Samsung TU7000 vs TU8000 (UN43TU7000 vs UN50TU8000, UN43TU7000 vs UN50TU8000, UN55TU7000 vs UN55TU8000, UN65TU7000 vs UN65TU8000, UN75TU7000 vs UN75TU8000)

Author:

Published:

Updated:

Affiliate Disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

 
 
 

The Samsung TU7000 and the Samsung TU8000 are entry level models of Samsung’s 4K LED TV for the budget-conscious person. The TU8000 is the successor to last year’s RU8000 while the TU7000 is the successor to last year’s NU6900. 

Considering their competitive price points, both lack some advanced features found on higher-end models such as Quantum Dot Panel, Gaming Features, etc. 

Even though they both are not as feature heavy as higher-end models, for their price what you get is a great television picture at a competitive price. 

They both have a good native contrast ratio that makes them great in a dark room. Additionally, they both have good motion handling and excellent input lag, making them good TVs for playing games and watching sports. In general, both are considered entry level televisions although they have decent performance for most applications.

Just like any other entry level TV, both the Samsung TU8000 and the TU7000 come in many screen size variants. In the market, the TU8000 comes in 6 screen size variations including 43 inch (UN43TU8000FXZA), 50 Inch (UN50TU8000FXZA), 55 inch (UN55TU8000FXZA), 65 inch (UN65TU8000FXZA), 75 inch (UN75TU8000FXZA), and 85 inch (UN85TU8000FXZA). Meanwhile the TU7000 comes in 8 screen sizes options including 43 inch (UN43TU7000FXZA), 50 inch (UN50TU7000FXZA), 55 inch (UN55TU7000FXZA), 58 inch (UN58TU7000FXZA), 65 inch (UN65TU7000FXZA), 70 inch (UN70TU7000FXZA), and 75 inch (UN75TU7000FXZA). 

With the same screen (UN43TU7000 vs UN50TU8000, UN43TU7000 vs UN50TU8000, UN55TU7000 vs UN55TU8000, UN65TU7000 vs UN65TU8000, UN75TU7000 vs UN75TU8000), the TU8000 is priced tens to hundreds more than the TU7000, depending on screen size. So what are their differences and which is a better choice for you?

The Samsung TU8000
The Samsung TU8000

The Samsung TU7000 vs the TU8000 – Key Specs

Technology and FeaturesSamsung TU7000Samsung TU8000
Screen Size Available43 Inches (UN43NU7000FXZA), 50 Inches (UN50TU7000FXZA), 55 Inches (UN55TU7000FXZA), 58 inches (UN58TU7000FXZA), 65 Inches (UN65TU7000FXZA), 75 Inches (UN75TU7000FXZA)43 Inches (UN43NU8000FXZA), 50 Inches (UN50TU8000FXZA), 55 Inches (UN55TU8000 FXZA), 65 Inches (UN65TU8000 FXZA), 75 Inches (UN75TU8000 FXZA), and 85 Inches (UN85TU8000 FXZA)
Resolution4K (3840 x 2160)4K (3840 x 2160)
Panel TechnologyVA PanelVA Panel
Panel FormFlatFlat
Backlight TechnologyEdge Lit LEDEdge Lit LED
Local Dimming TechnologyNoNo
ProcessorCrystal Processor 4KCrystal Processor 4K
HDR SupportsHDR10, HLG, HDR10+HDR10, HLG, HDR10+
Color TechnologyPurColorPurColor
UHD Up-ScalingYesYes
Motion TechnologyMotion Rate120Motion Rate 120
Native Refresh Rate Panel60 Hz60 Hz
Smart TV PlatformTizen 2020 (with reduced features)Tizen 2020 (with reduced features)
BixbyYesNo
ProcessorQuad CoreQuad Core
Google Assistant SupportNoYes
Amazon Alexa SupportNoYes
RemoteBasic Remote TM1240ASmart Remote TM2050A
Speaker Channel22
Total Sound Output20 watts20 watts
HDMI Ports23
HDMI SupportsHDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth, CEC, HDCP 2.2HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth, CEC, HDCP 2.2
USB 2.012
USB 3.0NoNo
PriceCheck price for Samsung TU7000Check price for Samsung TU8000

Samsung TU7000 and TU8000 Technologies and Features

Panel Technology

Just like most models of Samsung’s TV lineup, the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 use the VA (Vertical Alignment) panel technology. One of the advantages of VA panel technology is that it has an excellent native contrast ratio that delivers a deep black. On the other hand, a TV with VA panel technology usually has a poor side viewing angle. 

