Samsung shakes up the market with a 55-inch, Mini LED and 8K Smart TV: it's not perfect for everyone, but it's extremely aggressively priced
If you're dreaming of a Smart TV with 8K resolution, mark this down: QE55QN700ATXZT. It is the name of the latest model of Samsung 8K Smart TV 55 inches, with technology "Neo QLED", ie Mini LED. A model that was presented by Samsung at the beginning of the summer and that, now, you can also buy in Italy.
The Samsung 8K 55-inch series QN700A is a very special model, certainly designed by the Korean giant to promote the penetration of Mini LED technology and 8K resolution in a market that only now, is massively adopting earlier technologies, such as QLED and 4K. The latest model, in fact, paradoxically is not a top of the line but a TV with a (relatively) low price: it costs more or less as much as Samsung's top of the line 4K QLEDs. How is this possible? With a few acceptable compromises.
Samsung QE55QN700ATXZT: technical features
The first compromise of the Samsung QE55QN700ATXZT is in the diagonal: 55 inches are rather few, for an 8K screen. With this diagonal, in fact, at normal viewing distance the difference with a good 4K is not much.
The second compromise, which will make only gamers turn up their noses, is the refresh rate of the screen that stops at 60 Hz (against 100-120 Hz of the top of the range models). To tell the truth, however, only video games today reach those refresh rates but, at the same time, playing 8K at 120 Hz is pure utopia in 2021: at best the best last generation consoles can handle 4K, certainly not 8K.
For those who use TVs to watch TV, however, there's almost nothing missing: Mini LED technology is the best available in LCD today and comes very close in color quality to OLED, but with more panel brightness, thanks to Full LED Array with local dimming (tiny groups of pixels are turned off individually to get deeper blacks and more contrast).
To improve image quality, then, there's Samsung's Neo Quantum Processor 8K Lite chip (a depowered version of the processor built into higher-end models), which can process HDR10, HDR10+, HDR10+ Adaptive, HLG video streams, and there's also Filmmaker Mode.
Complete the equipment of ports and connections: 4 HDMI with eARC, 3 USB, a LAN port, an optical digital output, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
A separate speech should be made for the audio sector, with 4.3.3 system from 70W in total and OTS+ technology that simulates changes the power of the speakers according to the movement of the images, so it seems that the sound follows what happens in the film.
The smart part is managed by Samsung's Tizen operating system, with all the main apps available.
Samsung QE55QN700ATXZT: how much does it cost
Except for the processor not the latest generation, the not huge size and the not very high refresh, then, the 55-inch Samsung QN700A 8K lacks nothing at all.
Not even the price, all things considered, since this model costs 2,199 euros. Granted, that's by no means low, but the Samsung 8K Mini LED 65, 75 and 85-inch models cost €3,779, €5,899 and €6,029 respectively, while the 55-inch 4K Mini LED (model QN95A 2021) now costs €1,729.