2015 Samsung 4k TV as a Monitor Set Up Guide

I have an issue someone here may be able to help me with. I have an Asus ROG laptop with GTX765m gpu, running Windows 10 with all up to date drivers and a 55" Samsung J7000 TV. I also only have UHD HDMI settings for HDMI1, although I am able to change the input type to anything Id like unlike a previous poster.

Here is the strange part - I get no signal flashing on the TV and the TV does NOT show up in Windows (in any location - control panel, display settings, nvidia control panel, nothing) when the TV is powered ON and is connected to the laptop through HDMI1 port (or any port for that matter). If I turn the TV OFF I then get the TV to show up in Windows (ALL of the places mentioned above). I can change refresh rate, the resolution, and the dynamic range, etc for the TV to what they should be but then as soon as I turn the TV back on the TV disappears again from Windows, and I get no signal flashing on the TV.

If I pass through a bluray player - All is well (pass through wont work for my set up though, I just tried it out to eliminate the cable, etc)

Has anyone seen anything like this before? Ive tried every combination of every setting in this walk through with no luck.

Thanks in advance.
 
Is that an HDMI 2.0 port on the laptop? These PC to 4k TV setups seem to be a bit fussy about the cable also.. That is a weird issue though. Maybe aux power is on while the TV is "sleeping" and the port is alive enough for windows to see the make and lets you change settings.. but when it's powered on it can't make the HDMI 2.0 handshake? Just throwing out some guesses...
 
My initial guess is that it is not hdmi2.0, it's a 2013 model so I would think not. The HDMI cable Im using is this.

My initial thought is that the laptop not being HDMI2.0 shouldnt make a bit of difference would it, surely theyre backwards compatible?
 
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So are you wanting 4k @ 60hz over this connection? Or a lower res - or just to get it working at all?
 
So has anyone had the screen goes blank about 3 seconds after the windows desktop hits issue? I am running out of ideas.. I have tried, drivers (leaving out 3d stuff and disabling HD audio), cables (using a DVI to HDMI now and it seems to work a bit better - issue happens less), settings (59hz, limited color, and others). I might reset the TV to factory default and start over - but all this testing it taking up time and I would rather just be gaming.. When it happens a reseat of the HDMI cable fixes it 100% of the time.

strange and annoying.. one note, sometimes the screen goes green before it goes blank and I get the no signal to HDMI1 message. Any other ideas?
 
Looks like cable bandwidth problems.
See if the same thing happens at 1080p.
 
It does not happen at all at 1080p 100% solid there. I was thinking it might be a cable issue also which is why I have tried like 4 cables. Should I keep trying more??

edit: maybe the video signal from my GTX970 strix is a bit weak? Can anyone with an Asus Strix GTX970 pipe in? Any HDMI 2.0 bw issues? Either that or some kind of mfg flaw with the HDMI input on the tv... I think I need a day off from this and will just play deal with it then re-group next week.
edit2: well trying different cables again and I have two identical cables, one gives me 4k some of the time, the other I can't even get any 4k resolutions available. So it's some kind of cable / bw issue. I'm back to my dvi to hdmi cable but using the other dvi port on gpu1.
 
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I purchased the 40JU6400 to use as a monitor but it looks terrible even after following this guide. Image looks washed out compared to my old Dell U2311H and the BenQ BL3200PT I got the Samsung to replace.

Am I doing something wrong? I have it hooked up via a AMD R9 290X and a HDMI cable. I only get 30Hz @ 4K with 4:4:4 chroma but plan to purchase the Club3D DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 Active UHD Adapter that has just been released for 4K 60Hz 4:4:4. PC mode is enabled and I have set pixel format to Full RGB. Colours are set to dynamic range (0-255) and UHD colour is on.

Only when I set the HDMI Black Level to LOW does it look similar to my other 2 monitors but then I am crushing black levels. Is this just how the monitor is? Surely the picture quality can't be this bad? It looks like there is a thin layer of grey mist covering everything. Also checked what panel is in the TV and it's a Samsung. Model no. in service menu is 40A6AU0VJ.

I've already tried a full re-install of the display driver after uninstalling from Control Panel and then using DDU in safe mode. I'm on Windows 10 x64.

I only get the option for Limited RGB and Full RGB in the Catalyst Control Panel. The store mode demos also look washed out. I'm also seeing a pink/purple hue to the screen when the screen is mostly black, it's kind of like IPS glow. Is this normal?
 
So are you wanting 4k @ 60hz over this connection? Or a lower res - or just to get it working at all?


