TechRadar Verdict
The Samsung UE65KS9000 is a stunning TV and one we'd recommend to anyone who can afford the near-£3000 asking price.
Pros
- +
Incredible picture quality
- +
Best ever HDR
- +
Great smart features
Cons
- -
It's so expensive
- -
Curved screen is divisive
- -
No 3D support
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Samsung is rarely caught behind the curve, and its KS9000 series of curved 4K TVs have certainly avoided becoming the first to betray that legacy.
Sporting Ultra HD resolution, a quantum dot displays with HDR and the latest Tizen smart TV platform, they're as up to date as it's possible to get.
Earlier this month, techradar gave the full review treatment to the 55-inch model in this range of two, the Samsung UE55KS9000. They're both curved TVs and sport a new moth eye anti-reflection filter.
It's possibly the best anti-reflection filter Samsung has ever produced and that's important, because curved screens tend to suffer from distorted reflections that can be rather off putting. That being said, we're rather ambivalent by the curves on display here – they really don't offer much and only really make sense when you're sitting right in front of the screen, making it sub-optimal for group viewing.
Stunning picture quality
Picture quality is truly fantastic, though. HDR (high dynamic range) has to be seen to be believed, so if you do buy one of these TVs you owe it to yourself to either buy an Ultra HD Blu-ray player or subscribe to the 4K tier of Netflix/Amazon Prime to really make the best of it.
We're really not overstating it when we say that the HDR tech in these TVs is the best we've ever seen. The colour and brightness this TV produces is absolutely stunning. And coupled with the UE65KS9000's incredible brightness and Quantum Dot colour technology, the result is a combination of HDR colour dynamism and finesse that's just stupefyingly impressive - and a million miles beyond anything we saw even a couple of years ago.
Smart features
The Samsung UE65KS9000 ships with a new, simple and smart remote control design that we really love. It greatly reduces the button count without leaving you feeling like you haven't got direct access to enough features, and it combines touch pad control - operated by just your thumb - with straightforward up, down, left and right navigation buttons without feeling cluttered.
The smart TV features are also first rate, and offer all of the catch up TV and streaming options you would expect as well as a whole raft of other clever features. This TV will not leave you wanting in terms of functionality. It even sounds good, defying the slim design by delivering a pure, if not massive, soundscape across our living room.
The only reason we can think of to not buy this TV is that it's just so expensive, clocking in at £2,899 it's a premium option and no mistake. If you can't really afford it, there are other options out there that will do you proud. If you can afford it? Buy one today.
Verdict
The Samsung UE65KS9000 is a stunning TV, and one we'd recommend to anyone who can afford the near-£3,000 asking price.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the Samsung UE55KS9000 review that techradar published in April 2016.
