Verdict
For a certain person , The Serif will be the TV of their dreams . Picture functioning is agreeably colourful , and the sound is better than expected . You wo n’t incur a TV that look as distinctive as this one .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Samsung is the world ’s biggest goggle box manufacturer for a reason – it sells the most idiot box . And part of its success comes down to the fact that it has a TV for everyone – ill-treat up The Serif .
The Serif rethinks the notion of TV excogitation , and while it looks unmatched , it ’s won a few award – including one in 2020 from the International Forum ( iF ) Design Awards .
It is n’t calculate at the home cinema rooter , throwing its quite a little in with the lifestyle market place , and although it is n’t without its faults , it ’s better than expected .
Design
Every member of the Trusted Reviews ’ team who has seen The Serif has had something to say – some have been slimly bemused ; others appreciative . The Serif turn heads and touch off a ( brief ) conversation , which you could say places this TV within the land of “ art ” .
To me , it looks as if it ’s been air in from the fifties . Another said it looks like a TV Bang & Olufsen would make . Conjured up by designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec , its edges take on the shape of an “ I ” , noticeable when the TV is viewed from the side . Its proportion are simultaneously squatty and svelte .
The top airfoil doubles as a shelf , and the telecasting can be positioned with or without a stand . attach the legs requires two people to flip over the TV and screw them in . No tools are required , so for those who hate set up goggle box , the Serif is n’t too difficult to get up on its feet .
When on its foot the Serif looks both unwavering and a little ungainly , and travel it demand lifting the entire TV to avoid the pes becoming trapped in the carpet – which can cause a brief moment of headache when it happens as the legs bend .
connexion are in a conceal orbit revealed by lifting off the back covert , and there ’s a interruption to filter wires that run under the TV , which is a considerate bit of cable management . you could also route the cables down the branch with a transmission line template that clip on . The Serif does n’t bear out any variant of wall - mounting – it would take some effort to hoist it upon a wall , if it did .
In some direction , the pattern is visionary . You ca n’t really add a soundbar ; there would be no place to put it , whether the TV is stood up or when it ’s without a stand , as the soundbar would block part of the screen / IR recipient .
add sources is also elusive unless The Serif is on a formal point of view . A box on top looks weird and having cables trail across the base feels messy . If there were an optional rack to attach to the legs , that could solve the problem .
The Serif comes in Cotton Blue ( this sample ) and Cloud White , the former useable in size 43- to 55 - inches and the latter adds a 65 - in size to its selection .
Interface
The Serif has the latest iteration of Samsung ’s Tizen impudent port . It ’s go full screen in the same manner as LG ’s webOS , although divides itself into more sections ( Search , Ambient , Gaming , Media and Menu ) . The home hub still has the same row of metier apps from 2021 fashion model and earlier , which is likely where most will spend their clock time .
It ’s the pilotage that more or less bugs me , with a twistier path to get hold of some options where before you could call up the “ shelves ” and flick through them . An factor of convenience and speed is lose in the conversion – and , moreover , the new user interface feels sluggish . I ’m not chafe by the makeover , but I ’m not too impressed either .
Menu has all the television receiver preferences , connected equipment list and Multi - View ; Media is where cyclosis apps and related content can be happen ; Gaming declare oneself access to cloud cyclosis servicing ; while Ambient is where you may find the originative art designing that act as a wallpaper in the Ambient manner . For the audience that buys this television , this is the feature for which The Serif was made .
There are two remote control : a slim , fresh one with a D - pad for navigation , hot keys for apps such as Disney+ and Samsung TV Plus , and shortcuts to admission options , voice assistants and the Multi - View feature article . Then there ’s a more received distant with lots of buttons . The smart remote control is the better choice .
There are enough apps to satiate the thirstiest of streamers , with all the principal UK catch - up and on - need options ply for , alongside the big - hitters in Netflix , Disney+ , BT Sport , Prime Video , Spotify and mess more .
Features
Samsung ’s boob tube Plus is an net - based content service that ’s free to utilize and has a few sole transmission channel such as America ’s Got Talent . An as alternative toFreeview Play , there ’s plenty of entertainment to take in .
Multi - View offers the ability to take in multiple beginning simultaneously , and The Serif supports two screen at once . It only function with Android smartphones when casting content , though .
There ’s Amazon and Samsung ( Bixby ) for voice assistance . Alexa integrationisn’t hands - free , rather necessitate a pressing of the mic button on the remote control before speak . Nevertheless , it offer convenience when switching inputs or opening apps . It can take a while for it to jump into military action after the telecasting turns on , which adds to the overall lassitude of the Tizen user interface .
The Serif ’s smartness are amplified by the SmartThings app , which can be used to maneuver the TV or talk to other smart products such as Philips Hue or vigour monitors . The idiot box can be limit up through SmartThings , a much promiscuous cognitive operation if you have a Samsung account .
For gaming there’sALLM(Auto Low Latency Mode ) , but I must admit that I forgot to write down the input lag . There’sVRRandHDMI 2.1along witheARCif you want to link up anAtmos soundbar . And there are fourHDMI , two USB larboard , digital audio end product and aerial for sublunar insurance coverage . radio is covered by Wi - Fi , AirPlay 2 , NFC and Bluetooth 5.2
Picture Quality
The Serif boastsQLEDquantum - back breaker colours , with financial support for HDR10 , HLG andHDR10+formats . HDR10 + is a active HDR data format used by Prime Video andHuluthat optimises support HDR contentedness in terms of luminousness and semblance for that blind ’s specific capacity . The Serif needs the assistance , since its brightness is limited , draw 370 nit on a 10 % HDR window . That ’s short of the 500 or so nits involve for comparatively convincingHDR .