I just want it to work. 4k would be nice obviously, but I dont use it as a primary monitor. Im using it the same way I would to mirror. Mirroring wirelessly would be ideal since its a laptop, but that hasnt worked for me either since I updated to W10.
 
Well, without HDMI 2.0 on the laptop I think running UHD on HDMI1 on the TV may cause issues. Maybe try some of the other HDMI ports? You might not be able to get the HDMI handshake initiated running the cable to HDMI1. Just guessing again. But maybe you can just get something working with one of the other ports.

I'm having issues myself with getting a blank screen right after the windows desktop loads, just some of the time... I have tried a boat load of HDMI cables and I get very limited resolution options available depending on which HDMI cable I am using.. I finally landed on a DVI to HDMI cable which works better than any of the HDMI cables I have tried. I get 4k @ 60hz 4:4:4 but every once in a while just after the desktop loads the connection drops. I can power off/on the TV and to recover, or reseat the cable at the TV side. That fixes it each time and I can game for hours without issues afterward. Really weird. I think it might be an issue with my video card's ports.. I'm going to try GPU2's ports and see how that goes.

edit: ok I think I fixed the "video drop after windows load" issue. My Asus Strix cards were bought on launch and had the first bios rev. I went to Asus' site and saw a bios update for this card:

https://www.asus.com/us/Graphics-Cards/STRIXGTX970DC2OC4GD5/HelpDesk_Download/

Specifically saying "Update bios to improve compatibility with some 4K monitors". Well, the bios update from windows was a little scary. For anyone with multiple video cards using this windows updater, only flash with one card in the machine at a time. I didn't need safe mode but I disabled all programs I didn't need and the flash worked with each card being in the PC by itself for the process. Once done I moved the card that was GPU2 into GPU1's slot and am now running 4k @ 60hz 4:4:4 RGB FULL over HDMI (a Fusion4k 18G cable - didn't work before) and *knock on some wood* no video signal dropouts yet. So I I'm cautiously optimistic I fixed the issue.

edit2: still no video dropouts.. whew.
 
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I do have a mini DisplayPort plug on the laptop... would that change anything. There was no change when trying all other HDMI ports btw
 
I'm not sure how well those work on 4k sets.. but a quick scan on amazon shows "cable matters" mini DP to HDMI adapters that claim to do 4k.. but I have no idea how well. To get solid 4k @ 60hz with DP you will probably need an active adapter but don't quote me on that. As far as your commend about backwards compatibility on the HDMI 2.0 port on the TV... you would think it would just auto adjust to what it's capable of, but I was having all kinds of weird issues depending on what HDMI cable I used before I flashed my cards last night. Lots of drop outs and when it did work sometimes I only has like 2 resolutions available, like 1080p and less.

So what's your end game goal with this I guess we should ask? The TV to just be a secondary display? How many HDMI cables have you tried?

edit: found some info here - https://rog.asus.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-49720.html
 
Someone please talk me off the ledge...

last weekend I bought a 40" 6500 to replace my Dell 34" 21:9 monitor. While I did enjoy that monitor I was frustrated by the number of games that would not support the 3440x1440 resolution. I was fortunate enough to get a good return on my investment when I sold the Dell so I took the plunge and exchanged the 6500 to Best buy and got the 40" 7100. As best as I could tell my 6500 was pixel perfect but the 7100 had a group of about 8 dead pixels towards the center of the screen. I returned it to Best Buy and of course they had no more in stock at any of the local stores as it seems only the Magnolia stores carry them. They ordered me a replacement which just arrived and as I sit here I see approx 8 dead pixels near the center of the screen but a bit more to the right. These are a lighter gray versus the first set which had black pixels. I tried running a pixel flipper on the original 7100 for approx 12 hrs with no result. I plan to do the same tonight on this one. Should I just resign myself that this is the reality of 4k or should I test the Best Buy exchange policy once again? Thanks
 
Considering some of us have managed to get pixel perfect screens (and your 6500 was as well), I don't think that I would be happy with 8 dead pixels (especially if they were close to one another), even though that's technically acceptable by QC standards for 4K. I would probably want to exchange the set, but I do understand it's a hassle.
 
Thanks for the advice. Third time is the charm. Found the only store within 100 miles that had 1 in stock . Drove a couple hours and exchanged it. This one is nearly perfect. 1 bad pixel but it is almost in the bottom right corner and I am not going to concern myself with it. Looks great and I can finally enjoy it.
 
Thanks for the advice. Third time is the charm. Found the only store within 100 miles that had 1 in stock . Drove a couple hours and exchanged it. This one is nearly perfect. 1 bad pixel but it is almost in the bottom right corner and I am not going to concern myself with it. Looks great and I can finally enjoy it.

