If You're Looking For A New Flat-Screen TV, This One Checks All The Boxes

Whether you're seeking a solid home-entertainment option or you're a serious gamer, we guarantee you'll fall in love with this smart flat-screen's features.

If you're in the market for a new flat-screen TV, it can be pretty confusing to sort out which ones fit your needs — and which ones are truly worth their price tags.

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And, if you're anything like me and have no tech knowledge whatsoever, you might find yourself just googling "pink TV" and ordering the first one that pops up because you had no idea what criteria to keep in mind and just wanted a fun pink television. True story.

Luckily, BuzzFeed Reviews has done all the dirty work for you to determine the best flat-screen TVs across three price points — and found the Samsung NU8 Series Smart TV to be the best mid-priced option that your hard-earned money can buy.

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If you take your entertainment a little more seriously than a budget TV can handle, Samsung’s new NU8 series — with built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet, four HDMI ports, HDR Plus, and a 40-watt speaker — offers several improvements over last year’s MU model.

Smart browsing with voice control, ultra-high-definition (UHD) picture, and the simple OneRemote all come standard, but where the NU8 really blew our minds was the support for HDR 10+.

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Flat-Screen TV Facts: Let’s talk about HDR 10, 10+, and Dolby Vision.

Have you ever been watching a DVD when the movie goes from a brightly lit scene to a darker one, and all of a sudden you can’t see what’s going on because it’s too dark? Well, now there’s a fix for problems like that. HDR10, or the newer HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision allow for metadata to be included in the DVD or streaming content that automatically calibrates your TV from scene to scene as you watch the movie. Not only does it brighten that darker scene so you can see it, it also ensures that the color correction the filmmakers wanted actually shows up on your screen — because what’s the point of having a million colors if they’re the wrong ones? That’s what HDR is supposed to be about, after all: lots of color and clarity. At the moment, Dolby Vision has a slight edge, but HDR 10+ is still a vast improvement on the older HDR.

Samsung is sticking with HDR 10+, which is what the NU8 series supports, and when you see it in action, you’ll just…probably not even notice it, to be honest. But you’re not supposed to, and that’s the point! It works behind the scenes to present the movie the way the director intended, and as far as you know, it will just look like a really good picture. HOWEVER, if you put it beside a TV that doesn’t have dynamic mastering, like we did, you will most definitely notice the difference.

Netflix and Amazon both have HDR content, but Amazon claims that its entire catalog is now available in HDR 10+. We put that to the test and watched several episodes of Game of Thrones Seasons 6 and 7 on Prime (yes, we love our job) just to see how it handled all of the color palettes.

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The results were stunning. Comparing the images from the sandy dunes in Dorne, for example, on TVs without HDR 10+ skin tones shifted quite a bit toward the orange end of the spectrum. On the Samsung NU, however, skin tones were spot-on, without changing the overall tint of the picture. And when the scene changed from those sandy scenes to the bluer hues of snow, without HDR 10+ they seemed to be a bit TOO saturated, but on the NU series they looked perfectly washed out, like they’re supposed to.

(Game of Thrones *not* pictured above...FYI.)

For gaming, the Samsung NU8 comes with an “auto game mode” that optimizes the picture for a true 4K gaming experience with super-low input lag. You probably won’t notice it with the naked eye, but you’ll almost certainly die fewer times in Call of Duty, and when you DO die, it’ll look awesome.

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And this sleek, smart gadget has plenty of sparkling reviews to boot that back up our research:

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“Great all-around TV, especially if you’re a gamer. This could be the best gaming TV on the market for Xbox One X and S users. It now supports FreeSync. With FreeSync selected in game mode on my Xbox One X, I've noticed an improvement in an already impressive response time with this TV. The Nu8000 also has a great picture. The upscaling is great for streaming TV, like Sling. Excellent for sports.” —Sean K.

“I recently received my Samsung NU8000 4K smart TV. The smart remote and voice assistance make using the TV a breeze. The no-gap wall mount and clean cable solution make for a very clean finished product. The 4K ultra HD makes watching sports or gaming an even better experience. I am so happy with my new Samsung, I can't wait to watch some football. You can't go wrong with the NU8000.” —Benjamin G Schoepf

"Our best electronics purchase ever! The setup was so easy and seamless. It only required a few screws to mount the stand, and the clean cable solution design the Samsung TV comes with (to keep wires in place inside the stand), had us looking like pros when we were done. I loaded up the Samsung Smart Things app on my phone, and this smart tv just automatically signed in, connected to things we plugged in — the cable box, game console — and even setup Wi-Fi and everything from my phone! Whaaaat!! We had the box opened, TV set up and we were watching 4K Ultra HD brilliant pictures in less than 20 minutes! We were all blown away — picture quality is fantastic! Super responsive with games too! For me, I love the slim bezel design of the NU8000 which is why I selected this particular TV for the living room area and my wife loves the voice assistance feature by using the smart remote to navigate and search. We are extremely happy with our purchase!" —Nnamdi

The 40-watt speakers were good enough for regular viewing, but for something like Jurassic World, you’d probably want to get a sound bar (pictured here) — especially since this TV is better for larger living rooms because it still looks incredibly vibrant, even from wider viewing angles.

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For a mid-range TV, the NU8 delivers on all categories and will definitely deliver a cinematic experience to satisfy just about any movie fan.

Get a 55-inch Samsung NU8 Series from Amazon for $847.99 (also available in 39, 65, 75, and 82 inches).

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And check out all three of our picks for best flat-screen TVs on BuzzFeed Reviews!

Find more fantastic products for your home in one of these lists:

28 Products That'll Make Your Home More Inviting — For Guests And For Yourself

32 Products To Make Your House Feel Like Your Dream Home

29 Things For Your Home Nobody Will Believe You Got For Under $20

This post was adapted from a BuzzFeed Reviews article written by Joshua Yancey. Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed