Review: Samsung UE65MU6120 (MU6100 series) Ultra HD TV

In addition to getting a better picture, we also get a larger picture. But do you have to put up big money for a big screen? Or is it possible with a modal budget? We take a closer look at the Samsung UE65MU6120.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – specifications

• What: Ultra HD Edge LED LCD TV
• Screen size: 65 inches (165 cm), flat
• Connections: 3x HDMI (1xARC, 3x v2.0a), 1x composite / component video, 2x USB, 1x digital optical audio out, 1x antenna, network connection
• Extras: HDR10+, HLG, WiFi (802.11n) built in, Tizen Smart Hub, USB / DLNA media player, DVB-T / C, CI + lock
• Dimensions: 1,464 x 908 x 369 mm (including foot)
• Weight: 25.7 kg (including foot)
• Consumption: 154 / 0.3 watt (Energy Label A)
• Recommended retail price: 1.499 euros

Samsung UE65MU6120 – design

If you want to hit a big screen for an absolute bottom price, then you can not expect impressive pearls of design. That this Samsung is very elementary finished is therefore no surprise. Frame and housing are made of black plastic.

At the back, the back has a rough texture, and the frame around the screen is about 15 mm wide. A super slim profile is also not part of the equipment, but in relation to the screen size it is still very good.

The central Y-shaped foot is unfortunately not a swivel base and it is made of plastic, but gives the device a firm support. In short, not a luxury version, but a weekday TV that already looks fine.

Connections

The connections are all directed to the side, so you can choose wall mounting without any worries. Here, too, there have been some noticeable cuts, but the essential things are there, such as three HDMI connections and twice USB. On the higher models you get an extra of each.

A shared composite and component video connection along with a stereo cinch audio input and optical digital audio output complete the list. Be careful, therefore, no headphone connection, and this model is not equipped with Bluetooth. Wired and wireless network connections are of course present.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – ease of use

The installation procedure is a piece of cake, you are guided step by step through all necessary actions. After installation, you can change the name and icon of the connected sources yourself with a few clicks.

You navigate easily and conveniently through the menus, Samsung has not saved on this area in this model. We find it convenient that many of the advanced settings are a level deeper in the menus. For many consumers these institutions are too complex. Unfortunately, some settings such as Digital Clear View (this is the noise reduction) can no longer be activated in several steps, but this is now a simple on / off button. That way you lose some freedom of choice. Some settings such as ‘image format’ were allowed to show some extra information. It is not easy to deduce from the name what the function will do correctly.

Remote control

This model has to do without the Smart Controller, it comes with a standard remote control. This also means that you can not use the remote for other devices, as is the case with the Smart Remote.

Nevertheless, we are absolutely satisfied with the ease of use. The remote has large keys, clear labels, and a great layout. He is well in hand, the keys have a pleasant rubber texture, and can be impressed without too much effort. By clever use of relief, the d-pad can even be recognized by touch.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – features

Smart TV platform

The television is equipped with Samsung Smart Hub. It shows you all functions, sources and settings in a bar at the bottom of the image. Which icons appear and in which order they stand you choose completely yourself. As soon as you select an icon, additional options will appear depending on your selection. This can also be content that is available in the app in question, for example in Netflix.

Samsung has understood that a smooth user experience can make the difference. Also on this model you navigate quickly and smoothly through all the possibilities of the Smart Hub. The interface rarely or never hesitates and apps generally open very quickly. It makes the use very pleasant.

The Smart Hub gives you an extensive choice of apps. In it you will find Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies & TV. But Deezer and Spotify are also there, Moviemax, Rakuten TV, Mubi, DailyMotion, and so on. There is also a good offer for gamers. In addition to a limited number of games, there is also the Gamefly Streaming service, and Steam Link. With the latter you stream games from your game PC to the television. That opens a lot of possibilities to play on the big screen.

Smart functions

The MU6120 is equipped with a digital tuner for terrestrial and cable reception, a satellite tuner is missing. You can connect an external hard disk to make recordings or pause live TV. The Samsung media player is one of the most complete in our tests, and it reads Full HD, Ultra HD and HDR video, in HEVC, H.264 and VP9 with all possible subtitle files. The audio player not only plays lossy codecs such as mp3 and mp4, but also ALAC and FLAC.

Do not forget to install the Smart View app on your smartphone or tablet. It gives you an alternative remote on your smartphone, including a virtual game pad. It does not replace the smart remote, but is still worth testing.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – Image quality

This 65 inch model is equipped with a VA panel. That means excellent contrast, but a limited viewing angle. There is support for HDR , but the basic performance of the device is too modest to speak of true HDR playback.