The last few years, some manufacturers like Sony and Samsung have developed a special anti-glare optical layer that improves side viewing angle coverage of their VA TV — but currently this feature is just on their high-end models like the Samsung Q90T and the Sony X950H. 

Both also use the same backlight technology, which is an edge-lit led backlight technology. Unfortunately, they both don’t have any local dimming feature that can improve performance in a dark room.

Image Processor

Both the Samsung TU8000 and the TU7000 are powered by the same image processor, called the “Crystal Processor 4K”.  This processor may not be as powerful as the Quantum Processor 4K found on the QLED TV Lineup — but it’s able to process HDR images well. Additionally the image processor is able to up-scale lower resolution content to their native resolution fairly well.

Motion Technology

Both the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 only have a native 60 Hz Refresh rate panel. This means they only support content with a frame rate up to 60 Hz. In other words, they both don’t have native 120 fps content.  

To improve their performance in handling motion, both are powered by “Motion Rate 120 Hz”. As mentioned above, unlike the higher series that support VRR technology, these both don’t support any VRR technology to improve the game experience.

To dim the backlight, both use the PWM (Pulse Width Nodulation) dimming system. But even with this technology, the highest possible dimming frequency is different, which is 600 Hz for the TU8000 and just 120 HZ for the TU7000. Since it has a very high dimming frequency, this makes the TU8000 almost flicker-free. 

On the other hand, 120 Hz dimming frequency actually can make flicker almost imperceptible on the screen of the TU7000. Meanwhile on the TU8000, when it is set to “Game” mode with “Auto Motion Plus” enabled, its dimming frequency also changes to 120 Hz.

To help make motion appearance smoother, particularly when playing 60 fps content, they each have an optional BFI (Black Frame Insertion) Mode. Enabling BFI mode will make the dimming frequency change to 60 Hz. To enable BFI mode, you just need to enable the “LED Clear Motion” feature. 

Keep in mind, enabling BFI mode may help keep motion smoother, but since the backlight flicker is at 60 Hz, this may cause a backlight flicker effect that could bother some people, particularly for those sensitive to strobe effects.

The connection ports of the Samsung TU7000
The connection ports on the back of the Samsung TU7000.
The connection ports of the Samsung TU8000
The connection ports on the back of the Samsung TU8000.

Connectivity

For the major connectivity points, the Samsung TU8000 is equipped with 3 HDMI ports while the TU7000 is equipped with 2 HDMI ports. Even though there’s a difference in the number of HDMI ports, each HDMI port supports HDMI 2.0 Full bandwidth, CEC, and HDCP 2.2. Additionally one of their HDMI ports (HDMI 2) also will support ARC (Audi Return Channel). Although none of their HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1 or eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel). 

In addition to HDMI ports, both have a difference in the number of USB ports — the TU8000 has 2 USB ports while the TU7000 only has 1 USB port. None of the USB ports is USB 3.0. In addition to HDMI and USB ports, both also have 1 Tuner In (RF In), 1 Digital Audio Out (optical) and 1 Ethernet IN. The TU8000 also has 1 Composite IN while the TU700 doesn’t.

Smart TV Platform

As part of the Samsung smart TV platform, both the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 run the latest version of Tizen OS(which is the Tizen 2020). Even with this advanced operating system, their smart TV platform lacks some features found on higher end models seen in their QLED TV lineup. 

