The 8000-series models in Samsung's yearly lineup have continued to wow us, striking an unbeatable balance between price and performance that’s hard to ignore. Enter the 2021 UE50AU8000, which promises to impress with its 50-inch 4K screen, comprehensive HDR support, and excellent smart features, all for just £479 / $530 / AU$999.

This segment of the 4K TV market is becoming increasingly competitive, and like Samsung's other 'AU' models, the UE50AU8000 doesn’t include the brand's QLED color technology. However, the history of the 8000-series definitely works in the UE50AU8000’s favor.

Price

Understanding the price of a product is crucial for making an informed purchase decision. By evaluating the cost, consumers can weigh the value they’re receiving against their investment. Here’s a closer look at how the pricing factors into overall satisfaction for buyers.

Competitive Pricing

One of the primary considerations is ensuring the price is competitive within the market. Customers often compare prices on various platforms to find the best deal. This means the product must strike a balance between affordability and quality.

Value for Money

Beyond the sticker price, consider the additional features and benefits you get. Does this product offer more for the same cost compared to others? Analyzing what you receive in return for your money helps determine the true value of a purchase.

Discounts and Offers

Seasonal discounts, promotions, and exclusive offers can significantly affect the perceived value. These deals not only make the product more attractive but also help in making it more accessible to a wider audience.

Ultimately, the right price point can make a world of difference, turning potential interest into a definite purchase. Make sure to spend wisely by considering all the factors that contribute to the overall cost.

The Samsung UE50AU8000 is currently priced at £649 / $530 / AU$999. It sits between the UE50AU7100 and UE50AU9000 in Samsung's 2021 TV range.

The 50AU8000's foremost challengers in the UK are upcoming Chinese brands Hisense and TCL. Notably, Hisense offers the impressive 50-inch Roku R50A7200GTUK, while TCL has garnered attention with their brilliant Roku-equipped 55-inch 55RP620K.

Design

Our product's design seamlessly blends aesthetics and functionality. With meticulous attention to detail, we've crafted a visually striking yet highly practical item. Whether you're looking to add a touch of elegance to your space or seeking optimal usability, this product stands out as an ideal choice.

The UE50AU8000 brings an immediate design boost compared to its 7100-series sibling by being notably slimmer at the back. It's the sleekest TV in its category, highlighted by a classy brushed finish on its delicate rear.

While the TV's rear might not be a focal point, for those who value a '360-degree' design, the UE50AU8000 caters to both your front and back aesthetic desires.

Even the TV’s desktop feet have an elegant touch, designed like ‘ice-skate blades’ that become nearly invisible when viewed straight on. Ingeniously, these legs snap into place, avoiding the hassle of screws.

The UE50AU8000 boasts commendable build quality for its price range. With its ultra-thin back, slim frame, and chic, minimalist look, it presents a value well beyond its price tag.

Adding to its premium feel, the TV comes with two remotes: a traditional button-heavy one, and a sleek, streamlined ‘smart’ remote that lets you handle everyday functions with fewer buttons.

Features

Welcome to our deep dive into the exciting world of features! Here, we explore the unique aspects that set our products apart, offering you a detailed look into the innovations driving our brand forward.

Smart Technology

Experience the future with our smart technology, blending cutting-edge advancements with user-friendly interfaces. Seamlessly connect your devices for an integrated lifestyle.

Quality Craftsmanship

We pride ourselves on quality craftsmanship, ensuring each product is built to last. Our commitment to excellence is woven into every detail, providing reliability you can trust.

Customer-Centric Design

Our designs center around you. Enjoy products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also ergonomic and practical, tailored to meet your needs and enhance your day-to-day experiences.

Eco-Friendly Initiatives

We are dedicated to sustainability. Our eco-friendly initiatives strive to reduce our environmental impact while maintaining the highest product standards. Join us in making a positive difference.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates and detailed features about our innovative products. We're committed to bringing you the best, always.

The UE50AU8000 is a native 4K TV that supports the HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ formats for high dynamic range video. There's no support for the Dolby Vision HDR format as is typical with Samsung TVs.

With its sleek design, the UE50AU8000 features an edge-mounted LED array lighting system. This is similar to the more affordable AU7100 model. However, the UE50AU8000 distinguishes itself with Crystal Colour technology, offering a wider color range compared to the AU7100's PurColour system, and the ability to deliver around 70 nits more brightness. These enhancements can significantly improve HDR performance in this budget-friendly LCD TV.

