Samsung 55-inch TV MU6300 in the test: A smart 4K bargain (2023)

The Samsung 55-inch MU6300 is an affordable 4K device that will delight buyers with both its high-quality display and its affordable price. The MU6300 manages to be stylish while still offering a capable smart TV experience and delivering above-average picture quality at a price point of under $600. The remote control is also excellent. We recommend this TV to anyone who wants a quality set at an affordable price.

Samsung 55 inch MU6300

Design

The 55-inch MU6300 is an affordable TV, but it's still a fairly stylish option for those who want a stylish smart TV to place on top of their entertainment device or hang on the wall. The set measures 48.9 x 28.3 x 2.5 inches without the stand and can be used with a 400 x 400 millimeter VESA mount.

The TV's bezel is made from dark gray plastic with a faux pewter finish and a glossy finish that looks better than most standard black TVs. The back of the set has a textured pattern on the black plastic chassis. It's not quite as premium as the "360-degree design" and artistically sculpted back panel of the more expensive modelSamsung Q7F, but looks nice.

The Samsung has a Y-shaped stand made from sturdy plastic with an attractive dark finish that mimics brushed metal. The Y-shaped stand is also a nice alternative to the clip-on feet offered on similar models like thisTCL Roku TV 55P607or theVizio SmartCast E-Series E65-E0that require a wider contact surface.

Measuring 33 x 13 inches, the stand can be used on a table or entertainment unit, which is much smaller than the TV's 48.9-inch width.

ports and connectors

The connections for HDMI and Co. are located on a single panel on the back of the device on the right edge of the television. There you'll find three HDMI ports (including one with ARC to connect a soundbar without giving up an HDMI port), two USB ports and an optical TOSLink port for legacy surround sound sets. Networking is available via Ethernet or Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and the set has Bluetooth for connecting wireless speakers and headphones.

We do wish the ports were placed closer to the right edge of the chassis for better access, as this position makes access to the inputs more difficult when the TV is wall mounted.

Performance

The Samsung MU6300's 55-inch panel has some good things going for it, with full-array backlighting with local dimming and support for both HDR10 and HDR10 Plus. With a wide color space of 99.04 percent of the Rec 709 color space, the Samsung offers decent color representation, ahead of the TCL Roku 55S405 (98.4 percent) and comparable to the Vizio SmartCast E65-E0 (99.2).

As measured with our X-Rite colorimeter, color accuracy is above average with a Delta-E rating of 1.7 (closer to zero is better), which is better than the Delta-E values ​​of the twoTCL P-Serie 55P607(2.2) or theTCL Roku 55S405(2.2), but only slightly less accurate than thatVizio SmartCast E65-E0(1.4).

When actually viewed, colors on the MU6300 were bright and vibrant, and sharp details like pinstripes on a character's suit came through crisp and clean. Visual noise was less of an issue than with other budget sets, but when looking at a tightly patterned surface, like a character's shirt in The Martian, I still saw a screen door effect that affected the clarity of the image.

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In testing, this Samsung device performed particularly well with colorful scenes and high-contrast situations, thanks to both the panel's 4K resolution and the full-array backlight with local dimming that offers solidHDRSupport. The panel offers support for both HDR10 and Samsung's own HDR10 Plus format, which it competes withDolbyVisionas the premium HDR format of choice for content creators. The result is a superb HDR experience, where white light and bright colors are made even more vivid by the backlight.

It's not perfect, and high-contrast situations where a brightly lit subject is placed against a dark environment introduce unwanted halos. For example, the cavernous entrance to the alien ship in Arrival was supposed to be dark with a sharp, bright entrance, but we saw an unwanted overflow that lit up the dark tunnel around the well-lit entrance more than it should. Thanks to the MU6300's local dimming, this is significantly less of a problem than devices that use a full backlight. However, the backlighting is not quite perfect, as there are slight shadows in the corners of the display.

Thanks to the 4K resolution and full array backlight with local dimming, the MU6300 performed particularly well in colorful scenes and high-contrast situations.

More problematic for me are the viewing angles, which begin to shift even when absolutely centered. At the outer edges and corners of the display, shades of purple begin to shift to pink, and other colors shift similarly. We've seen similar issues onSamsung's 65-inch MU7000, so this can simply be a problem for Samsung displays.

Audio

If you're just looking for easy-to-understand dialogue then the MU6300 does well at low to medium volume levels, but if you want quality sound with clarity and sharpness to match the 4K resolution of the display we recommend I recommend agood sound bar.

When listening to Deadmau5's "Seeya", the bass levels were boosted by the system's down-firing speakers and bass reflex. The TV's dual 20-watt speakers produced clear sound and good treble and bass volume at under 50 percent volume. However, once you hit the 50 percent mark, the bass started to distort. At 65 percent, vocals flattened out and reverberated with increasing volume. At 85 percent, the speakers began to shake the chassis, causing a slight hum.

Smart-TV

Samsung's smart TV platform remains one of the better options out there, with a clean design and an easy-to-navigate interface. Finding settings and menu options is pretty easy, and app selection is a breeze with Samsung's ribbon interface.

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Samsung also offers one of the best app choices available. With more than 1,200 apps to choose from and popular apps likeNetflix,Halloand YouTube preinstalled on the TV, you have many options for streaming content, informative apps and fun casual games.

Samsung's smart TV platform remains one of the better options out there, with a clean design and an easy-to-navigate interface.

You can also use the Samsung Connect app to control the TV with your phone or tablet. Not only can you use your mobile device as a remote control, but you can also share media with the TV and use the TV as a central hub for numerous connected devices around the house.

remote control

The MU6300 comes with Samsung's One Remote, a minimalist wand-style remote that offers easy menu navigation and basic channel, volume and media playback controls. The design focuses on the directional ring, which acts as a four-way input for navigating menus and on-screen options. In the center of this ring is the Enter key, making it very easy to use.

The best remote control feature is the microphone button, which activates a built-in microphone that allows you to speak into the remote for voice search and control.

Additional keys include a clearly labeled home key, a back key, and a number key to bring up an on-screen keyboard for numeric input. Coupled with the wand's conveniently shaped design, it might just be the best TV remote out there.

However, the best option the remote offers is the microphone button, which activates a built-in microphone that allows you to speak into the remote for voice search and control. Voice search lets you find movies and shows across multiple apps. It can't browse over-the-air content, but it can browse most streaming media without much trouble. You can also customize the display, increase and decrease volume, adjust brightness, change channels, and more. Voice search is accurate, the feature is easy to activate, and the controls are quite good.

bottom line

The Samsung 55-inch MU6300 ($583) has a lot going for it, with excellent smart TV capabilities, a well-designed remote control, and decent sound quality. The display isn't perfect, but the color quality is above average. Our biggest gripe is the viewing angles, which are far more limited on mid-range Samsung models than most other LCD 4K TVs we've tested.

TheTCL Roku TV 55P607has a slight edge in color, better HDR support with Dolby Vision, and a similar sub-$700 price point, making it our pick for budget buyers who want the best bang for the buck. But the cheaper Samsung MU6300 has a sleeker design and better smart TV options, making it worth considering for any TV buyer looking for the best bargain.

Credit: Tom's Guide