There are three HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which (HDMI 2) supports eARC, and all of which are capable of handling 4K resolution at 60Hz, CEC, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) – making this TV a solid choice for gamers. There are also two USB 2.0 inputs, a terrestrial tuner, a CI slot, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port for a wired connection. In terms of wireless connections, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 are supported. This is a 4K LED screen, powered by Samsung’s ‘Crystal 4K’ processor and with support for HLG and HDR10+ standards of HDR (we’re used to Samsung refusing to offer support for Dolby Vision, but it never stops being galling). The remainder of the colour palette the Samsung can call on impressed me both with its extensiveness and its naturalness. Skin-tones are always a stern test of a TV’s abilities, and the AU9000 handled the complexities and subtleties of complexions well in my tests across a range of content, and it also does good work describing textures of skin, too. The AU9000 supports HDR10, HLG and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision. However, the absence of the latter has nothing to do with the TV’s mid-range status – none of Samsung’s models support the format, with the company instead opting for the royalty-free HDR10+. HDR10+ performance was good in testing, and while not as prevalent as Dolby Vision, is a format used by Prime Video and some 4K Blu-rays.

Nevertheless, the Samsung UE50AU9000 is a very capable gaming monitor,. Its response times are well below 10ms and almost all the picture-quality positives already discussed hold true for games, too. And the ability to mimic the super-wide 32:9 aspect ratio beloved of some PC games is handy – even if the resulting image is more letterboxing than actual picture. Sound quality During setup, the adjustment to color balance is on a bit of a hair-trigger – it’ll tip from ‘just slightly understated’ to ‘rather too lively’ in no time. But play around a bit to find the optimum balance and the color palette is naturalistic, convincing and wide-ranging. Skin-tones, in particular, are detailed and varied.

International delivery

Colours can be bold and vivid when required (I found more-or-less any sports team’s kit falls into this category), or muted and nuanced if necessary (more-or-less any sports team’s manager’s clothing, for example). Gradations made me sit up and pay attention too – so when I was watching football, the numerous almost-identical shades of green from a pitch are described and differentiated well. As yet, we’ve no confirmation as to whether the Samsung AU9000 range will be offered for sale either in Australia or in the United States. Samsung isn’t alone in preferring to have bespoke models in different territories – or, at the very least, to have different model numbers in different territories for the same televisions. Design It’s the final figure in the Samsung’s 1119 x 645 x 26mm (h x w x d) measurements that’s the most arresting. That depth is consistent, too – so if you decide to wall-mount your TV, it’ll sit almost flush. Samsung, with no apparent sense of hyperbole, calls this design language ‘AirSlim’. Set-up menus are similarly logical, and strike a nice balance between brevity and comprehensiveness. Achieving a picture that scrolls smoothly, defines edges confidently, and is decently bright and detailed, shouldn’t take long. Getting a colour balance you’re convinced by may take just a little longer. Many countries receive market-specific variations of television, of course, due to differences in broadcast standards and so on – so at present there’s no confirmation of what the equivalent Samsung screen will be in other territories. What we can be certain of, though, is that both the United States and Australia will be getting a range of competitively priced, competitively specified Samsung 4K LED TVs that are more than a little reminiscent of the BU8500 series.

The Samsung AU9000 is a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) HDR smart TV that comes in screen sizes ranging from 43in to 75in. It’s part of Samsung’s Crystal UHD series, which is its cheapest range of 4K TVs, sitting below its various QLED sets. One thing that’s not new, on the basis that upgrading it would be difficult in the extreme, is the Tizen smart TV interface. It’s long been close to ideal and, though every other manufacturer has undeniably upped their smart TV game to compete, Tizen continues to be a pleasure to use. It’s quite distinct through the mid-range and, again, quite decent levels of detail. Voices project forwards well, and they're actually quite nicely balanced – until they start to nudge into the upper frequency range. Once it reaches the higher frequencies, the BU8500 becomes quite hard and edgy, bringing sibilance and even a hint of coarseness to treble sounds. It’s a trait that’s only exacerbated by volume.Slim chassis, great spec and very agreeable picture performance is all well and good – but when it comes to audio performance, the Samsung BU8500 sounds like an affordable flatscreen TV of the old school. And that’s not necessarily a good thing.