Starting your student journey this September? Or is someone you know about to fly the nest for the first time?
Leaving home does indeed mean ensuring you have the essentials, which, at least in our eyes, includes a TV.
We're well aware that a student budget and lifestyle don't quite align with a premium OLED, but we can recommend a model at a fraction of the price that still delivers a surprisingly capable 4K picture: the Samsung U8000F.
The 43-inch model will be big enough to satisfy a student living room or dorm but still small enough to slot into a family car, and is a great value all-rounder for nights off and move nights.
The Samsung U8000F is one of the most affordable TVs we currently recommend, but that doesn't mean it skimps on any of the key areas.
The 4K LCD panel boasts three forms of HDR, with HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ all supported. Dolby Vision is missing, but not even the premium Samsung sets support this format.
All the usual streaming and catch-up TV apps are included on Samsung's Tizen smart platform, so there'll be no shortage of options for downtime from studying.
For gamers, there's Samsung's dedicated Gaming Hub screen, as well as support for ALLM and VRR.
There's also a nice matte-black bezel design, and while the set is a bit chunky at the back, the U8000F has an overall understated and modern look.
And the all-important picture quality? Impressive, considering the low price.
"Pictures enjoy a relatively balanced look, where colours all seem to exist in exactly the same tonal universe for whatever movie or TV show you’re watching," our Samsung U8000F review reads.
"In other words, no tones look either unduly exaggerated or relatively washed out versus the rest. This sort of consistency is crucial to delivering an immersive and compelling picture – and, happily, it holds up well across all three of the main picture presets we recommend: Standard, Movie and Filmmaker Mode."
Motion handling is impressive at this level too, with panning shots, action and general motion looking as good as we’ve ever seen from a budget TV.
However, as a budget LCD set, there's the occasional backlight clouding in and a lack of three-dimensional "pop" compared to pricier, more advanced sets. The picture is far more balanced and immersive than that of your average budget TV, though, and more than up to the task as a university dorm-room companion.
The 43-inch Samsung U8000F isn’t the most dynamic picture performer, but it's a top choice and great value at this price of £229 at AO.com. It's an impressive all-rounder that punches above its weight and likely the right price level if you're after a TV that will have to withstand a student house.
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Read our review of the TCL 43P7K
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