Samsung AU8000 Calibration Settings

We used the following calibration settings to review the 65-inch Samsung AU8000 (UN65AU8000), and we expect them to be valid for the 43-inch model (UN43AU8000), 50-inch model (UN50AU8000), 55-inch model (UN55AU8000), 70-inch model (UN70AU8000), 75-inch model (UN75AU8000), and 85-inch model (UN85AU8000). These settings should apply to most types of content, except for gaming or use as a PC monitor, which require a few additional changes, listed below.

One of the first things we did was disable all of the Power and Energy Saving options, as we didn't want the TV to adjust the image during testing. We also left the Picture Size to 16:9 Standard so it doesn't adjust the aspect ratio in the middle of testing.

For SDR content, there are five preset picture modes. We recommend choosing the 'Movie' Picture Mode, as it's the most accurate one out of the box and allows for the most customization. From the Expert Settings menu, we recommend leaving the Contrast at '45,' and Sharpness at '0.' We also left Color at the default value of '25,' and Tint (G/R) at '0.' Finally, we chose the 'Warm2' Color Tone, as it was closest to our calibration targets. We set the Gamma to '2.2,' as that's closest to our calibration target.

To make the image brighter in SDR, you should adjust the Brightness setting depending on your specific viewing conditions. Changing this setting doesn't have any impact on the overall picture quality as it increases the backlight intensity.

As we aim for an image that's as close as possible to the content creator's intent, we disable most image processing options, including Contrast Enhancer. You should adjust these to your personal preference, though.

HDR is automatically enabled for the native apps. When you start playing HDR content, a small HDR icon appears next to the picture mode on the quick settings menu. Once you start playing HDR content, some of the settings change automatically, including the Brightness, which increases to 'Max.' We recommend leaving these settings to their default settings in HDR.

For HDR to work from external devices, Input Signal Plus usually has to be enabled from the External Device Manager menu for the input you are using. Older devices may have compatibility issues if this option is left enabled, so it's recommended to only enable this setting for devices that require it.

If you find HDR content too dim, set Contrast Enhancer to 'High' and ST.2084 to maximum.

Although we disable most motion-enhancing functions for most of our tests, you should adjust these to whatever looks best for you. Some settings may need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you are watching.

Although we usually leave these settings disabled during most of our testing, you should adjust the settings in the Picture Clarity Settings menu to your liking, as different people prefer different levels of motion interpolation. If you want to enable motion interpolation, set Picture Clarity to 'Custom' and adjust the Judder Reduction to '10' for 30fps content. The LED Clear Motion setting controls the AU8000's Black Frame Insertion feature. Most of these settings will need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you are watching. If you want to remove judder from 24p sources, you need to disable Picture Clarity.

From the base SDR and HDR settings, very few changes are required for a great gaming experience. When you start gaming, it's best to enable Game Mode from the External Device Manager settings tab to get the lowest input lag and use the recommended settings for SDR or HDR. For HDR gaming, enable Game HDR, and it's important to make sure that Input Signal Plus is enabled for the input you are using.

The Samsung AU8000 will usually detect when it's connected to a PC and will automatically enter PC mode to ensure proper chroma 4:4:4 support. You can also manually enable PC mode by changing the input icon to 'PC.' In PC mode, some settings are disabled, including many picture settings.