Samsung QLED The Terrace 65" Class Review

The Samsung The Terrace is a TV built for one job: surviving outdoors. You pay a huge premium for that IP56 rating, and the picture quality takes a backseat. Only buy it if leaving a TV outside year-round is non-negotiable.

Let's get this out of the way: the Samsung The Terrace is a niche product for a niche problem, and it's priced like one. This isn't your living room TV. It's a 65-inch, weatherproofed beast designed to survive the elements in a shaded outdoor space. The one thing you need to know is that you're paying a massive premium for that IP56 dust and water resistance rating. You're buying a TV you can leave outside, not the absolute best picture you can get for your money.

The performance story is a mixed bag, and the data shows it. Our scores put its picture quality in the 43rd percentile, which is frankly surprising for a Neo QLED with Mini LEDs. That tells us the anti-glare layer and outdoor tuning are doing a lot of heavy lifting, and it comes at a cost to pure image fidelity. On the bright side, connectivity is stellar (94th percentile) with three HDMI ports including one with eARC, and HDR support lands in the 90th percentile. But that 60Hz refresh rate caps its gaming potential, which our data scores at a middling 63rd percentile.

Worth it? Only if your primary requirement is 'a TV that can live outside permanently.' For the price range of $3,500 to nearly $5,700, you could buy a stunning 85-inch OLED for your living room and a very nice 55-inch TV for your patio, and still have money left over. The value proposition hinges entirely on that IP56 rating.

If you're looking at the Terrace, you're probably also looking at high-end outdoor options from brands like SunBriteTV or Peerless-AV. Compared to those dedicated outdoor TV brands, the Terrace's smart features (Tizen OS) and gaming support are more modern. But for sheer picture quality, a high-end indoor TV like the Samsung QN90F Neo QLED or an LG G Series OLED will run circles around it for the same money. You just can't put those in the rain.

If you're looking for the best possible picture for your money, this isn't it. Go get a Samsung QN90D or an LG C4 OLED instead and just roll it out on a cart when you need it. You'll save thousands and get a vastly better image.

Our recommendation is clear: buy this only if you have a covered, shaded outdoor space and you absolutely refuse to move a TV in and out. If that's your situation, the Samsung The Terrace is a competent, durable solution with great smart features. For everyone else—especially if you have a fully covered porch or just want a summer TV—you're better off buying a cheaper, brighter indoor TV and being careful with it. The premium for 'outdoor-rated' is simply too steep for most people.