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Samsung DU6900  TV Review

Reviewed Nov 04, 2024 at 11:43am
Writing modified Nov 12, 2024 at 03:02pm
Tested using methodology v1.11 
Samsung DU6900
6.6
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.6
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.9
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.0
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

6.0
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.3
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

7.6
PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

 14
 TV Settings
  1. Recommended in:
  2. 60-Inch

The Samsung DU6900 is an entry-level model in Samsung's 2024 lineup and sits just below the Samsung DU7200. It's a versatile TV with fully adjustable feet and comes with Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS. It has some optional features like Motion Xcelerator to help smooth out motion, Mega Contrast to automatically adjust the brightness and contrast of the image, and a VRR feature to provide a mostly tear-free 4k @ 60Hz gaming experience on its two HDMI 2.0 ports. The TV has a 20W 2.0 channel speaker system built-in and is available in a wide variety of sizes, from a small 43-inch model to a large 85-inch model. We bought and tested the 65-inch model.

Our Verdict

6.6
Mixed Usage 

The Samsung DU6900 is okay for mixed usage. It's best suited for gaming or to use as a PC monitor, as it's a very responsive TV with good enough SDR brightness and reflection handling to overcome some glare from moderately lit rooms. It falters a bit for watching HDR movies, as its HDR brightness is disappointing, and its contrast is quite poor, providing a muted HDR viewing experience. The TV is also very inaccurate in SDR out of the box, so SDR content doesn't respect the content creator's intent. The TV's low-quality content smoothing is also poor, so any low-bitrate content ends up with noticeable macro-blocking. Finally, it's a sub-par choice for any wide seating arrangement due to its narrow viewing angle.

Pros
  • Good response time.

  • Easy to use interface and smart features.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • No local dimming to improve contrast.

  • Narrow viewing angle.

  • Poor low-quality content smoothing with noticeable artifacts present.

6.6
TV Shows 

The Samsung DU6900 is okay for watching TV shows. Its SDR brightness is alright, and it handles reflections well, so it overcomes glare from moderately lit rooms. Still, its viewing angle is narrow, so the image degrades quickly when viewed from the sides. It also has poor low-quality content smoothing, so low-bitrate streams have noticeable macro-blocking in them. Fortunately, Samsung's app store is loaded with all of the most popular streaming apps, so it's easy to find your favorite shows.

Pros
  • Easy to use interface and smart features.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.

  • Poor low-quality content smoothing with noticeable artifacts present.

6.9
Sports 

The Samsung DU6900 is just decent for watching sports, as it's bright enough to overcome glare when watched in moderately lit rooms, especially with its satisfactory reflection handling. Its response time is also good, so there's minimal blur behind quick-moving players and objects. Unfortunately, its viewing angle is pretty narrow, so anyone watching the game from the side ends up seeing a degraded image. Its uniformity is okay, but there's some noticeable dirty screen effect when watching sports with large areas of uniform color, like hockey or soccer.

Pros
  • Good response time.

  • Easy to use interface and smart features.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.

  • Poor low-quality content smoothing with noticeable artifacts present.

7.0
Video Games 

The Samsung DU6900 is satisfactory for playing video games. It has incredibly low input lag, so there's little delay between your controller inputs and what happens on screen. The TV also has a good response time, which means there's minimal blur behind quick motion. If you like to play games in moderately lit rooms, then the TV`s SDR brightness and reflection handling are good enough to provide a pleasant gaming experience. But, if you regularly game in a dark room, blacks become raised when bright highlights are on screen due to the TV's poor contrast.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.

  • Good response time.

  • Basic VRR feature for nearly tear-free gaming.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • No local dimming to improve contrast.

  • Limited to 60Hz on all ports.

  • Only two HDMI ports.

6.0
HDR Movies 

The Samsung DU6900 is barely acceptable for watching movies in a dark room. Its contrast just isn't good enough to provide an impactful HDR experience due to not having a local dimming feature; blacks become raised and washed out when bright highlights are on screen. HDR content further lacks impact due to the TV's disappointing HDR brightness, so highlights don't stand out much at all. The TV's SDR calibration is quite poor out of the box, so purists who like to watch movies in SDR need to get it calibrated for the best image quality. Finally, the TV has poor low-quality content smoothing, which means low-bitrate content is soft, with noticeable artifacts present.