Furthermore, the smart TV platform of the TU7000 lacks some features and animations found on the TU8000 such as Bixby, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and others. 

Even so, the Tizen OS runs smoothly on each. The interface is simple and easy to use. It has a good selection of preinstalled apps. Almost all streaming services are provided, like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. There is also a Web Browser, Games, Live TV, and other apps. 

Both also have an app store called Samsung Apps store featuring a  good selection of apps you can directly download to your Samsung TV. 

The major difference between them is the support of voice navigation. With Bixby, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home, you can use the voice command on the TU8000. On the other hand, the TU7000 doesn’t support voice navigation. 

For the controller, the Samsung TU7000 is only equipped with a basic remote while the TU8000 is equipped with both basic remote and smart remote.

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU7000 <<

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU8000 <<

 

The Samsung TU7000
The Samsung TU7000

Samsung TU7000 vs TU8000 Performance

Black Level and Contrast

The Samsung TU8000 has a slightly higher native contrast ratio than the TU7000. The native contrast ratio of the TU7000 is around 5000:1, while the native contrast ratio of the TU8000 is around 6000:1. Regardless of the superiority of the TU8000 to the TU7000, their native contrast ratio on each is excellent. With the contrast ratio, each can produce black level deeper than 0.02 nits, which is deep enough to make black look really black in a dark room. 

Unfortunately, they both don’t have any local dimming feature which could further improve performance in a dark room. They can produce a deep dark when showing a small highlight in a dark room, you may see a lot of blooming around a small bright object.

Winner: TU8000

SDR Peak Brightness

The Samsung TU8000 also has a bit brighter SDR peak brightness compared to the TU7000. With real scenes, the TU8000 can hit around 275 nits while the TU7000 hits around 225 nits. Since both don’t have a local dimming feature, except with a 2% window, their peak brightness is fairly consistent across different content, which is around 300 nits for the TU8000 and around 290 nits for the TU8000. 

But on a 2% window (where 2% of screen is white while the rest is black), their peak brightness is lowered by their frame dimming system to around 175 nits for the TU8000 and around 150 nits for the TU7000 for minimizing blooming.  With this behavior, their peak brightness is only bright enough to fight the glare in a dim to moderately lit room — while in a very bright room, their peak brightness is just not bright enough. 

Since the TU8000 has a bit brighter peak brightness, in a brighter room the picture displayed on the screen will look better than on the screen of TU7000.

With HDR content, the Samsung TU7000 can get a bit brighter peak brightness than with SDR content. With real content, it can hit around 250 nits. Just like with SDR content, except for a 2% window, the peak brightness is also relatively consistent across different content where it can hit around 170 nits. But even so, on 2% window, its peak brightness is dimmed by its TV’CE dimming to around 150 nits. 

On the other hand, the HDR peak brightness of the Samsung TU8000 is relatively same to its SDR peak brightness. This means that regardless of whether its an SDR or HDR image, its peak brightness is relatively the same. With their HDR peak brightness at less than 300 nits, their peak brightness is not bright enough to show HDR images as bright they should be. Additionally, they both are able to bring out small highlights in HDR.  For an entry-level TV it’s not a bad thing.

Winner: TU8000

Color Performance

Both the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 don’t support a wide color gamut. Their color gamut is only wide enough for SDR content that is mastered in Rec.709 while for HDR content, it can be quite disappointing. In DCI P3 xy color space, the color gamut coverage of the TU8000 is only around 76% while the TU7000 is only around 74%.  

Meanwhile, in DCI P3 uv color space, the color gamut coverage of the TU8000 is around 82% while the TU7000 is only around 79%. Meanwhile to show HDR images mastered in DCI P3 like HDR10 or HDR10+ fully like the content creator intended, an HDR TV must be able to cover at least 90% of DCI P3 color space. And their color gamut certainly is not wide enough to do that.  

Additionally, they both also have mediocre color volume. Even though they both can produce deep dark shade colors fairly well, their limited color gamut make them fail to produce a wide range of shades and colors. In comparison, the TU8000 is a bit better but the difference doesn’t have a significant impact on normal content.

