Samsung presents its latest 8500 HDTV series
The 8500 series can be described as sliver when seen from the side, coming in at 1. 6 inches deep at its thickest point and tapering even thinner toward the edges of the panel. Samsung UN55B8500 shows a exclusive slender wall mount, and if you select to maintain the TV on its stand, the panel will still look pretty inspiring from edge- on. From the front the set is no slouch, either. Unlike the red- tinted members Samsung’s edge- lit LED line, the frame of the 8500 is basic black accented by a transparent border, which lends the whole TV a jewel- like appearance. A subtle blue power indicator, which can be disabled, offers the only touch of color on this Samsung TV.
The stand has a brushed metal surface and a transparent, swivel- topped stalk to maintain the slim panel gracefully suspended above its surface and permit viewers to point the TV toward different areas of the room- - a good idea since you definitely want to remain as close to dead- center of the screen as possible. As well as the obvious thinness, the LEDs allow for a couple other design bonuses. The UNB8500 runs a lot cooler than other LCD and notably plasma displays, along with the panel itself also weighs less. Samsung used the same menu system as last year and we still think it’s one of the best. Serious, highly legible text is set against transparent blue backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy, there’s valuable explanatory text along the bottom of the menus, and we liked the context- sensitive menu that provided more options subject to your recent activity. There’s a different angle to the 8500’s remote compared with step- down Samsung models. The included clicker features RF capability, letting it work without requiring you having to point it at the TV, or even be in the same room. RF worked great in our testing once we had “paired” the remote with the TV(a simple first step) , and we really prized the convenience.
One more huge variation is the rotating scroll wheel, an additional of which we’re not huge fans. While the wheel was more suitable than it was not too long ago, it still took a half- turn or so on most occasions to respond at first when we navigated the menu. Combined with the sluggish widgets(see below) it wasn’t a user experience we appreciated.
Beyond the wheel the remote is fine, with buttons that are massive, backlit, and simply classified by size and shape. We liked the dedicated “Tools” key that gives quick access to the E- manual, picture, and sound modes, the sleep timer, and also the picture- in- picture controls. We didn’t like the remote’s glossy dark appearance, however, which picked up more than its share of dulling fingerprints after a few minutes. The manufacturer also includes a small, nearly worthless hockey- puck- type remote that only controls channel, volume, and power.
The other large item on the 8500’s spec sheet, and one that affects picture quality to a much smaller extent, is its 240 Hz refresh rate Its main benefit is better motion resolution than 120Hz models, although the variation shall be nearly hard to discern for most viewers. One of a kind to the UNB8500 models is an LED Motion Plus control that engages a sequential backlight scanning system to further improve motion resolution, at the expense of some light output. Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus dejudder processing is also onboard, and new for 2009 it includes a nicely implemented custom made setting that allows you to tweak blur reduction and judder.
This HDTV review is true to both the 46- inch Samsung UN46B8500 and the 55- inch Samsung UN55B8500. The two share identical specs as well as screen size and should have similar best home entertainment experience.
