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Samsung 65-inch Q9F QLED TV review: A quantum leap for 4K LCD TVs

By Ng Chong Seng - 10 Aug 2017
Launch SRP: S$8999

Smart Hub & Smart Remote

A smart TV powered by Tizen

On the software end, the QLED TVs run Tizen and feature largely the same Smart Hub user interface as last year, with a row of large icons along the bottom of the home screen that serve as entry points to your live TV programs, games, apps, movies, connected devices, etc.

For example, if you hover over the cog icon, a list of quick settings icons will appear immediately above it, so that you can quickly change TV settings without diving into the full-blown system menu. You can think of it as a smart contextual menu, really. Another example is when you hover over the live TV tile, you've options to open the TV guide and your most watched channels. It's a straightforward interaction model, and one that works well.

In terms of customization, you can rearrange or remove apps from the launch bar. If you don't like to see the home screen whenever you turn on the TV, you can have the TV default to always open the last app that you used.

The whole point of this design is to get to your whatever you want (a picture setting, another channel, another source, etc.) without leaving the current view.

While it's no Google Play store, there are still plenty of apps and games on Samsung's proprietary app store.

No kidding, you can scan the QLED TVs for viruses.

 

"One Remote Control"

The bundled smart remote control can double as a universal remote, letting you control compatible HDMI-connected devices, such as third-party set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems. It's similar to last year's implementation, just that Samsung has expanded its list of compatible devices and supported remote functions this year. If you've an external Samsung device that supports Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC), you can also control it with the smart remote without any additional setup.

This smart remote also has a microphone, so you can speak into it to access common menu options and TV functions; basically, voice control. For example, you can say things like "play", "stop", and "fast forward" to control media playback, "channel up" to go to the next channel, and "search Taylor Swift" to search for Taylor Swift (including in YouTube). If you need help with the TV, just say "help" or "user guide". Remember though, to use this voice interaction feature, you need to register for a Samsung account and the TV must be connected to the internet.

Last but not least, the updated Smart View mobile app can now show content that’s available for the TV, complete with a row of icons at the top of the app that mimics the TV’s launcher bar. It’s a small touch no doubt, but I quite like the idea that I can just select what I want to watch next right on my phone, which is always with me.

The smart remote's batteries pop out from the front.

TV control and search using voice works surprisingly well.

With the Smart View mobile app, the idea is that you don't need to put down your phone to pick up the remote just to select new stuff to watch.

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9.0
  • Design 9.5
  • HD Performance 9
  • SD Performance 9
  • Features 9
  • Value 7.5
The Good
Premium design, solid build quality
Great HDR performance due to high brightness
Very wide color gamut, accurate colors
Very good motion handling
Smart features work well
The Bad
Viewing angles could be better
Doesn't support Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos
Quite expensive
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