Pros
  • Removes judder from 24p sources.

  • Easy to use interface and smart features.

  • Stutter isn't very noticeable when watching movies.

Cons
  • No local dimming to improve contrast.

  • No Dolby Vision or DTS audio support.

  • Poor low-quality content smoothing with noticeable artifacts present.

  • Hard to calibrate.

7.3
HDR Gaming 

The Samsung DU6900 is decent for playing games in HDR, but that's mostly due to its SDR gaming capabilities, as HDR adds very little. Switching the TV to Game Mode makes no difference in dark scene performance, although the TV does set itself to max brightness when VRR is enabled. Still, you get incredibly low input lag with no noticeable delay between controller inputs and what happens on screen without sacrificing picture quality. The TV also has a good response time, so there's minimal blur behind fast motion. Unfortunately, the TV just doesn't get bright enough in HDR to make highlights stand out, and its contrast is unremarkable, so HDR content lacks impact.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.

  • Good response time.

  • Basic VRR feature for nearly tear-free gaming.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • No local dimming to improve contrast.

  • Limited to 60Hz on all ports.

  • Only two HDMI ports.

7.6
PC Monitor 

The Samsung DU6900 is good for use as a PC monitor, as it has extremely low input lag and a good response time; this means that the TV is responsive enough to provide a good user experience, as your inputs register quickly, and there's minimal blur behind fast cursor movements. The TV is also bright enough in SDR to overcome some glare in moderately lit rooms, especially with its effective reflection handling. On the other hand, the TV has a narrow viewing angle, so the sides of the screen don't stay uniform with the center when sitting close to the screen. It displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, but since it uses a BGR subpixel layout, there are some readability issues with text that can bother some people.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.

  • Good response time.

  • Handles glare well.

Cons
  • No local dimming to improve contrast.

  • Narrow viewing angle.

  • Limited to 60Hz on all ports.

  • Only two HDMI ports.

  • 6.6
    Mixed Usage
  • 6.6
    TV Shows
  • 6.9
    Sports
  • 7.0
    Video Games
  • 6.0
    HDR Movies
  • 7.3
    HDR Gaming
  • 7.6
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 12, 2024: 

      We clarified that the similarly-named DU6950 doesn't perform the same in the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section.

    2.  Updated Nov 07, 2024: 

      Mentioned the newly-reviewed Samsung DU7200/DU7200D in the Contrast section.

    3.  Updated Nov 05, 2024: 

      We retested the TV's reflection handling and updated the scoring and text in the Reflections section.

    4.  Updated Nov 04, 2024: Review published.

    Check Price

    43"UN43DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    50"UN50DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    55"UN55DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    60"UN60DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    65"UN65DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    70"UN70DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    75"UN75DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com
    85"UN85DU6900FXZA
    Amazon.com

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We bought and tested the 65-inch Samsung DU6900 (UN65DU6900FXZC), but our results are also valid for all other model sizes. In the US market, only four sizes are available: the 50-inch (UN50DU6900FXZA), 55-inch (UN55DU6900FXZA), 60-inch (UN60DU6900FXZA), and 75-inch (UN75DU6900FXZA) models. Note that the last four letters in the model number (FXZA and FXZC in this case) vary between retailers and individual regions, but there's no difference in performance.

    Best Buy and Costco sell a similarly-named 75-inch model known as the DU6950. However, that model performs differently since it's direct-lit, so our results aren't valid for it. Costco and Sam's Club also sell a 50-inch (UN50DU6900DXZA) variant of the DU6900 that comes with an extended warranty, and it performs the same. 

    SizeUS ModelCanadian ModelShort Model CodeCostco Variant
    43"-UN43DU6900FXZCUN43DU6900 
    50"UN50DU6900FXZAUN50DU6900FXZCUN50DU6900UN50DU6900DXZA
    55"UN55DU6900FXZAUN55DU6900FXZCUN55DU6900 
    60"UN60DU6900FXZAUN60DU6900FXZCUN60DU6900 
    65"-UN65DU6900FXZCUN65DU6900 
    70"-UN70DU6900FXZCUN70DU6900 
    75"UN75DU6900FXZAUN75DU6900FXZCUN75DU6900 
    85"-UN85DU6900FXZCUN85DU6900 

    Our unit was manufactured in August 2024, as shown on the label.