Discussing about color gradient, the Samsung TU7000 has better color gradient than the TU8000. On the screen of the TU8000, banding is visible in almost all colors.  It may have a “Smooth Gradation” feature that can be used to remove banding, but that can only help so much.  

On the other hand, the Samsung TU7000 has much better color gradient. Banding may still happen in the dark green and gray colors, but in normal content this would be hard to notice. But even so, just like with the TU8000, it has the “Smooth Gradation” feature that can help to remove banding. Just like other TVs, enabling this feature can cause some lose of fine detail in certain scenes.

Winner: TU7000

Side Viewing Angle

Just like most other TVs with a VA panel, the Samsung TU8000 and the TU7000 have a poor side viewing angle. When viewed from the side, starting at around 15 degrees off center and front, the blacks of images displayed on screen look faded. Additionally, color of images will also lose accuracy starting at around 25 degrees. Not only that, starting at around 30 degrees, their brightness level will also be decreased. 

This means that when viewed from the side, the picture displayed on their screen will not look as good as when viewed from the center and front. Of course, if you often watch TV with a family group who sit together in wide seating, then these Samsungs may be not the best choice for you.

Winner: Draw

Motion Handling

The pixel response time of both is not excellent, but it is very good.  With around an 18 ms pixel response time, it’s low enough to make fast-paced content appear clearly on the screen. There may be a faint trail following a fast moving object and it can be longer than most TVs, but this should not be noticeable in normal content. 

Additionally as discussed above, they also have an optional BFI (Black Frame Insertion) mode that can further improve motion appearance, particularly when playing 60 fps content like sports or video games. But as we have seen, enabling this feature cause a backlight flicker change to 60 Hz, and this flicker could bother some people, particularly for those sensitive to strobe effects. So the TU8000 handles motion better due to a faster response time than the TU7000.

When playing 24p movies, the performance of the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 is poor. They’re not able to remove the judder from any source, even when the source is native 24p movies like Blu-Ray or DVD movies.

Winner: TU8000.

Input Lag

In PC and Game mode, the Samsung TU8000 and the TU7000 have a nice low input lag. With 60 fps content, regardless of the resolution, whether 1080p, 1440p, 4K, 4K with HDR, 4K @ 4:4:4 chrome,  the input lag is around 10 ms. Of course this is low enough to make it very responsive when used to play any game, even for fast paced games that require quick reflexes. And as mentioned above, both only have a 60 HX refresh rate panel, and both don’t support 120 fps games. 

Their HDMI port supports ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and they can change automatically to Game mode when you play a game with a compatible console. Unlike the QLED TV lineup, these both don’t support VRR technology.

Winner: Draw

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU7000 <<

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU8000 <<

The Samsung TU8000
Picture quality on the Samsung TU8000

 

Conclusion

For Watching Movies

Both the Samsung TU8000 and the TU7000 are mediocre TVs for watching movies in a dark room. They both have excellent contrast ratio that allows them to produce a deep dark. Additionally they both have excellent black uniformity. The combination of deep dark and excellent black uniformity actually make dark scenes look great onscreen, even when viewed in a dark room.  

However both series don’t have a local dimming feature to further improve performance in a dark room, particularly to minimize blooming. 

Additionally their performance in handling 24p judder is also very disappointing, even when the source is native 24p movies. 

Because the Samsung TU8000 has a bit higher native contrast ratio and a bit brighter peak brightness in general, it’s a bit better television than the TU7000 when watching movies in a dark room.

Winner: TU8000

For Watching Sports

When used for watching sports, their performance is decent. They both have good pixel response time and 60 Hz BFI mode that makes fast motion images look clearly and smoothly on screen, good enough for watching fast sports like Formula1 or Moto GP. 

But their SDR peak brightness is not very bright and their reflection handling is also only decent. This makes them only suitable when used in a dim to moderately lit room.  