But its color accuracy ( at least in SDR ) in Movie way is impressive out of the corner , with few error noted during measure . ascertain chick of Prey on Prime Video ( inFilmmaker mode ) and Bollywood hit RRR on Netflix , The Serif actually shoot a line punchier , more expressive colours than theQN90A ; the tones of yellows , blues and greens gained extra saturation over itsMini LEDcounterpart .
Its upscaling power are hard watching Garden Rescue , with solid tier of asperity and detail in a HD programme . The flatness display does introduce a softness to depiction , and that ’s detectable in the IMAX scenes of Tenet , but the decrease in glare help in shining - elbow room environments .
With 480p standard definition subject , the Serif ’s upscaling is better than I expected . It ’s typically soft but very colorful . The QLED / VA screen provides some special pep and eclat to the primary and lowly colour in Garden Rescue , while detail is decent in the faces of bestower , as well as the workstation . There ’s noise in and around the aspect of athletes in the World Athletics Championships – but in upscaling full term , The Serif is a consistent performing artist .
With move , programming can look unreal and there ’s tenuous judder and indistinctness encounter in its Auto motion clarity mount . Custom is bland and less unhinge if you want motion processing on , but with action scenes ( such as the car chase in The Batman ) you may see the processing work hard to catch up with the current of the vista . It ’s fine and better than previous incarnations , but could still use finessing .
The Serif ’s saying of colour is pleasing . Rebecca on Netflix in 4 K HDR is presented with yellowness that are brilliant in tone , effervescent commons , and complexions that look rich than they appear on the QN90A. The same applies to Dr Strange 2 on Disney+ , with complexions more overt . The blueness of America ’s Denim jacket and Strange ’s cloak is stronger , and white tincture appear brighter and convincingly flesh out .
But , in the Movie scene , the complexions of Caucasian actors in Netflix ’s The Dig look to have a yellow undertone that give them a icteric appearance , whereas with America Chavez ’s complexion in Dr Strange , or the characters in Netflix ’s RRR , they have a more rounded and fuller look . It look more expressive , but the slightly yellow tinge is detectable .
The want of light does n’t bring forth an electrify HDR performance , either . The Serif depicts brightness without much pomp , which means contrast is n’t as strong . A lack of detail in the darkest parts of an image acquire a less than unveil look , so while shameful stage in cosmopolitan are solid , particular can be shroud , with some sorry scene in 4 K HDR contentedness see on the murky side . Contrast Enhancer helps embellish luminousness and black floor , but only up to a point .
The TV is considerably suited to being watch in a elbow room with wad of lightness , since backlight bleeding appears with letterboxed content in darker suite as well as characterising black story as less than black . It ’s a solid overall image from this Edge - lit TV , but there ’s a roof to its HDR carrying into action .
Sound Quality
As I mentioned in the Design incision , it ’s difficult to add a soundbar to further improve the performance – but without one , the Serif produce a clean , detailed audio with fairish levels of dynamism that contribute some excitement to action films .
Bass is small in size of it but delivered with comme il faut weight , and sounds pair their point of origin on - screen . It is n’t a performance that escape the confines of the video ’s frame , so it does phone boxed in . However , this charge could be levelled at most flatscreen TVs .
There ’s a choice of two sound modes in Standard and Amplify , and the latter works nicely to further voices and detail . In the setting between K and Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049 , there ’s a smidge more loudness with Amplify on ; but ; happily ; there ’s no distortion .
With euphony The Serif is surprisingly nice . raise the intensity to 100 , there ’s no obvious distorted shape . Playing songs in Spotify Connect , The Serif presents voices clearly and sharply , with instruments detailed and bass , again , decent . There is n’t much dynamism in Elton John ’s I ’m Still Standing , with The Serif ’s package - in carrying into action handicap the sizing of the audio ; but for background knowledge listening ; it ’s honorable than I have a bun in the oven .
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Should you buy it?
Can a TV be a piece of graphics ? The Serif sure as shooting believes so . For the design - friendly audience out there , this is a stylish TV to get the conversation pop .
Suffice to say , not everyone will turn over the figure , and there ’s better picture performance to be found around this cost .
Final Thoughts
If Samsung ready out to make a unique idiot box in The Serif , then it ’s succeeded . The quantum - dot people of colour carrying into action exalt its scene in punchy and expressive way , although its limited brightness causes problems with HDR content , and the personal manner in which it portrays some complexions bet a shade inaccurate . Its video performance is pleasurable in maliciousness of its limitations .
Sound lineament is decent for a flatscreen TV , although the revamped bright organisation could be improve . On the whole , though , The Serif is an enjoyable lifestyle television . In light of its current RRP ( £ 799 ) and the aim consultation , I believe it pass the muster .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every televisions we review soundly over an extended period of time . We use manufacture received tests to compare feature the right way . We ’ll always severalize you what we rule . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
incur out more about how we try in ourethics insurance policy .
FAQs
The Serif is design to stand in a elbow room , while The Frame is primarily intended to be hung on a wall .
Test Data
Full Specs
Sustainability
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