    Popular TV Comparisons

    The Samsung DU6900 is not a great performer, as its contrast and HDR brightness aren't good enough to provide an impactful HDR experience. Still, it performs well when compared to other entry-level products, such as the Hisense A6N and the Samsung DU8000, as its reflection handling is quite good overall, and the TV is bright enough in SDR to overcome some glare when used in moderately lit rooms. Still, you shouldn't buy the DU6900 while the similarly priced Hisense A7N is available, as the A7N outperforms it in almost every way.

    For more options, check out our recommendations for the best budget TVs, the best TVs under $1,000, and the best 4k TVs.

    Samsung DU7200
    43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 85"

    The Samsung DU7200 and the Samsung DU6900 are very similar overall. The DU7200 has better contrast, so it displays deeper blacks. The DU7200 also has much better pre-calibration accuracy, so colors in SDR are more accurate. However, the DU6900 has a slight edge with SDR brightness and reflection handling, meaning it's a bit better for bright rooms.

    Samsung DU8000
    43" 43" 50" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

    The Samsung DU8000 and the Samsung DU6900 are very similar TVs but with a twist. The DU8000 is better suited for dark rooms due to its improved contrast, wider color gamut, and better out-of-the-box accuracy. Inversely, the DU6900 is the brighter TV of the two and has slightly better reflection handling, making it the superior choice for moderately lit rooms. The DU6900 also has a VRR feature, even if only in the narrow 48–60Hz range, giving it a slight edge when used for gaming. 

    LG UT75
    43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75" 86"

    The Samsung DU6900 is better than the LG UT75. The Samsung is a bit brighter in HDR and SDR, handles reflections better, has much deeper contrast, is more colorful, and has better PQ EOTF tracking than the LG. The LG is more accurate in SDR out of the box and has a much wider viewing angle. Still, the Samsung TV is the better choice unless you're shopping for a cheap TV to host large parties.

    Samsung CU7000/CU7000D
    43" 50" 55" 58" 65" 70" 75" 85"

    The Samsung CU7000/CU7000D is the better choice for dark rooms due to its noticeably better contrast, but the Samsung DU6900 is the brighter the two TVs, with better reflection handling, giving it the edge in brighter contexts. The DU6900 also has a barebones VRR feature, which is still better than the CU7000's lack of VRR, making the DU6900 the better option for gaming. 

    Show more 

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The Samsung DU6900 is a thin TV with slim bezels on three sides and a thicker one on the bottom. It won't stand out in any room, but it's functional.

    Accelerated Longevity Test
    Uniformity PicturesN/A
    Stand

    The TV uses two adjustable plastic feet. You can set them to two different height positions and two width positions. Their footprint in the narrow position is 11.9" x 10.6" and 40.3" x 10.6" in the wider setting.

    As for height, the lower position puts the screen about 2.6" from the table. The higher position pushes the screen to about 3.6" from the table, high enough that most soundbars fit below the screen.

    The photo above shows the feet in their high and narrow position, but here are photos in the narrow and low, wide and low, and wide and high positions.

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 400x300

    The TV is made entirely out of plastic and has etched vertical lines. The inputs are in a cutout on the right side of the TV, and there are channels on the back to funnel cables through. The TV comes with a clip that can be attached to either foot for cable management.

    Borders
    Borders0.39" (1.0 cm)
    Thickness
    Max Thickness2.44" (6.2 cm)
    6.5
    Build Quality

    The Samsung DU6900 has okay build quality. It's made entirely of plastic, and there's some wobble from front to back, but the TV recovers quickly.

    Picture Quality
    4.4
    Contrast
    Contrast
    3,307 : 1
    Native Contrast
    3,307 : 1

    The Samsung DU6900 has poor contrast. Its native contrast is mediocre, but it lacks a local dimming feature, so blacks are raised and washed out when bright highlights are on the screen.

    If you want a Samsung model with better contrast, check out the similar Samsung DU7200/DU7200D.

    10
    Blooming

    The TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so there's no blooming around bright objects or subtitles during dark scenes.

    10
    Lighting Zone Transitions
    Local Dimming
    No
    Backlight
    Edge
    Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
    N/A

    This TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so it can't adjust the backlight of individual zones to brighten up highlights without impacting the rest of the image. This means that there's no distracting flicker or brightness changes when bright highlights move between dimming zones, as it doesn't have any. 

