Samsung UE46C8000 3D TV
Picture perfect?
Review Samsung got the 3D ball rolling earlier this year when its C7000 became the first 3D TV to hit the shops in the UK. However, the more expensive C8000 is the one that really turned my head. Even if you dismiss the 3D option as a novelty the C8000 is simply a superb flat-screen TV.
Samsung's UE46C8000: a great viewing experience in any dimension
It’s not cheap, coming in at around £2200 for this 46in model – maybe a little cheaper if you shop around online – but the sleek design, impressive image quality, and wide range of features give it the ‘wow’ factor that sets your credit card a-trembling.
The streamlined LED back-lit panel is a mere 23.9mm thick, and finished off with a stylish metal-and-glass bezel. The whole unit is mounted on an eye-catching silvery ‘quad stand’, and even the brushed metal finish of the remote control merits an admiring glance.
The slimline design does have one disadvantage, though. The four HDMI interfaces are all normal size, but most of the other ports and connectors have been miniaturized, which means that you have to tear open a big bag full of adaptors – or ‘slim gender cables’ as Samsung calls them – simply to plug in the Ethernet cable and even the aerial for the Freeview HD tuner. As a result, the back panel does end up looking a bit of a mess, with unsightly black plastic adaptors dangling from various ports.
However, all is forgiven when you go up-front again and look at the screen. Turn it on and the C8000 welcomes you with a happy chime, swiftly followed by a bright and boldly coloured image that really shines when you switch to high-definition content on BBC HD.
Slimline styling demands various adapters to hook up to miniaturised interface ports
You’ve got plenty of control over the image too. In addition to presets for specific tasks such as watching movies, the on-screen menu system provides individual controls for settings such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, tint and tone, motion blur and judder reduction. There’s also a handy on-screen help display that gives a brief description of each setting for less experienced users.
COMMENTS
Re: LED=SCAM
@ Mike Brown
Whilst I would agree that TV manufacturers have been / are guilty of milking the various TV format / display technologies over the past few years, it's a step too far to call LED backlighting technology a scam.
Whilst it is true to say that, "LED tv's arnt [sic] LED tvs at all. They have LED backlighting, but still use LCD....." the ASA has said that it does not object to the use of the term (LED TV) but does require it to be clarified in any advertising.
Whilst the panel in this Samsung may not be a hypothetical true LED display, or an OLED display, no one is saying this.
In terms of the technology itself and depending on the type of LED used, this method of backlighting does offer considerable benefits, eg a wider colour gamut, higher dynamic contrast ratios, higher brightness, etc over traditional CCFL backlit TVs.
Since the the main barrier to the wide use of LED backlighting on LCD televisions is cost, your C750 TV may well have been "half the price" and "left your wallet fatter" but to claim it is "just as good" is cleary wishful thinking!
Scam?
@ Mike Brown
Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Ofcom and the ASA regarding "unlimited" broadband and your claim the situation there is similar to LED TV backlighting in being, "a scam".
This is what I found: "The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is currently undertaking a review of the way broadband speeds are advertised, and Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has called for stricter rules." (27/07/10)
So, not much of a scam there apart from the broadband providers marketing depts trying to get away with as much as they can.
Beauty as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, so if your TV is as good as you say, I'm sure you're also right in that regard.
Scam?
Just because the ASA say its ok dosnt mean its not a scam. Look at ofcom and "unlimited" broadband, and tell me thats not a scam, and very similar to this situation.
And yes, i stand by my claim that my c750 is just as good as this TV, you can believe its "wishful thinking" if you choose.....
Wake me up in 2 years when I consider buying my next TV
I bought an HD TV 18 months ago, so not in the market for a new TV for at least another 2 years.
I enjoy 3D in the cinema but not bothered about it at home.
I also expect by the time I get around to 3D at home that it will just be built in rather than a premium offering so prices should be more acceptable.
Your only half right, and therefore also half wrong...
There are a lot of TV's being advertised as LED which are LCD with LED back-lights. The effect is much better than the old back lights and give much better contrast and blacks.
There are also OLED screens that are made from real RGB LED's on the glass. Unfortunately the ones I saw last year were quite simply - crap. There seemed to only be about 32 (maybe 64) shades for each colour as the intensity can only be altered by the switching frequence.
This has also been used for dodgy adverts claiming 600Mhz refresh, which is rather pointless for a image that only updates 50 or 60 times a second.
The overal effect was like looking at a some badly compressed images with a 256 colour pallet, or like viewing images on a 20year old PC.