Good deal. :cool: Considering how long you are likely to be staring at the display, it's important to have something that you'll be happy with.
 
Thanks for the advice. Third time is the charm. Found the only store within 100 miles that had 1 in stock . Drove a couple hours and exchanged it. This one is nearly perfect. 1 bad pixel but it is almost in the bottom right corner and I am not going to concern myself with it. Looks great and I can finally enjoy it.

I've had a couple of months of situations like this... lots of time spent but it turns out well. Gratz on finding a good one. Enjoy it!
 
After swearing I'd never do it, I'm making the jump from my wonderful 40" JU7500 to the 48" JS9000. A neighbor's unpleasant divorce (is there any other kind?) is my good fortune. He's selling all he can, including his unopened 48JS900 at a sinfully low price. Not sure how the hell I'll fit it on my desk. The 40" already takes up a huge portion of limited space.

First world problems, I know. :p
 
After swearing I'd never do it, I'm making the jump from my wonderful 40" JU7500 to the 48" JS9000. A neighbor's unpleasant divorce (is there any other kind?) is my good fortune. He's selling all he can, including his unopened 48JS900 at a sinfully low price. Not sure how the hell I'll fit it on my desk. The 40" already takes up a huge portion of limited space.

First world problems, I know. :p

Nice. Let us know what you think. I found the larger size to be beneficial in some ways and detrimental in others. But the more vivid, saturated colors on the JS9000 sealed the deal for me and at that point I was stuck with a 48" minimum. It's awesome for gaming but sometimes I miss my 40" when just using Windows.
 
Set up my 7500 yesterday. I love it. Thanks so much for this guide. Set looks amazing.
 
Buying my Sammy 48JS9000, this week. Anyone know what its VESA specs are? I'd like to mount it without the stand, if possible. If I could rest the bottom on the desk and use a heavy monitor arm attached to the TV's back it would be the perfect set up.
 
I have a UN40JU6500. Its not bad but I really want to know if there's a TV out there that will do true 4:4:4 4K 60hz with less than 30ms input lag.

I know the Samsung can do ~20 something ms input lag but that's only in game mode without true 4:4:4 chroma.
 
I have a UN40JU6500. Its not bad but I really want to know if there's a TV out there that will do true 4:4:4 4K 60hz with less than 30ms input lag.

I know the Samsung can do ~20 something ms input lag but that's only in game mode without true 4:4:4 chroma.

I have a feeling that the 2016 models will probably be able to do that.
 
I'm waiting for OLED. Not gonna bother getting rid of my 48" JS9000 for something with slighty lower lag and no other real benefits. But I do hope 2016 brings fewer compromises for those itching to buy something else.

It's a shame those Sony X810/X830 TVs didn't check all the right boxes...they certainly had some appealing factors but not enough to make me switch. I just think anything other than OLED at this point will be a sidegrade from these Samsungs.
 
Can someone help? I recently got a Samsung UN40JU6500. It came with firmware 1422 out of the box. I couldn't get the input lag time down by enabling game mode and relabeling the hdmi to game. Did I just get screwed? ;( if someone has the newer firmware, please confirm. ;(
 
Can someone help? I recently got a Samsung UN40JU6500. It came with firmware 1422 out of the box. I couldn't get the input lag time down by enabling game mode and relabeling the hdmi to game. Did I just get screwed? ;( if someone has the newer firmware, please confirm. ;(

Things required to enable Game mode:

Change device type to Game using the Source button on the remote. Don't just relabel the input...actually change it to Game.
Using the Menu button on the remote, navigate to System > General > Game Mode ON.

I'm using 1422 on a 48" JS9000 and input lag with Game mode enabled (currently using it that way right now, in fact) feels fantastic.
 
I tried the settings form the OP on my 40JU7100 but something is way off when it comes to the Black Level. If I set it as shown with Low and Nvidia as Full and RGB, the black level is way too bright, like a haze on the screen. I am getting a Calibration DVD for BTB testing but I dont think is crushing the blacks.
I in fact played some 100% black screens from a website with patterns and the screens had kind of a greenish look to it unless I was setting it back to FULL and Low Black level instead of Normal.
Anyone else seeing this?
 
I've set mine up exactly like this, but now I've been wondering - the TV is mainly used as a secondary display to my monitor as it's mounted above... I mostly use it for watching media, movies, etc

Would I be better off running it in regular 4:2:0 mode (or whatever it is) to take advantage of the processing effects and calibration settings?

I've noticed it does look better just looking at a static 4K wallpaper and website text, but wondering if it's actually worse for video, etc

What would you guys recommend?
 
you can use your video card control panel to calibrate color, etc... I rhink that's better than using the tv a lot of time....
 
you can use your video card control panel to calibrate color, etc... I rhink that's better than using the tv a lot of time....

Its a last resort, not what you should do first.
The only place adjustments can be made without reducing the colour pallet is the display.

For example.
If you adjust brightness on your graphics card, you compress the very brightest colours.
Max brightness is 255.
When you increase brightness say by 2, max brightness wants to become 257 but the max is 255.
So brightness levels 253, 254 and 255 are now all at 255.

The monitor can make analogue adjustments, leaving the full range of digital levels intact.
 
Its a last resort, not what you should do first.
The only place adjustments can be made without reducing the colour pallet is the display.

For example.
If you adjust brightness on your graphics card, you compress the very brightest colours.
Max brightness is 255.
When you increase brightness say by 2, max brightness wants to become 257 but the max is 255.
So brightness levels 253, 254 and 255 are now all at 255.

The monitor can make analogue adjustments, leaving the full range of digital levels intact.

Point taken. I am kind of a minimalist when it comes to monitors. Like I have the HP 3065 and Samsung 305t with only buttons to adjust back light brightness and nothing else.
 
When I flip HDMI black levels to "normal" on my JU6700 the picture looks kind of washed out. But when I have it on low the gamma is too dark in some areas of games.. I put at normal and adjusted the Nvidia control panel to compensate and got things looking pretty good but I had to back brightness and gamma off quite a bit.
 
Just bought a 55" JS8500 and am unable to do 4:4:4@60hz@4k with a GTX960. HDMI UHD Color is on, and PC mode is set on the input. Tried HDMI cables as short as 3' (Amazon Basics). Really at a loss for what to try next.
 
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Just bought a 55" JS8500 and am unable to do 4:4:4@60hz@4k with a GTX960. HDMI UHD Color is on, and PC mode is set on the input. Tried HDMI cables as short as 3' (Amazon Basics). Really at a loss for what to try next.

18gbps hdmi cables are required for this. I ordered some from monoprice via amazon. I think amazon basics are only 10.2 gbps.
 
I have something of a puzzle here with a 6700. If I have the output set to 60 Hz when powered on, it comes up with a black screen. If I have it set to 30 Hz at power on and then switch the output to 60 Hz, it works fine. I have UDH mode on. I am using a DVI to HDMI cable, I don't know if that could be contributing to the problem, but I would think it would either work or not work? I've had this for less than a week, might I have a defective unit?
 
I'm considering getting a 55" JS9000. I do some a fair amount of reading (web browsing and source code) and also play a number of games.

How does reading text compare to say a 30" (2560x1600)?

For those with the 55" JS9000, what viewing distance do you find comfortable. I'm concerned because I would most likely have it 3 to 3.5 feet from my face.

How reliant are you on the remote after the initial setup for day to day use? For example, do you use the remote to turn off the monitor after shutting down the computer?

I'd like to wall mount the screen. I'm looking at using a Peerless 37-60 Inches Full-Motion Plus Wall Mount, Black which I believe would work. Any other suggestions?

Any suggestions for a quality 10' hdmi 2.0 cable (18gbps) or should any that meet those spec's from amazon work?

Any suggestions for single side monitor for web browsing/etc. while the JS9000 is being used for gaming?

Any regrets? Overall Satisfaction?

Thanks, would like to pull trigger soon if it will work out for my needs.
 
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I'm considering getting a 55" JS9000. I do some a fair amount of reading (web browsing and source code) and also play a number of games.

How does reading text compare to say a 30" (2560x1600)?

For those with the 55" JS9000, what viewing distance do you find comfortable. I'm concerned because I would most likely have it 3 to 3.5 feet from my face.

The 55 may be a bit big at that distance.

I sit maybe 2.5 ft from my 48" JS9000, and at that range even it is a bit on the large side.

Text clarity is good, but at my range, the DPI winds up being a tiny bit lower than we are used to for PC monitors. The way I see it, for typical monitor range (your range is just slightly higher, so you can get away with lower dpi, how much lower I don't know) the 48" at 4k winds up having a slightly low DPI. A 40" would wind up having slightly high DPI. IMHO, this resolution would be ideal at the 42"-44" range, at normal monitor usage distances.


How reliant are you on the remote after the initial setup for day to day use? For example, do you use the remote to turn off the monitor after shutting down the computer?