    6.0
    Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

    Switching to Game Mode doesn't result in any noticeable difference in dark scene performance. While our local dimming transition video looks different here than it did outside of Game Mode, this is due to a bug; the TV maxes out its brightness whenever you turn on VRR.

    5.8
    HDR Brightness
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    249 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    221 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    203 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    289 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    289 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    289 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    290 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    289 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.000

    The Samsung DU6900 has disappointing peak brightness in HDR. Its low peak brightness combined with poor contrast results in a very flat HDR experience, and bright areas of the scene don't stand out at all.

    5.9
    HDR Brightness In Game Mode
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    249 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    236 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    212 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    291 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    291 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    291 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    292 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    291 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.000

    Switching to the 'Game' Picture Mode makes no noticeable difference in the HDR brightness.

    9.5
    PQ EOTF Tracking
    See details on graph tool
    600 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0034
    1000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0034
    4000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0034

    This TV has fantastic PQ EOTF tracking. Its near-blacks are noticeably raised due to its poor contrast, but afterwards, it hugs the curve throughout, meaning that all content is almost exactly as the content creator intended. Of course, the TV isn't bright enough to display very bright highlights, but it rolls off in all mastered content to try and preserve as much bright detail as it can.

    6.6
    SDR Brightness
    Real Scene Peak Brightness
    294 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    182 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    320 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    316 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    313 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    312 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    181 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    318 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    314 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    312 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    311 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.038

    The peak brightness in SDR is okay. Its bright enough that it can handle some glare in a moderately lit room, especially with its good reflections handling.

    7.1
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    No
    DCI P3 xy
    78.30%
    DCI P3 uv
    84.41%
    Rec 2020 xy
    56.96%
    Rec 2020 uv
    64.36%

    Unfortunately, the color gamut on this TV is just decent. It does have great coverage of the widely used DCI-P3 color space, but it has very noticeable color mapping issues throughout. Its coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space is disappointing, and all colors are still off the mark.

    Our results are done with a 75% stimulus, but the TV performs much better with a lower 50% stimulus in the DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020 color space, as it doesn't tone map as aggressively. Colors are still off the mark, but with significantly less color mapping errors.

    6.2
    Color Volume
    1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
    38.1%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
    19.9%
    White Luminance
    290 cd/m²
    Red Luminance
    59 cd/m²
    Green Luminance
    214 cd/m²
    Blue Luminance
    11 cd/m²
    Cyan Luminance
    226 cd/m²
    Magenta Luminance
    64 cd/m²
    Yellow Luminance
    259 cd/m²

    The Samsung DU6900 has mediocre color volume in the 'Movie' Picture Mode, as it suffers from the clamping bug as detailed in the Color Gamut section, on top of having low peak brightness in HDR and poor contrast.

    3.8
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    7.89
    Color dE
    4.46
    Gamma
    2.20
    Color Temperature
    7,001 K
    Picture Mode
    Movie
    Color Temp Setting
    Warm 2
    Gamma Setting
    2.2

    This TV's pre-calibration accuracy in SDR is very poor. Its white balance is terrible, with reds being massively underrepresented in all shades of gray, greens being overrepresented in brighter grays, and both greens and blues being underrepresented in darker shades. Overall, this makes the TV`s color temperature lean too cold. There are noticeable color mapping issues in all colors, especially undersaturated ones. While gamma is close to our 2.2 target, dark scenes are too dark while bright scenes are too bright.

    9.0
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    0.76
    Color dE
    2.03
    Gamma
    2.24
    Color Temperature
    6,501 K
    White Balance Calibration
    10 point
    Color Calibration
    Yes

    This TV looks vastly better after a full calibration, with a few issues remaining. Unfortunately, the calibration system itself is a bit buggy, as some of the settings don't adequately register, requiring more finagling with settings than there should be.

    See our full calibration settings.

    6.9
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    3.888%
    50% DSE
    0.213%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.875%
    5% DSE
    0.109%

    The gray uniformity on this TV is okay. There's some noticeable dirty screen effect in the center, and the corners of the screen are noticeably darker than the center. On a very dark or near-black screen, the sides are noticeably brighter than the center.

