Samsung UN55B8000 LCD TV Review

Samsung has forged into the LED LCD market with more confidence in 2009, introducing its line of edge-lit LED LCD TVs, which includes B8000 series. The company also recently released its first line with localized dimming, the B8500 series. While the localized dimming of the B8500 gives the video system more control over the black levels, the edge-backlighting of B8000 series is a bit more limiting in this respect. The UN55B8000 is part of the LED edge backlit series, and though unlike UN55B8500 with its localized dimming, it does not produce the deepest black levels, it is still one of the LCD TVs with very deep blacks. Aside from that it benefits from the same color accuracy as most Samsung HDTV models, being a solid choice for those looking for a high end LED LCD with good performance.

Brief Specifications of UN55B8000

• Resolution: 1080p (standard), 1920 x 1080 (exact)
• Contrast Ratio: 20000:1 (native), 5,000,000:1 (dynamic)
• 240Hz Auto Motion Plus processing
• Ethernet: YES
• Picture-in-Picture: YES
• Anti-glare filter: Ultra Clear Panel
• 24p cinema mode: YES
• USB: Yes (2 on side)
• Yahoo Widgets
• Energy Star 3.0 rated
• Four HDMI Inputs

Features

The UNB558000 is capable of video playback, music playback, and photo viewing using the Ethernet connection USB ports. Using a USB thumbstick, MP3 player, or digital camera, users can connect their devices into the USB port for playback and access to the device. Samsung even included a good amount of preinstalled content like a slide show of photos and art set to music, games, workout guides, and recipes.

The UN55B800 comes with Yahoo! Widgets, like most of the line, though the response time of the widgets are not as quick as they can be on LG or Sony sets. To combat this issue, Samsung users can actually download more widgets than the other two brands. Users can find widgets to explore news, Yahoo video, Flickr photos, stocks, games, weather, YouTube, sports scores, and Twitter.

Added to most of its 2009 line, like the UNB8000, Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus dejudder processing features a new custom setting to alter the rate of judder and blur reduction. While the edge-lit LEDs are garnering a lot of attention recently, they aren’t so different from regular LCD TV because the usual fluorescent backlighting is installed in the same array along the edge as these LEDs. While the UN55B8000 does have a 240Hz refresh rate for better motion resolution, its affect is so hard to notice when compared to the step down 120Hz models.

With plenty of power saving options for the green-minded consumer, the UN55B8000 has something for everyone.  Its three power-saver modes drastically reign in energy use. Samsung even added an “E-manual” on a USB stick, a customer care screen with the set’s firmware version, and picture-in-picture. And new this year, the set can download its firmware updates directly to the set. Samsung even added the feature that lets users retain the last firmware version so users can revert back to it in case the newest update is a disaster.

As usual, Samsung offers viewers plenty of picture adjustments, including four picture modes, each independent per input, that are fully adjustable. There are also several modes of noise reduction and even a film mode that activates a 2:3 pull-down. The settings include five color temperature presets, with a custom white balance menu.

The set comes with four aspect ratio modes for HD sources, giving users plenty of options. There are two that actually shift the whole image across the screen, depending on the users preference. One such mode, dubbed Screen Fit, scales 1080i and 1080p sources based on the set’s pixels with no overscan. This setting often yields the top results.

Connectivity

With a single component-video input that can be altered to take composite video in its place, a PC input, four HDMI inputs, and two USB inputs, the UN55B800 has plenty of connectivity options. It also includes an Ethernet port which is used by the set’s interactive features, an optical digital audio jack, and RF input for antenna or cable. Users looking for more analog inputs will find they’re out of luck without a switcher or external receiver.

Design

The UN55B8000’s remote has an RF capability that lets it work even if the user isn’t in the same room.  And the remote also includes a rotating scroll wheel which however doesn’t have the best response time in the world.  The buttons are backlit and feature a button for the E-manual. Also added with the TV is a basically ineffective mouse-like remote that is designed to only change volume, and channel, as well as power the set on and off.