While it works great as a monitor, it is not a monitor. It does not auto-shutdown with the computer (or at least not until after a long "no-signal" timeout) and it does not turn on automatically when it gets a signal, like a monitor would. You can get away without the remote, if you are willing to reach for the power button on the screen itself, but I don't even sitting right in front of it (actually just reached for the button and can't even find it :p )

So yes, you will probably want to have the remote handy for day to day power on, power off use. Also if you plan on switching between game mode and PC Mode at all, you'll need it as well. It is possible you can use the voice commands for this, but honestly I haven't even bothered trying. I keep my voice commands disabled.

I'd like to wall mount the screen. I'm looking at using a Peerless 37-60 Inches Full-Motion Plus Wall Mount, Black which I believe would work. Any other suggestions?

I'd be careful when it comes to mounts. Over in the other big "Samsung 4k for everyone" thread, some people have successfully mounted their screens, but compatibility is far from universal. They had to do some work arounds to get the mounts to fit the unusual bolt spacing on the back, if I recall. I'd head over there and see if you can find the info, but its probably somewhere in the middle of the few hundred page thread, so it might not be easy to find.

Any suggestions for a quality 10' hdmi 2.0 cable (18gbps) or should any that meet those spec's from amazon work?

I've successfuly used both the 6' and 10' versions of these. Longer than 10' might be a problem though.

Any suggestions for single side monitor for web browsing/etc. while the JS9000 is being used for gaming?

I'm very happy with my 20" Dell 2007FP's. 1600x1200 in portrait mode are great for a web browser. They come in IPS and PVA models. I have no experience with the PVA's, but th eIPS models are great. They've been discontinued for some time, but its usually possible to find them dirt cheap on eBay,

Really, any monitor you like should be able to serve this purpose though.

Any regrets? Overall Satisfaction?

I am very satisfied with mine. Every now and then I wonder if I should have gone with a smaller 40" model for the higher DPI, but then I would have had to drop down to a lower end model than the JS9000, as it doesn't come smaller than 48.

It would be nice if it would behave more like a screen, so I didn't have to use the remote to turn it off and on all the time, but that's a minor inconvenience.

A 42"-44" JS9000 would have been better DPI wise for me, but it doesn't exist :p
 
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The 55 may be a bit big at that distance.

I sit maybe 2.5 ft from my 48" JS9000, and at that range even it is a bit on the large side.

Text clarity is good, but at my range, the DPI winds up being a tiny bit lower than we are used to for PC monitors. The way I see it, for typical monitor range (your range is just slightly higher, so you can get away with lower dpi, how much lower I don't know) the 48" at 4k winds up having a slightly low DPI. A 40" would wind up having slightly high DPI. IMHO, this resolution would be ideal at the 42"-44" range, at normal monitor usage distances.

Thanks for all your responses Zarathustra.

I've been resisting the 48" JS9000 because it has been $300 MORE than the 55" JS9000 on Amazon for a while. However, it sounds like I should suck it up and buy the 48" to have a more manageable display.

I've successfuly used both the 6' and 10' versions of these. Longer than 10' might be a problem though.

Thanks. Ordered one.

I'm very happy with my 20" Dell 2007FP's. 1600x1200 in portrait mode are great for a web browser. They come in IPS and PVA models. I have no experience with the PVA's, but th eIPS models are great. They've been discontinued for some time, but its usually possible to find them dirt cheap on eBay,

Really, any monitor you like should be able to serve this purpose though.

I have a couple of 27", a couple of 30", and a 34" ultra wide all available right now to try out for the side. I'll try those out and search for a new side monitor if those don't work well.
 
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Thanks for all your responses Zarathustra.

Any time!

I've been resisting the 48" JS9000 because it has been $300 MORE than the 55" JS9000 on Amazon for a while. However, it sounds like I should suck it up and buy the 48" to have a more manageable display.

Wow, that is interesting. I wonder if they have become popular enough as monitors, that demand has driven up the price? It seems odd that the 55" model would be cheaper. With the 55" you could always try to sit further from it, but the setup might be a little awkward, especially with a side monitor, which you would probably want closer.
 
Hello, Great guide and mostly what I had bar some tweaks. Thank you.

I'm really struggling with PC mode vs Game mode. You say it's a choice between chroma subsampling and lag and I can't stand chroma subsampling so I went pc mode. However even on entertain mode, the colours to me look so dull and for some forsaken reason I can't edit colour. Note I use the tv for console too so gpu control panel won't help me.

So is there any way you have found since this guide to either:

A) Get rid of chroma subsampling in game mode
Or
B) Change more settings, namely colour, in pc mode

Would very much appreciate any ideas on either.
 
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