    7.4
    Black Uniformity
    Std. Dev.
    N/A
    Native Std. Dev.
    1.052%

    The TV has decent black uniformity overall, but large areas of the screen are noticeably cloudy and blueish.

    5.5
    Viewing Angle
    Color Washout
    23°
    Color Shift
    19°
    Brightness Loss
    38°
    Black Level Raise
    29°
    Gamma Shift
    17°

    The Samsung DU6900's viewing angle is sub-par, so the TV isn't a good choice for wide seating arrangements. There's significant color shifting and brightness loss as you move off-center, and the image looks increasingly washed out as you move further away to the sides.

    7.4
    Reflections
    Screen Finish
    Semi-gloss
    Total Reflections
    5.3%
    Indirect Reflections
    0.7%
    Calculated Direct Reflections
    4.6%

    The TV has satisfactory reflection handling overall. Its semi-gloss screen finish does an excellent job of reducing the intensity of indirect reflections, like when glare from a ceiling light isn't directly facing the screen. The TV's handling of direct reflections is not as competent but still okay overall, so reflections caused by something like a lamp positioned in front of the screen are still noticeable.

    6.8
    HDR Native Gradient
    100% Black to 50% Gray
    4.0
    50% Gray to 100% White
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Red
    6.0
    50% Red to 100% Red
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Green
    6.0
    50% Green to 100% Green
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Blue
    6.0
    50% Blue to 100% Blue
    8.0

    The TV's gradient handling is alright. There's significant banding in dark grays and noticeable banding in dark reds, greens, and blues. All other colors have minimal banding.

    4.8
    Low-Quality Content Smoothing
    Smoothing
    3.0
    Detail Preservation
    9.0

    The low-quality content processing on this TV is nearly non-existent. It doesn't reduce macro-blocking and pixelization when watching low-bandwidth streaming services, but there's no loss of fine details, either.

    7.0
    Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

    The TV's upscaling and sharpness processing is satisfactory overall. Fine details are upscaled well for the most part, but hardcoded text is a bit hard to make out.

    Pixels
    Subpixel Layout
    BGR
    TypeLED
    Sub-Type
    VA

    The Samsung DU6900 uses a BGR (blue-green-red) subpixel layout instead of the traditional RGB layout. For video or gaming content, this doesn't cause any issues, but for PC monitor use, it can be a problem as it can impact text clarity.

    Its spectral power distribution shows that the panel doesn't use any KSF phosphor or Quantum Dot enhancement film to achieve better color separation.

    Motion
    7.7
    Response Time
    80% Response Time
    5.1 ms
    100% Response Time
    14.8 ms

    The Samsung DU6900 has a good response time. Fast motion is clear, but there's still some noticeable blur behind very quick-moving objects. Unfortunately, transitions in dark scenes are slow, which results in black smearing behind dark objects. There’s also significant overshoot when the TV transitions from a dark state, resulting in noticeable inverse ghosting in shadow details.

    7.9
    Flicker-Free
    Flicker-Free
    No
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    480 Hz

    The TV uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight, which introduces flicker that can bother people who are sensitive to it. The amount of flicker varies depending on what picture mode the TV is set to and what settings you're using.

    • In 'Game,' 'Dynamic,' 'Standard,' 'Eco,' 'Entertain,' and 'Graphics' modes, the backlight flickers at 120Hz with the brightness at '19' and below, and it is flicker-free at all brightness levels above that.
    • In 'Movie' mode, the backlight flickers at 480Hz at all brightness levels.
    • In 'Filmmaker' mode, the backlight flickers at 120Hz at all brightness levels.
    • With BFI enabled, the TV flickers at 60Hz.

    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    Optional BFI
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps
    60 Hz
    60Hz For 60 fps
    Yes
    120Hz For 120 fps
    No
    Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
    120 Hz

    The Samsung DU6900 supports backlight strobing, more commonly known as black frame insertion (BFI). The feature is designed to improve the appearance of motion by strobing its backlight and reducing the amount of persistence blur. The BFI feature on the TV flickers at 60Hz, so there's still some image duplication present.

    Motion Interpolation
    Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
    Yes
    Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
    No

    The TV has optional motion interpolation to help smooth out low frame rate content. It does an okay job with smoothing slower-moving scenes, but it struggles with sudden motion in otherwise slow scenes.

