For many households, the television has always been the focal point of the living room. However, all of this changed with the advent of smaller, nimbler and more capable computer monitors. Instead of consuming media like watching shows and playing games on the largest screen at home, trends have shifted to these smaller yet more capable screens.

Just like most of you reading this, we too, subscribed to this idea for long until recently. Having spent a good amount of time not only watching our favourite shows on Samsung’s latest offering which we recently unboxed, we also dabbled in playing console games on it and boy we have to tell you. It’s hard to go back to our old habits.

Thanks to our friends at Samsung, we managed to test out the latest range of top-shelf, high-end TVs, specifically the 75-inch Neo QLED TV. The unboxing portion was an experience itself, with Samsung opting for a more environmentally-friendly packaging approach. This is part of the company’s global approach to increasing its eco-friendliness one of which, involved using recycled materials as seen in their recent smartphones and lessening wastage when it comes to packaging.

Not only focusing on the product being delivered, the steps required to unbox and install the device were also taken into account to ensure minimal chance of disaster even before you turn it on. Aces!

Giant-Sized Clarity

And now, the product itself. The word ‘huge’ alone does not do it justice. It’s massive, and the 75-inch model which we reviewed isn’t even the largest model in its lineup. The award goes to the 85-inch variant and we highly recommend you bring a tape measure if you do not have a point of reference. Sporting an ultra-sleek design with super-thin bezels, the Neo QLED TV instantly transforms itself into the highlight of any living room while at the same time, elevating your media consumption experience.

For the purpose of the review, the Neo QLED TV was set up in a brightly, naturally-lit room. Even with the sun at its peak (if you’ve been in Malaysia these past few weeks, you’d know how hot the days have been), we didn’t experience any drop in picture quality. The tech and marketing jargon which came with the model emphasises on the processing power – the Neural Quantum Processor 4K – which, using artificial intelligence, upscales what’s on-screen regardless of the quality of the original source. In layman’s terms, this allows ‘older’ content to feel more current, even though they were never originally meant to be viewed in 4K.

On paper, lovers of older movies or streaming content in lower resolution would instantly notice this effect. We have to attest – it works brilliantly. Re-consuming our classic shows such as Ghostbusters and Back to the Future have never been so satisfying and this alone is worth the price of admission (and this is huge, but more on that later).

Another feature heavily emphasized when marketing the product was the Quantum Matrix Technology. Based on our experience consuming various types of content in varying levels of lighting, this feature ensures what is being shown on the screen remains consistent. You know how for some shows, there is a ‘best’ way to consume them – like in a dimly-lit or bright setting for example in order to capture all the details on screen. With the Neo QLED, this requirement has been cast aside making it perfect for those who want to upgrade their living room with a plug-and-play addition, sans the need to renovate or rearrange their present setup.

Massive & Multimedia-Made

Sports fans would love this feature considering the varying lighting conditions shown in different arenas. One second you’re enjoying the outdoor atmosphere of an F1 race crowd and next, intense lighting on the pitch of the Champions League final.

Sound-wise, the TV is best paired with a soundbar to extract the best viewing experience regardless of content. We’ve paired the Neo QLED TV with the Q800 Q-Series soundbar which serves as the perfect audio complement to the already astounding picture quality. A smart TV supported by a ton of apps, it is needless to say that the Neo QLED TV instantly elevates any living room or entertainment hall setup. Your standard streaming apps like Netflix, HBO GO, Prime and even the local sports-centric app Sooka all work well on the Neo QLED. Navigation around the system is pretty straightforward and intuitive even for the most non tech-savvy folks out there.

Eyes will immediately be drawn to it regardless of what’s showing and weirdly enough, its modernistic silhouette fits right in regardless of aesthetic. There are four HDMI ports, including 1 dedicated eARC port all situated at the rear. On top of that, two USB ports and a dedicated LAN port complete the input/ output array.

But Kakuchopurei’s main trade is video games media consumption and we will tell you this. Once you’ve hooked up your console to the Neo QLED TV, you’d be hard-pressed to return to your older screen. Be it Diablo IV, FIFA 23, Elden Ring, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or F12023 – gaming on 4K, 120Hz is oh so satisfying. Each detail is captured majestically and fans of games showing off vast vistas or dense urban environments would instantly notice the upgrade. Of course, all of these are console-reliant, like the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5.

Nonetheless, the gaming experience does not diminish even with ‘older’ or ‘lower powered’ machines like the PlayStation 4 Pro or the Xbox Series S. You still get crispier graphics, a high refresh rate, and lots of real estate to enjoy compared to on screens you played on before. Although we have to admit, it did require some getting used to as you’ll now have to actually move your head a bit to spot what’s at the corner of the screen, rather than simply glancing at it quickly.

Certain gaming consoles, like the Xbox Series X/S, allow you to control the TV with the controller allowing a quick startup for those short bursts of gaming sessions. As an added advantage to present Samsung smartphone users, they can navigate through the Neo QLED by using the SmartThings app as long as both devices are connected to the same Wifi network. Talk about convenience.

Overall, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Neo QLED TV. TVs are at the very least, a medium-term investment, something that will stay with you for at least for a couple of years. It will set the tone and aesthetics of one’s living space; influencing the ways you spend your downtime at home. Starting at a hefty RM 13,309.00 for the 75-inch variant, it is indeed a sizeable chunk to spend on. Add another RM 3,079.00 for the soundbar to complete the mini home theatre set, that’s already a small fortune. But the value of quality entertainment lies in the eyes of the beholder and if you have the means to afford one and are looking for a setup that’s a solid all-rounder, look no further than this giant.

Final Score: 90/100

Review units of the Samsung QLED TV (75-inch) and the Q800 Q-Series soundbar was provided by Samsung Malaysia. For more details to purchase your own Neo QLED TV, head on over here.