Recs.
Updated
The Samsung MU7000 is a versatile 4K TV with decent performance for whatever use you may have for it.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Intuitive user interface
The MU7000 runs on the Tizen smart platform, known for its simplicity and intuitiveness.
It’s easy to navigate and access all the functions of features of the TV - the whole menu of the Tizen OS is organized around a menu known as the “Smart Hub” which contains everything: apps, settings, input switching, etc.
It also has a section for quick access to frequently used items.
Pro Decent for gaming
The MU7000 is decent for gaming thanks to the fairly low input lag and barely noticeable motion blur. Its input lag of ~20ms contributes to a responsive gaming experience, and the panel's response time of ~20ms means it can handle motion fairly well. Most people won't notice any visible trails behind fast-moving objects.
Pro Can be used as a PC monitor
The MU7000 is suitable as a PC monitor because of its relatively small screen size of 40". It can be used up front thanks to the small minimal viewing distance, and it has full 4:4:4 color support that ensures text or shapes with clear, hard edges are not blurry.
Pro Decent picture quality
The MU7000 looks good with really deep black levels and sufficient peak brightness levels for most content.
Dark scenes look amazing thanks to the panel’s contrast ratio of roughly 6300:1, which means it’s capable of producing blacks that are 6300 times darker than the brightest white pixel the screen can produce.
For SDR content it can get bright enough with a peak level of ~350 nits, which is sufficient for making colors pop.
The best viewing experience will be in a dark environment where the panel won’t have to compete with light. The MU7000’s screen can’t really get bright enough to perform as well in bright environments.
Cons
Con HDR performance is lacking
The main drawback of the MU7000 is its HDR performance.
While it has a wide color gamut that allows it to reproduce the wide range of colors necessary for true HDR playback, it can’t get bright enough to take advantage of it. At only ~300 nits of brightness, it's pretty hard for HDR pictures to pop.
It also doesn’t have local dimming, so its black levels can’t be improved further for better HDR performance.
Con Might require some color calibration out of the box
The MU7000's colors might look off to some viewers out of the box due to its high white balance. Switching to the "Movie" option in "Picture Mode" should be enough to remedy this for most, but only calibration can fix this for some viewers.
Con Not suitable for group watching
The MU7000 has a narrow viewing angle that makes it unsuitable for group watching.
Audience sitting away from the center of the screen will not experience the same picture as those sitting in the center, because the picture quality starts to deteriorate significantly when viewing from just ≥20° away from the screen's center.
Con Glare might be an issue
The MU7000 might not be able to handle environments with lots of light, such as sunlight pouring into a living room with no curtains. Its panel is only average at handling reflections, and the brightness levels peak at ~350 nits which isn't really sufficient for fighting glare.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro Excellent well-rounded budget option
Compared to other models in this price range, the MU7000 offers great quality for a price that can’t be beaten. The picture quality makes this decent enough to be used as a general-purpose display — its black levels are on par with other more expensive options, and the native contrast (6362:1) is higher than some and comparable to higher-end TVs. The low input lag and motion blur (both hovering at around ~20ms) also makes this a decent option for gaming and sports.
Pro Great picture quality in dark environments
The MU7000 is best viewed in dark environments where the panel won't have to compete with light. The picture quality will be better because the lack of glare will make dark scenes and colors pop out more. While the brightness levels are about average at ~350 nits for both SDR & HDR content, it is more than sufficient when watching in a dark environment.