Main settings

In our article on you can read all about the possibilities to come up with the best image settings with a professional. If you want to get started, please go to our . Here you will find an explanation of the most important picture settings and tips for setting up your TV. With the basic settings we have come to the settings below for this TV.

The best choice starts from the film mode.

Explanation of main settings;

• Clean Digital View contains all noise reduction techniques. It is advisable to activate this if you are watching DVD or other low-quality image.
• Auto Motion Plus: this is always a matter of taste. Car is a good all-round solution. If you want more control, choose Custom and set the vibration reduction somewhere between 6 and 8. We do not recommend LED Clear Motion, the flicker in the image is visible.
• HDR + mode can be activated to taste. It makes the image much clearer.
• Image format: adjusted with adjust to the screen ON.

General image properties and image processing

Another point at which the UE65MU6120 excels is the image processing. The device hardly has to give way to the more expensive top models. He detects film and video frame rates faultlessly, so that even with interlaced sources (such as set-top boxes for digital TV), you will not see any moire effects or jagged lines. The noise suppression clears away any random and compression noise, even with older and / or poorer images. For modern visual material, we prefer to leave them out, keep the issue of as much detail as possible. The device provides excellent upscaling for all your sources, images are sharp and well detailed. If you want extra detail, the sharpness setting can be up to a maximum of 25.

As expected, the motion sharpness is one of the weaker points of this television, but the result is not as bad as we expected. There is a slightly blurred, double edge visible in fast moving objects. The setting ‘Auto motion plus’ allows you to run pan images smoothly across the screen. Even the car setting gave pretty decent results without excessive artifacts. If you wish more control, select ‘manual’ and set ‘reduction of vibration’ somewhere between six and eight. A good advice, avoid the ‘Led Clear Motion’ setting. The image flickers when you activate it.

The VA screen provides an excellent contrast, even if every form of dimming is missing. In the film image set we measure a contrast of more than 4,300: 1, which we can undoubtedly call excellent. The screen also shows all black details, so that you can fully enjoy dark scenes with some darkening. Those who want a little more punch activate the contrast enhancement, which shows a nice improvement in the lowest setting, without hiding too much white or black detail.

The calibration of the UE65MU6120 is excellent. In the brightest shades the gray scale tends to light yellow, but you will probably never notice that, the error lies just at the limit of what is perceptible. Color range and color reproduction are exemplary, and can effortlessly withstand the comparison with more expensive devices. The result can be guessed: this Samsung is a real pleasure for all your content, with its vibrant colors and excellent contrast, it puts the images vividly on the screen.

HDR

HDR support is available for HDR10 and HLG content. But the basic performance is really too limited to be able to speak of true HDR images. The peak luminance is 325 nits and the color range does not exceed 78% DCI-P3. As a result, the images lack the powerful impact of bright accents and intense colors. Due to its solid contrast and good tone mapping, the HDR images are very pleasant. Neither in clear or dark parts do you miss detail, so the result is quite convincing.

In the expert settings of the image menu you can activate HDR + to give your SDR content an HDR touch. That choice makes images a little clearer, it is a choice that you can consider when you look at a lot of light.

Reflections and viewing angles

The weak point of VA panels is generally known. The viewing angle is limited, and as soon as you divert light from the best place, you lose contrast. The device handles reflections thoroughly, but good placement or control of the light is recommended.

Gaming

In the film image mode we measure a lag of 82.6 ms. That is obviously too much for a good game experience. With the game mode active, the lag drops to 19.5 ms and that is another top result.

Do not forget to activate that mode, you can find it in the settings, under General, Manage external devices, Game Mode. Formerly it was under the image settings, which was a lot more logical.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – Audio quality

Do not overestimate expectations in this area. The sound is great for weekday television, but the UE65MU6120 is a little too short if you want to experience the impact of a film soundtrack. Depending on your taste, the ‘optimized’ sound set can improve the sound a bit. On this model we found that the standard setting gave the best result.

Review equipment

For the lag measurement we use a Leo Bodnar Display lag meter. For all other measurements we rely on a Spectracal C6 colorimeter, Xrite i1 Pro spectrophotometer, an AVFoundry HDMI Pattern Generator , an HDFury Integral for HDR patterns and the Spectracal Calman for Business software.

Samsung UE65MU6120 – Conclusion

This Samsung UE65MU6120 shows that you can get a lot of television at home for a very reasonable price. The moderate movement sharpness and sound quality are the only weak points. HDR reproduction is good, but lacks the desired impact. Where the device does an excellent job? All your other content, from game console to Blu-ray film. Enjoy the beautiful contrasts, sharp image, fine upscaling and image processing, and pleasant, natural colors. You also get value for your money when it comes to user experience. The Smart Hub offers a lot of possibilities and is a pleasure to use.