    7.7
    Stutter
    Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
    26.9 ms
    Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
    1.9 ms

    Due to this TV's relatively slow response time, it does a good job with stutter in 24 fps content like movies.

    7.8
    24p Judder
    Judder-Free 24p
    Yes
    Judder-Free 24p via 60p
    No
    Judder-Free 24p via 60i
    No
    Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
    Yes

    The Samsung DU6900 removes judder from native 24p signals, like DVD or Blu-ray players, as well as from native apps. Unfortunately, it doesn't fully remove judder from 60i or 60p sources, so movies played from satellite/cable boxes aren't judder-free.

    7.1
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Native Refresh Rate
    60 Hz
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Yes
    HDMI Forum VRR
    Yes
    FreeSync
    Yes
    G-SYNC Compatible
    Yes
    4k VRR Maximum
    60 Hz
    4k VRR Minimum
    48 Hz
    1080p VRR Maximum
    60 Hz
    1080p VRR Minimum
    48 Hz
    1440p VRR Maximum
    N/A
    1440p VRR Minimum
    No VRR support
    VRR + Local DimmingNo Local Dimming

    This TV supports variable refresh rate technology to help reduce tearing. Due to its narrow refresh rate range, however, it can't take advantage of sources that support low frame rate compensation, so you'll see tearing in games that can't maintain close to 60 fps.

    Inputs
    9.7
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    10.7 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    35.2 ms
    1080p @ 120Hz
    N/A
    1080p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    1440p @ 60Hz
    18.1 ms
    1440p @ 120Hz
    N/A
    1440p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz
    10.6 ms
    4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
    10.9 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    10.7 ms
    4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    18.1 ms
    4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
    34.9 ms
    4k @ 120Hz
    N/A
    4k @ 144Hz
    N/A
    8k @ 60Hz
    N/A

    The TV has incredibly low input lag when used in Game Mode and also surprisingly low input lag outside of it. To have low input lag while transmitting a chroma 4:4:4 signal, you'll need to set the input to 'PC' and enable Game Mode.

    Unfortunately, 1440p @ 60Hz doesn't work while in Game Mode, so the 1440p @ 60Hz results are done with it off, although the input was still set to 'PC.'

    7.1
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
    Yes
    720p @ 59.94Hz
    Yes
    1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    1080p @ 120Hz
    No
    1080p @ 144Hz
    No
    1440p @ 60Hz
    Yes
    1440p @ 120Hz
    No
    1440p @ 144Hz
    No
    4k @ 60Hz
    Yes
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    No
    4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
    No
    4k @ 144Hz
    No
    8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
    No
    8k @ 60Hz
    No

    The TV supports all common resolutions at 60Hz. Unfortunately, 1440p doesn't work in Game Mode, even though 1440p works fine outside it.

    PS5 Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    No
    1440p @ 120Hz
    No
    1080p @ 120Hz
    No
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The Samsung DU6900 is a 60Hz TV, so it only supports 4k @ 60Hz on the P55. It has Auto Low Latency Mode, so it'll automatically switch to Game Mode when the TV detects a game console as its input device, which gives you the lowest possible input lag for games. Unfortunately, the TV doesn't display 1440p properly inside of Game Mode, so you can't game in 1440p with the lowest input lag possible.

    Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
    Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
    Yes
    4k @ 120Hz
    No
    1440p @ 120Hz
    No
    1080p @ 120Hz
    No
    HDR
    Yes
    VRR
    Yes

    The Samsung DU6900 is a 60Hz TV, so it only supports 4k @ 60Hz on the Xbox Series X|S. It has Auto Low Latency Mode, so it'll automatically switch to Game Mode when the TV detects a game console as its input device, which gives you the lowest possible input lag for games. Unfortunately, the TV doesn't display 1440p properly inside of Game Mode, so you can't game in 1440p with the lowest input lag possible. It also doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming.

