Samsung UN32C4000

Black Level (8.23)

A deep black level is mandatory for maintaining a high contrast ratio. We measured the Samsung UN32C4000’s black level at 0.09 candelas per square meter (cd/m²), which is a very deep black. The UN32C4000 can actually achieve deeper blacks, but not without some sacrifices. Like most Samsung HDTVs, the UN32C4000 has an auto-dim feature: when the picture being displayed is dark, the screen will dim, allowing deeper blacks and, theoretically, enhanced detail in dark areas. The trade-off here is decreased detail in the areas that actually are bright. Older models had a less subtle dim that would occur in choppy, noticeable stages. Here the dim seems to be much smoother and less likely to draw the eye. Even though Samsung has clearly improved this feature, we really wish they’d include an option to switch it off. More on how we test black level.

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Peak Brightness (8.65)

Peak brightness serves two purposes: allowing for greater detail in bright scenes and drowning out any external light. Typically all you need is 200 cd/m² to ensure a bright picture, but if your TV is by a window, you might want to bump up the backlight so your picture doesn’t get washed out by sunshine.

We measured the Samsung UN32C4000’s peak brightness at 330.24 cd/m², which is plenty bright. You should have no troubles with external light, and the TV has more than enough of a spectrum to provide full detail in bright areas. More on how we test peak brightness.

Contrast (8.45)

As mentioned above, many TVs employ auto-dimming or other processing shenanigans to get artifically deep black levels you’ll rarely see in normal viewing. As such, when we’re parsing out a contrast ratio, we don’t measure a 100% black screen against a 100% white screen. This is why none of our contrast ratios are even close to the 7,000,000:1 ratios you’ll see in advertisements.

We measured the Samsung UN32C4000’s contrast ratio at 3669:1. This is a very high contrast ratio: very few TVs get above 4000:1 using our system of measurement. Expect a high contrast image from the UN32C4000, which should enable a high degree of detail. More on how we test contrast.

Tunnel Contrast (7.27)

For the most part, the UN32C4000 had a consistent black level. There were just two exceptions: when the screen was mostly black and when the screen was mostly bright. When the screen is mostly black, the backlights will dim and get an average of 0.03 cd/m² (when virtually all of the screen is black, the TV will get about 0.01 cd/m² or lower); when the screen is mostly bright, the TV will only be able to maintain a black level of about 0.20 cd/m², which really isn’t great. More on how we test tunnel contrast.

White Falloff (5.09)

The UN32C4000 had some issues maintaining its white level too, which was a side-effect of the auto-dim we mentioned above. When only 15% of the screen is bright, the auto-dim starts kicking in, subtly at first. As the bright area gets smaller, though, the screen is only outputting about half its normal luminance. More on how we test white falloff.

Uniformity (7.00)

The UN32C4000 had some slight uniformity issues, but nothing to write home about. On an all-white screen, the edges and corners were a bit dim. On an all-black screen, we could see some minor flashlighting near the edges and some general cloudy patches of uneven lighting throughout the middle of the screen. More on how we test white falloff.

Greyscale Gamma (6.52)

A TV’s greyscale gamma describes how the set emulates all the greys in between the deepest black and brightest white. Since our eyes see based on contrast, as the colors brighten, each step up is larger than the last. To our eyes, 0.20 cd/m² is twice as bright as 0.10 cd/m², just as 300 cd/m² is twice as bright as 150 cd/m².

The ideal slope of the greyscale should be about 2.1. We measured the UN32C4000’s greyscale gamma at 2.71, which is significantly more aggressive. A curve that’s too aggressive means there’s too much differentiation between adjacent shades. You might notice that gradual color transitions don’t look like a smooth gradient, but rather concentric bands. More on how we test greyscale gamma.

Other Models in the Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.
Samsung UN19C4000 19 in.	Samsung UN22C4000 22 in.	Samsung UN26C4000 26 in.