Measuring around 1.2 inches deep, Samsung UN55B8000 requires a specific wall mount. The frame of the TV is black and its blue power indicator can be dimmed. The UN55B8000 operates at a much cooler temperature than most LCDs and obviously plasma displays, which is a nice thing since at least theoretically its electronics have the chance to a longer lifespan. It also weighs much less than most other HDTV displays.

Samsung used the same menu system as last year, and we think it’s quite well designed. Big, highly legible text is set against transparent backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy. There’s helpful explanatory text along the bottom, and we dug the context-sensitive menu that would pop up occasionally to provide more options.

Performance

While local dimming displays and plasmas evoke the best picture overall, Samsung’s edge-lit LEDs still offer consumers plenty of quality. With good color accuracy and deep black levels, the UN55B8000 is still one of the best buys. While it’s off-angle performance is poor and overall uniformity is a bit weak, the company does offer firmware updates that hopefully will improve these concerns at some point. Luckily Samsung offers users an abundance of picture adjustments. While its Movie mode tinges toward blue, there are plenty of adjustable fields that can correct almost any picture issue.

Black Levels

The UN55B8000 has great black levels, though not as deep as the Panasonic V10 plasma TVs or Samsung UN55B8500 or some Sony high-end models. While is as dark as its sibling, the UN55B7000, its shadow detail is much weaker than the previously mentioned sets from other brands. While the UN55B8000’s contrast behaves quite well in darker areas, the set by no means is the darkest out there. Users looking for blacks in dark scenes that are purely pitch will find themselves a bit disappointed. Compared to most LCD TVs out there however, it offers deeper blacks.

Color Accuracy

Samsung UN55B8000 has unflinching accuracy with primary and secondary colors, yielding good accuracy overall. At times its grayscale can head toward blue during scenes with lots of skin, the overall saturation doesn’t pop like on the UN55B8500, and while the dark areas are mostly neutral, they can’t touch most plasma displays.

Video Processing

The 240Hz refresh rate has a similar effect as on its brother LN52B750, LG 55LH90, and similar sets from other manufacturers. All were basically impossible to distinguish the difference from 120Hz models. Happily this set offers the capability of stopping the smoothing effects of dejudder processing while retaining blur reduction. When using the dejudder feature during a film, the viewer will notice motion can seem more video-like, a displeasing effect. But by boosting judder reduction, artifacts can also appear. However, the set provides each line of 1080i and 1080p sources.

Standard Definition

The UN55B800 kills jaggies from video-based sources just fine. The provided noise reduction does its job well and the set handles 2:3 pulldown well. Overall, its standard-def picture quality is great, definitely better than what we have seen on Panasonic HDTV models.

Glare and Reflections

The Samsung UN558000 glossy screen has the same issues as most of Samsung’s sets. Sony and LG’s matte-screened LCDs and even some glass-screened plasmas do a better job of stopping reflections in ambient atmospheres. While these reflections can be quite a distraction in the wrong lighting, Samsung’s set did outperform the plasmas, and the matte LCDs in some ways, at conserving black levels and contrast when subjected to bright light.

Conclusion

Samsung UN55B8000 has few problems with its grayscale and its glossy screen, but overall there’s a lot to love about this TV. With deep black levels, though not as solid as the Panasonic V10, Samsung’s own UN55B8500 and the Sony XBR9 and Z5100 models, the UN8000 produces a vivid picture with good contrast and quite natural colors. There is a lot of interactivity attached to this set, such as Yahoo widgets that give users access to Flickr photos, stocks, games, YouTube, sports scores, news, weather, Yahoo video and Twitter. While the consumers looking for the best picture out there will choose the UN55B8500 or Panasonic TC-P54V10, this set will certainly be appreciated by those who want to save a bit and don’t rquire the very best thing out there.