    Inputs Specifications
    HDR10
    Yes
    HDR10+
    Yes
    Dolby Vision
    No
    HLG
    Yes
    HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
    Yes (HDMI 1,2)
    HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
    No
    CECYes
    HDCP 2.2Yes (HDMI 1, 2)
    ATSC Tuner
    1.0
    USB 3.0
    No
    Variable Analog Audio OutNo
    Wi-Fi SupportYes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
    Input Photos
    Total Inputs
    HDMI2
    USB1
    Digital Optical Audio Out0
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mm0
    Analog Audio Out RCA0
    Component In0
    Composite In0
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)1
    Ethernet1
    DisplayPort0
    IR In0
    Audio Passthrough
    ARC/eARC Port
    eARC
    eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
    Yes
    eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
    Yes
    eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
    No
    eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
    No
    eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
    7.1
    ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
    Yes
    ARC: DTS 5.1
    No
    Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
    No
    Optical: DTS 5.1
    No

    The TV has eARC support, which allows it to pass uncompressed high-quality audio from a connected source to your home theater system or soundbar. Unfortunately, it doesn't support any DTS formats, which are commonly used on many Blu-rays.

    Sound Quality
    6.2
    Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Frequency Extension
    113.14 Hz
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    2.43 dB
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    3.33 dB
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    5.11 dB
    Max
    84.0 dB SPL
    Dynamic Range Compression
    3.63 dB

    The TV's frequency response is mediocre. Like almost all TVs, it sounds well-balanced at moderate levels but sounds progressively worse as the volume increases. At maximum volume, which isn't very loud, the TV doesn't sound great, so it's better suited for a quiet environment. Like most TVs, it lacks bass.

    6.8
    Distortion
    See details on graph tool
    Weighted THD @ 80
    0.171
    Weighted THD @ Max
    0.268
    IMD @ 80
    4.51%
    IMD @ Max
    12.61%

    The TV's distortion performance is unremarkable. Distortion is audible near and at max volume, so you'll need to listen at lower volume levels for no distortion.

    Smart Features
    8.0
    Interface
    Smart OSTizen
    Version2024 (with reduced features)
    Ease of Use
    Easy
    Smoothness
    Average
    Time Taken to Select YouTube
    2 s
    Time Taken to Change Backlight
    5 s
    Advanced Options
    Many

    The TV comes with the 2024 version of Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS but has a reduced feature set compared to more expensive models. Still, it's fast and easy to use and supports Samsung's popular Multi View feature.

    0.0
    Ad-Free
    Ads
    Yes
    Opt-out
    No
    Suggested Content in Home
    Yes
    Opt-out of Suggested Content
    No

    Like most TVs, there are ads on the home screen. You can't disable them completely, although you can turn off targeted ads.

    8.5
    Apps and Features
    App Selection
    Great
    App Smoothness
    Average
    Cast Capable
    Yes
    USB Drive Playback
    Yes
    USB Drive HDR Playback
    Yes
    HDR in Netflix
    Yes
    HDR in YouTube
    Yes

    Samsung's app store has all of the most common streaming services, so it's easy to find your favorite content. It also includes a great selection of additional apps.

    7.5
    Remote
    Size
    Small
    Voice Control
    No
    CEC Menu Control
    Yes
    Other Smart Features
    No
    Remote AppSamsung SmartThings

    The Samsung DU6900 comes with a simpler remote than the Samsung DU8000. It requires external batteries—though some are included—and lacks solar charging. It still has buttons for popular streaming services, but it doesn't have an integrated microphone for voice controls. Overall, a very simplistic, but functional, remote.

    TV Controls

    There's a single button underneath the Samsung branding on the bottom right side of the TV. You can use it to turn the TV on/off, change channels, adjust the volume, and select inputs.

    In The Box

    • Remote control
    • Power cable (Not in picture)
    • 2x AAA batteries
    • Clip for cable management
    • User guides

    Misc
    Power Consumption57 W
    Power Consumption (Max)148 W
    Firmware1120

    Comments

    1. Product

    Samsung DU6900: Main Discussion

    Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.

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    1. This product has been merged with Samsung UN60DU6900 60" DU6900 Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV. Follow the discussion here.

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      Great that this is reviewed now, because I still haven’t found definitive information whether the Samsung 6-7 series this year are Edge lit or direct lit.

      DU6900 or DU7200 Samsung, are either one direct lit?

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      Best Buy has a 43-inch variant in the US known as the UN43DU6900FXZA. it’s unclear about other retailers carrying it, though.

    4. Update: We clarified that the similarly-named DU6950 doesn’t perform the same in the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section.

      Show More Updates
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      where did you buy the unit for this review? there isn’t a 65-inch DU6900 in the US, only in Canada. also, what is the model number of your unit?

      It was purchased at Best Buy Canada. You can see the label for our unit here.