Samsung UE43TU8500 Review

Tech Advisor found the TU8500 to be a good option for those that don’t want to splurge on Samsung’s QLED range of TVs. The crystal UHD display includes a dual-LED backlight and provides a quick response for gaming. The Tizen smart platform is a real bonus and while HDR brightness is limited and there is no support for Dolby Vision, it is still a very capable TV.

Pocket Lint recommended the TU8500 as a good value 4K TV, highlighting its great gaming performance thanks to its low latency mode and solid Tizen smart platform. Picture quality is described as enjoyable although not cinematic and audio quality is average at best. However, for the price it is a good performer.

T3 rates the TU8500 as a great cheap smart TV, giving good picture quality and the full set of smart features making it ideal for shoppers looking for something that won’t break the bank. It is missing Freeview Play and Dolby Vision, plus it isn’t the brightest performer for HDR, but it is as good as you can get for the price.

Pros: Extremely easy to set up and very compatible with major apps, I. E. Utube, net fix, amazon, also the hubs and iplayer
Cons: Reviewer left no comment

Pros: Fast response, good quality picture.
Cons: Sometimes freezes. Apps dont open first time sometimes(requires reset)

Pros: It is a good TV, if you you just want to use it in its most basic form and don’t need some of the more complicated Smart TV functions. It also has a much better range of apps than rival TVs, including BT Sports and Apple TV, which was why I chose it.
Cons: Some of the apps don’t work very well. Eg the Apple TV app which is already installed cannot cast music from ITunes on a Windows PC, unlike an Apple TV device. The Samsung RT remote App is completely useless (I think it has now been withdrawn which I discovered when I tried to leave a review). I also contacted Samsung support to get help with some of the more complicated aspects of setting up and customising the interface, and found them to be slow, unhelpful and lacked detailed knowledge. The TV also lacks Freeview Play which I have found very useful on other TVs.

Pros: I love the remote control because it’s small, simple and controls my sky box too
Cons: I looked everywhere to see what hertz the tv had, couldn’t find it until after the tv arrived. It’s only 60hz. I would have given 10’s across the board if it was 120hz (the higher the hz the less ‘stagger’ you get in the picture when the filming camera scrolls across.

Good picture and sound.
Got this because it had a sat tuner and due to trees in a near by park my old set would not cope with line of site to the transmitter signals. Only problem with this set is the EPG service when using the satellite tuner is very slow and only shows you information for the channel that you are tuned to. It will receive all satellite free to air channels but you have to spend some time putting the ones you want into channel order. I was expecting it to work like Freesat Box or Freeview box .Once you do set it up to your liking it is an excellent TV .

Pros: Picture, sound and ease of use
Cons: Centralised stand is better than almost all alternative TVs in this size/price point as it allows the TV to be placed on a variety of surface widths. Most have legs placed at the extreme width of the TV and will not sit on any surface that is less wide than the TV. However, it would be better if it could swivel on the centre point as my previous Samsung did.

1st class TV, excellent service
Limited on screen size due to a small cottage I replaced my excellent but 12 year old Toshiba HD reluctantly. After a reading a few reviews I settled on this TV. Ordered on a Monday it arrived next day with great communication from the delivery driver. First impression was how thin and light the TV is. I lugged my 30kg old tv upside and at 9.5kg the new Samsung was light as a feather. Though 3 inches larger, with a slim bezel and body the new TV is bigger but less obtrusive than the old one. Very easy to set up, first impression was of an outstanding image. YouTube 4k demo videos were breathtaking. The built in apps were a breeze to log into and use (Prime, YT, Britbox) I installed Now Tv, logging in and was watching upscaled HD footy in minutes. I've had numerous issues with Android TV boxes with these apps, on this smart tv they are flawless. In summary, an amazing purchase with top first class service from Richer Sounds.

Superb HD Picture
Bought this to replace a 4 month old TV (bought from elsewhere) that failed. Picture quality is far better than I was expecting. Plenty of options for setting the colours etc. The Vivid setting is VERY vivid. Had to tone it down, but after sampling the other settings, now have it set up for my own preferences. Sound quality from the in-built speakers are also very good for such a thin TV. Though I still have it connected to a sound bar. Have the TV connected to a Sky Q box, and the HD channels look stunning.To access the smart features, you have to set up a Samsung account, which was a step I wasn't expecting to have to do, but once that was set up, I could enjoy the smart features. It was more of a faff than I would have liked, but as I was unfamiliar with the TV and didn't read read the set up instructions, I can blame myself for that.A quick search found Disney+, which is now installed for the young uns.3 HDMI ports (1 is an eARC output) are fine for my needs, as I have Sky Q box, blu ray player and sound bar connected. Blu ray picture is impressive.Very thin bezel around the screen makes the unit look very classy, and the screen look bigger than it actually is.The stand is heavy (good thing) and the TV feels very secure on it. The stand comes in two parts and it has to be assembled, though it's a straightforward process to assemble. A second person may help here.The rear of the stand incorporates a "cable tidy" to keep the cables as unobtrusive as possible.The TV has as many picture/sound adjustments to set it up just as you want to. It took me a good half hour of playing with the settings to get it set up just how I like, but now that it is, I really couldn't be happier with it.

Another gem of technology from the Samsung mine.
It might be an opportunity during the lockdown to trawl the sea of discounts currently available. Always remember the "Sweetness of low price, becomes the bitterness of poor service"

Excellent picture and sound
Have had it now 10 days and so far more than happy with price and product. Fairly simple to set up and so many features I am still working my way through them. Compare to my old tv the picture almost seems like 3D. A very satisfied customer and with a 6 year warranty should be a stress free experience

Brilliant “Telly” no need for sound bar very good
Easy to set up and tune in, brilliant online service, first class quick delivery

I wish i hadn't purchased this TV
I got this TV in August and have never been happy with it but i had to give it time,after receiving faulty TV's and TV with a cracked screen i decided to take this model as it was offered to me as an upgrade as there was no stock due to lock down,richer sounds went above and beyond to help me,unfortunately the picture is great until fast movement then the picture is blurry and juddering and slow motion until picture catches up,tried every setting going including advice from Samsung, the ambient lighting works even though its turned off and there is no way i can get sound level to work,trust me Ive tried, speech is always lower than background sound, so after 3 months i can safely say i hate this TV and if i could change it or trade it in i would, remember this is only my opinion of the TV (maybe i got a duff one)

Great picture, sound is adequate
I've had this tv just over a week. Set up was very easy. Picture is great quality but sound isn't great - needs a sound bar.