The UE50AU8000 is powered by the Crystal Processor 4K, ensuring the panel performs effectively. It includes three HDMI ports, two USB ports, and the standard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options for connecting various devices.

One of the HDMI ports supports eARC for seamless transmission of lossless Dolby Atmos soundtracks. However, none of the HDMI ports support the 4K at 120Hz or Variable Refresh Rate features popular with Xbox Series X and PS5 gamers. On the bright side, the TV automatically switches to Game mode when connected to a compatible device and supports the 'HGiG' gaming HDR standard. Additionally, it boasts a remarkably low input lag of just 9.1ms in Game mode.

Samsung's renowned Tizen-based Eden smart system provides all the desirable smart features. It's as smooth and efficient here as on Samsung's top-tier models, offering all key UK terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps. However, these aren't integrated within a Freeview Play umbrella app, as Samsung opts out of playing by Freeview Play's rules.

Picture

The quality of a picture can make or break your viewing experience. A crisp, clear image with vibrant colors and deep blacks truly heightens your enjoyment. Our team has put together these essential tips for getting the best picture quality.

Sound

Sound matters just as much as picture quality when it comes to creating an immersive experience. Clear, crisp audio with well-balanced bass can make all the difference. Follow our comprehensive tips to ensure you get the best sound from your devices.

Ease of Use

User-friendly interfaces and intuitive controls can significantly enhance your experience with your tech devices. We break down the most straightforward ways to set up and use your latest tech toys.

The 50AU8000 starts off with a bang, showcasing picture quality that captures your attention right away. Bright scenes burst with life, highlighting vibrant reds and blues, which is impressive for an affordable TV. You’ll find minimal ‘bleaching out’ in the brightest HDR areas, a common issue with budget LCD screens. The screen deftly handles subtle color shifts and changes, making it a standout at this price point.

Motion also gets a thumbs up, especially after switching from the overly enthusiastic, noisy Auto Picture Clarity setting to a more relaxed Custom mode. Set Judder Reduction around three or four for the best results. There is a bit more resolution loss in detailed areas during camera pans compared to other Samsung models, but overall, it's a solid performance.

The 50AU8000 shines in its ability to upscale sub-4K content, injecting a notable amount of detail and sharpness into HD sources. This TV makes HD content look almost as good as 4K, outperforming most affordable 4K TVs. Remarkably, it achieves this without adding noise or other distracting side effects.

However, the 50AU8000 faces challenges when scenes get dark. The black level response struggles, casting a noticeable blue-grey hue over dark and mid-dark scenes in films or TV shows. This makes such scenes appear less natural and affects the quality of darker colors and shades.

There are areas of extra clouding within the general greyness too, and none of the available contrast or backlight settings make enough of a difference to save the day. While dark scenes hold a bit more shadow detail compared to many affordable LCD TVs, the trade-off in black level response is too steep.

Another letdown is the sharpness of the 50AU8000 – or rather, the lack thereof – with native 4K sources. In a surprising twist from its upscaled HD performance, the 50AU8000's native 4K playback appears quite soft, even within the budget TV range.

Some colours look beautifully vivid on the 50AU8000, yet others, especially nature greens, can appear somewhat muted, making bright HDR footage seem uneven and inconsistent.

Lastly, the 50AU8000 has very limited viewing angles, with colour saturation and black level response diminishing significantly when viewed from off-center angles.

Sound

Dive into the world of exceptional sound quality, where each note resonates with clarity and precision. Whether you're a casual listener or an audiophile, experiencing music with balanced bass, clear mids, and crisp highs can elevate your enjoyment. Discover how superior acoustics can transform everyday moments into extraordinary auditory experiences.

The 50AU8000 might initially impress with a seemingly wide soundstage filled with subtle details. It certainly offers a taste of a higher-end audio experience, especially for an affordable 50-inch TV.

However, when the audio demands increase, it becomes evident that the 50AU8000’s speaker system lacks both power and dynamic range, particularly in the bass department. During intense action scenes, the sound flattens out, delivering a thin, bass-light performance that diminishes the overall impact just when it should be rising to a climax.

Verdict

The 50AU8000 shines when displaying bright scenes, making it an excellent choice for vibrant, colorful content. Its enhanced brightness and vivid color presentation truly bring HDR content to life during lighter scenes.

However, the TV struggles with darker scenes due to its lack of backlight control, resulting in a misty and less convincing display in those moments.