TechRadar Verdict
The KS7000 series is an easy choice if you're looking for superb picture performance and the latest features without spending loads of money.
Pros
- +
HDR+ upscaling
- +
Subtle HDR images
- +
Separate connections box
- +
Slick, quick
- +
Smart Hub
Cons
- -
Requires large TV table
- -
Some backlight bleeding
- -
Lacks YouView or Freeview Play
- -
No 3D support
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The Samsung KS7000 Series of HDR ready 4K TVs is really quite special. We gave the 55-inch Samsung UE55KS7000 the full review treatment last month and loved it for its almost-top end performance at thoroughly midrange price point.
The 49-inch we have here and the 55-incher above are joined in the range by the 60-inch Samsung UE60KS7000 and the 65-inch Samsung UE65KS7000, though the latter is unavailable for purchase at the moment.
This really is stunningly good value TV when you look at the facts. At the time of writing you can get this 49-inch model for just £1120, already £80 cheaper than when it launched. And for that you get a big screen, 4K, HDR playback and all of the other modern features you'd expect from a TV.
As such, it's the no brainer choice for anyone who wants a 49-inch or 50-inch TV that offers the absolute best performance you can get for just over £1000.
Picture quality
It's particularly good with native HDR content which looks absolutely stunning. When you tune into a Netflix or Amazon show in HDR, such as the latest season of Daredevil, the TV gives you a little "HDR Detected" notification. That's cool because it reassures you that you don't need to do anything to get the best out of the source – the TV automatically optimises for you. It just works, as they say.
You don't even need to be watching HDR content to get the most out of this TV. It'll 'upscale' normal pictures to what Samsung calls HDR+. Essentially what that means is it will expand the colour definition of your movie or TV show by analysing each frame, and using the extra-luminant 10-bit panel to expand the colours and contrast.
That being said, although the UE55KS7000 is part of Samsung's flagship SUHD range, it's not as powerful as the top-of-the-tree UE65KS9000. The primary reason is the use of edge LED backlighting, which does bring some drawbacks. Chief among these is the slight crushing of blacks during high-contrast sequences.
Design
We couldn't possibly review the KS7000 without also mentioning how stunning it is to look at even when it's turned off. It's super thin and the bezel is almost non existent. It looks every bit as good as the latest Samsung smartphones.
That being said, there is one design issue that you should be aware of before you scamper off to buy one. This TV uses clip-on feet instead of a stand which makes it much quicker and easier to set up. But the downside of that is that you need a really wide table or TV stand because the feet are right out on each side of the TV. With TVs that have a central stand, that's obviously not a problem so do think of what you're going to put this thing on before you buy one.
Verdict
The Samsung UE49KS7000 offers the perfect balance between price and performance. If you don't want to fork out for the very best, this TV is the absolute no brainer alternative.
This article is based on the Samsung UE55KS7000 review that TechRadar published in July 2016.
