Samsung UN55B8500 55-inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV Review

The images become incredibly true to life because of the work Samsung has done in the Color, Contrast and Clarity department. From pure blacks to snow whites, the 7,000,000:1 contrast ratio brings a stunning picture quality.

But it goes even deeper, because the UN55B8500 has Advanced Color Processing that provides a much greater depth for a very vibrant picture that captivates, even with the subtle colors.

On top of this, the Auto Motion Plus 240Hz technology virtually eliminates all motion blur. This leaves your image smooth and crisp, even during high speed action on-screen.

The attention Samsung paid to the way the pictures are displayed on the screen pays off in smooth, sharp and fluid action that lets you see in detail even in the fast moments of a game or movie. This creates much more depth of detail that a lot of TV sets miss when the action gets faster.

Thethe Wide Color Enhancer Pro feature takes each pixel and analizes it. It then stretches it to their 3-dimensional limit. This results in the fullest and most lifelike colors on a TV screen. The picture seems to pull you in with it's realness.

So you can't make up your mind whether to watch TV or surf Yahoo for some news? Samsung makes it easy. The UN55B8500 has integrated widgets that let you watch, add or delete content. You can view it all on the roomy sidebar or across your wide screen.

This feature seemed silly to me at first... until I grasped it better. No longer did I have to get up and do the old shuffle between the TV and computer when I wanted to research some info I heard from the TV. Now I can do it all in one place.

It seems the people at Samsung paid attention to the fact that most of us want to access our videos, music and photos on our TV. This is exactly what you can do with the UN55B8500 by having access to your PC or DLNA mobile devices wirelessly and effortlessly. Now you can enjoy YOUR content on your TV. You can even link to multiple PC's - as is the case for a full family where everybody has their own computer.

Also, you no longer need to leave your digital pictures in your cameras or storage devices. The UN55B8500 comes with USB: 2.0 Multi-Media Center. The user friendly interface allows you access to videos, playlists and pictures with your remote.

Here's another use that I came across. Again, I thought it was a rather silly feature at first, but I quickly changed my mind when I actually put it to use.

With the Samsung you can stock and use online content that you download and save. This came in quite handy when I had to open my laptop and I posted the instructions on how to do it (which I found online) on the screen while I was doing it.

Key Features

* Screen Size: 55 inches
* Full 1080p HD (Learn more)
* New -- Breakthrough local dimming LED technology for a sharper picture as well as true-to-life brightness ranging from the purest black to pristine white. (Learn more)
* Auto Motion Plus 240Hz: Advanced processing that reduces blur and enhances image detail when viewing fast motion video sequences. (Learn more)
* Energy Savings: Samsung's LED TVs use up to 40 percent less power than conventional LCD TVs. (Learn more)
* Ultra-slim Design: 1.6-inch depth
* Ultra-quick 2ms response time minimizes blurring of fast motion in sports programs.
* Mega dynamic contrast ratio (7,000,000:1)
* HD-Grade Pixel Resolution: High-resolution pixel density is combined with a built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.
* Ultra Clear Panel: Advanced LCD technology lets you enjoy crisp image details, natural skin tones, excellent shadow detail, and vibrant colors.
* Game Mode enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sounds of your games. Picture and sound quality optimized for the special needs of gaming systems at the touch of a button.
* Wide Color Enhancer Pro optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors.
* Picture-in-Picture (PIP) enables convenient, simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC content sources.
* Audio: Two stereo speakers (15-watts each, for 30 watts of total power)
* SRS TruSurround HD creates an immersive, feature-rich surround sound experience from two speakers, complete with rich bass, high frequency detail and clear dialog.
* Content Library (2 GB Flash Memory): Built-in library contains photo art gallery, games, workout routines, recipes, and other interesting digital content. Additional items and updates are available from Samsung.com.
* Two USB 2.0 ports for playing a variety of video, photo, and audio files from portable devices, including external hard drives
* DLNA-compatible for better interopability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers (Learn more)
* Anynet Plus (HDMI-CEC) allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by a Samsung TV remote control.
* Energy Star Compliant: Reduces energy consumption by up to 25 percent compared with standard TVs.
* Built-in digital tuner--no external box needed.
* V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by a parent to contain objectionable content.
* Crystal Neck swivel stand
* Warranty: 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty (90 days parts and labor for commercial use), with in home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support.
* Medi@2.0 lets you enjoy more with Internet TV, allowing you to receive content via Yahoo!, Flickr, and more via on-screen TV widgets. (Learn more)

Connections

* HDMI (version 1.3): 4 back
* USB: 2 back
* Component video: 1 back
* Composite video: 1 back (shared with component)
* PC input: 1 back
* Ethernet: 1 back
* Optical digital audio output: 1 back

Dimensions

* TV without stand: 52.1 x 31.4 x 1.6 inches (WxHxD); 61.7 pounds
* TV with stand: 52.1 x 34 x 12.1 inches (WxHxD); 77.6 pounds