Watching the Monsters and Aliens romp around in 3D is genuinely fun, and the 3D effect does create an effective sense of movement and perspective for those throwing-things-in-your-face moments. However, given the scarcity of 3D content at the moment I was more intrigued by the 2D-to-3D conversion option.
Shortsighted? It's £150 extra for each pair 3D glasses
This is partially successful, creating a kind of 2.5D effect – akin to a pop-up book, in which certain elements seem to sit on a completely separate plane right in the foreground. But watching Wimbledon did reveal a weakness here, as the tramlines on the tennis court displayed a noticeable ghosting.
Verdict
Many people have dismissed the current obsession with 3D as a mere fad – and, to be honest, I’m inclined to agree. However, the C8000 still earns its keep as an outstanding 2D television, allowing you to treat the 3D option as just one extra item on an impressively long list of features. Its image quality is as striking as its aesthetic design, and the attention to detail in features such as the on-screen menus, online services, and USB-recording simply confirm the fact that the C8000 really is a class act. ®
More HD TV Reviews |
|||
 Group Test
Freeview HD TVs |
 Sharp
Aquos LC-52LE700E |
 Panasonic
Viera TX-L32S20B |
 Group Test
3D TVs |
Samsung UE46C8000 3D TV
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.