Additionally both have a poor side viewing angle and of course this makes them unsuitable for watching a big game with a group of family or friends. 

Overall their performance when used for watching sports is mediocre, but considering the price range, it can still be a good value. Comparing between them, the TU8000 is a bit better due to a brighter SDR peak brightness, better reflection handling, and a bit faster pixel response time.

Winner: TU8000

Video Games

Both the Samsung TU7000 and the TU8000 are good TVs when used for playing video games. They both have good motion handling and a 60 HZ BFI mode that can help to make fast games look smooth and clear on screen. 

Additionally they both have outstanding input lag in Game Mode, allowing you to play games responsively without lag, even fast paced games. 

The support of ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) also means you don’t need to manually change to game mode because both can automatically change to game mode once the signal from a game console is detected. 

Unfortunately, they both don’t support any VRR technology such as what’s found on the high level model of Samsung’s QLED TV which can improve their game performance. In comparison, again the TU8000 is a bit better than the TU7000.

Winner: TU8000

HDR Performance

If you get one of these for an HDR Experience, you’ll probably be disappointed. They both have good native contrast ratio and excellent black uniformity, making shadow details of images shown fairly well on their screen. But as we have mentioned, they both don’t have any local dimming that can further improve dark scene appearance. 

They both don’t support wide color gamut, so some colors of an HDR image may not be shown accurately. 

Additionally, their HDR peak brightness is not bright enough to bring out highlights in HDR. As the result, HDR images displayed on the screen don’t look much different compared to SDR content.  Comparing between them, the TU8000 can show brighter HDR images while the TU7000 can show HDR images with smoother color gradient.

Winner: TU8000 can show brighter content, the TU7000 can show better color gradient.

Summary

PerformanceSamsung TU8000Samsung TU7000
Movies(3.5/5)(3.2/5)
TV Shows(3.6/5)(3.5/5)
Sports(3.6/5)(3.4/5)
Video Games(4/5)(3.8/5)
HDR Performance(3.3/5)(3.1/5)
Smart TV(4/5)(4/5)

Overall the Samsung TU8000 is better than the TU7000 in any size, although the difference is not very significant. In terms of picture quality the performance is not much different. 

The major advantage of the Samsung TU8000 compared to the TU7000 is precisely due to their smart features. They both may run the same smart TV platform, but as we have discussed above, the smart TV of the TU7000 doesn’t support voice navigation while the TU8000 supports voice navigation. In addition to its own platform “Samsung Bixby”, it also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. 

On the other hand, the Smart platform of the TU7000 is not upgradable. This means that even though you can buy the smart controller separately, it can’t be used on the TU7000. 

So which is a better choice? Of course the decision comes back to your own preference. Keep in mind that with the same size screen, the Samsung TU7000 is usually sold for a lower price than the TU8000.

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU7000 <<

>> Click here to check the price for the Samsung TU8000 <<

4K UHD LED TV Comparison is supported by its audience. We review products independently. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 

 

About the author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest posts

  • LG SK9000 Review

    The LG SK9000 is a high-end 4K LED TV with excellent picture quality. It’s perfect for watching HDR content thanks to its wide color gamut and excellent peak brightness. Its local dimming feature improves dark room performance, but does not match up with the very best in this regard. Motion handling is excellent, and input…

    Read more

  • Vizio P Series Compared to the TCL 6 Series

    The Vizio P Series and TCL 6 Series are two of the more popular 4K UHD TV lines on the market. In this guide, we’ll compare the Vizio P Series with the TCL 6 Series and see how they stack up against each other in terms of performance and quality.  When purchasing a new TV,…

    Read more

  • Supreme UHD Dimming vs. Ultimate UHD Dimming

    Samsung supreme UHD dimming is a technology that allows for a more realistic and immersive viewing experience by reducing image blur and improving contrast. This technology is found in Samsung’s latest television line, offering several benefits over traditional LCD TVs. Improved Contrast and Reduced Image Blur One of the biggest advantages of Samsung supreme UHD…

    Read more