best 4K viewing, you'll also want to watch Ultra HD Blu-ray movies and stream 4K content from sources like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and others. This allows you to take full advantage of the higher resolution display. Consider getting a streaming device like the Fire TV Stick 4K or NVIDIA SHIELD TV which provide quick access to 4K streaming apps.

With the stunning 4K resolution, High Dynamic Range support, excellent brightness, and smooth motion handling, the Samsung Crystal 65-inch TV or the Hisense 65A6H will deliver an immersive home theater experience that makes your movies, shows, sports, and games come alive like never before. The vibrant, detailed visuals will amaze you and feel like you're looking through a window rather than a TV screen.

Smart Features

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA comes packed with smart features powered by Samsung's intuitive Tizen operating system. The simple, easy-to-use interface provides quick access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more.

With built-in support for voice assistants like Bixby, Alexa, and Google Assistant, you can control your TV and smart home devices completely hands-free. Bixby works seamlessly to search for content, change settings, get recommendations, and more with just your voice. The sleek, premium Samsung OneRemote has a dedicated microphone button so you can instantly access your preferred voice assistant.

You'll enjoy fast, lag-free performance when browsing apps and menus thanks to the TV's powerful quad-core processor. The Auto Low Latency Mode automatically detects Game Mode to minimize input lag and boost responsiveness. This is great news for gaming, delivering a truly immersive experience with smooth, fluid graphics. With the latest WiFi 5 support, you can enjoy uninterrupted 4K streaming.

Audio Quality

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA TV delivers impressive audio, making it a great option for watching movies, TV shows, sports, and more without needing a separate sound system.

It features 2 channel stereo speakers with 20W of total power output. While not as immersive as a dedicated surround sound system, the 20W speakers provide plenty of power and volume to fill a room. They can get quite loud without distortion.

For audio formats, the TV supports Dolby Digital Plus, which provides better sound than standard Dolby Digital. The audio includes Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI ARC, so you can get high quality audio from external devices like a Blu-ray player or streaming stick connected via HDMI.

The speakers also support DTS Digital Surround to provide an expansive, cinematic soundstage. DTS TruSurround and DTS Studio Sound modes allow you to upmix stereo audio into simulated surround sound for a more immersive listening experience.

Overall, the built-in 20W stereo speakers and support for advanced audio formats like Dolby Digital Plus and DTS result in great audio performance for TV shows, movies, sports, and more. While adding a soundbar can further enhance the audio, the Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA delivers solid sound right out of the box.

Connectivity

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA offers ample connectivity options to hook up your devices and streaming accessories.

HDMI Ports

This 65-inch 4K smart TV comes equipped with 3 HDMI ports. The HDMI ports support HDCP 2.2 and ARC/eARC, allowing you to connect 4K Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, soundbars, and other high-definition AV devices. With HDMI-CEC, you can also control compatible devices with just the Samsung TV remote.

USB Ports

There are 2 USB ports on this TV - one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port. The USB ports allow you to connect hard drives, thumb drives, keyboards, mice, and other USB accessories. You can play media files directly from USB storage or record live TV to an external hard drive.

WiFi and Bluetooth

The UN65AU8000FXZA has built-in WiFi for wireless internet connectivity and Bluetooth support. It can connect to your home WiFi network to access smart apps and streaming services. Bluetooth allows you to pair wireless headphones, speakers, game controllers, and other Bluetooth devices with the TV.

Audio Out

For connecting wired external speakers, the TV has an optical digital audio output. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack if you wish to listen privately with headphones.

Gaming Performance

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA delivers an excellent gaming experience thanks to its low input lag, fast response time, and VRR support.

Input lag measures how long it takes for the TV to process and display visual information from a source device. The AU8000 has very low input lag of around 10ms in Game Mode, meaning actions in games feel immediate with barely any delay between controller input and on-screen response. This makes gameplay very responsive.

Response time refers to how quickly each pixel can change from one color to another. The AU8000 has a fast response time that significantly reduces motion blur in fast-moving visuals like games and sports. Dark to light pixel transitions take just a few milliseconds, delivering crisp, clear motion.

For variable refresh rate support, the AU8000 is compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium. This syncs the screen's refresh rate with the frame rate output of compatible graphics cards, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering for super smooth gameplay. With FreeSync enabled, fluctuations in FPS don't affect the streaming experience.

Overall, the stellar low input lag, fast response time, and adaptive sync support of the Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA provide a fantastic high-performance gaming experience. Fast-paced competitive games play smoothly without lag or blurring.

Ease of Use

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA has a very intuitive and easy to use interface. The main menu is accessed by pressing the home button on the remote which brings up a clean, uncluttered menu.

Navigation is achieved through directional keys on the remote and options are clearly laid out on screen. There are sections for Picture, Sound, Channels, Network, System, Support and more. Drilling down into the Picture settings, for example, gives you options for various picture modes, backlight level, contrast, and more advanced calibration settings.

The remote is ergonomic and has dedicated buttons for popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. The minimal button layout makes it easy to find the controls you need without clutter.

There are also options in the settings to simplify the interface if needed by removing advanced menus and controls. This makes the TV even easier to use for guests or people less tech savvy.

Overall, Samsung has done an excellent job with the interface and controls on the UN65AU8000FXZA. The intuitive menu system and streamlined remote allow most users to easily calibrate the picture and access the TV's various features.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Excellent picture quality with deep blacks and vivid colors thanks to the VA panel and Quantum Dot technology
• Very good response time and motion handling make this TV well-suited for gaming and sports
• Impressive native contrast ratio creates dimensional and cinematic images
• Straightforward smart TV interface with plenty of apps and streaming services
• Low input lag and Auto Game mode for a responsive gaming experience
• Extensive connectivity options including 4 HDMI ports

Cons

• Limited viewing angles compared to IPS LCD TVs
• Mediocre built-in sound quality
• No Dolby Vision support
• Prone to glare in bright rooms
• Some ads and bloatware in the smart TV system

Conclusion

The Samsung UN65AU8000FXZA 65-inch 4K UHD Crystal TV is an excellent option for buyers looking for a mid-range big screen TV with great picture quality and smart capabilities.

The Crystal processor delivers vibrant, detailed 4K images, while the PurColor technology produces a wide color spectrum for more realistic scenes. The crisp contrast allows blacks to stay deep and dark. Motion handling is also solid for fast action movies and sports.

The smart platform is user-friendly and comes loaded with popular apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and more. Voice assistants work well for hands-free navigation.

For gamers, the Auto Low Latency Mode ensures a responsive gaming experience with minimal input lag. The connectivity options allow you to hook up various devices.

While the audio is decent, adding a soundbar can take it to the next level. The affordable price and array of features make this an excellent value.

Overall, the Samsung 65-inch Crystal 4K smart TV delivers fantastic visuals and smart capabilities. For shoppers wanting a future-ready big screen TV that won't break the bank, this model comes highly recommended.