Samsung UE55D8000 55in net-connected LED TV
3D telly with downloadable apps
Review Samsung’s D8000 is as stylish as it is advanced. Barely contained by the tiny 5mm brushed-metal bezel, its images appear suspended in space. Only the brand’s familiar X-wing pedestal, with illuminated logo bulging from the bottom of the screen, keep them tethered to terra firma.
Samsung's 55in D8000: more picture that telly
The set is 3D compatible, of course, but more usefully it features Samsung’s new Smart Hub internet TV and app portal. You can get online using either the telly's on-board Wi-Fi or its Ethernet port.
This flagship screen is an exercise in economy. All the connections are confined to the back panel - there are no side-mounted ports at all. Choose from four HDMI inputs, a VGA input with 3.5mm mini-jack audio, or an adaptor for either Scart or component-video.
There are also three USB inputs and the aforementioned Ethernet port, plus a digital audio optical output.
Squished inside are two tuners: one for Freeview HD and the other Freesat HD.
Even this skinny, it still puts out a beefy sound
The most obvious question from a cursory glance at the D8000 is where are the speakers hiding? The answer is on the back, firing downwards. Each rated at 15W, they make a reasonably enthusiastic noise, despite the lack of a sub-woofer.
Next page: Don't worry, be app-y
COMMENTS
Ouch, but look on the bright side
You could have bought a Sony. It's a little known feature that all Sony products are automatically discontinued the first time someone actually buys one.
Unfair?
It looks like the tv designers used AutoCAD, and the remote 'designers' blocked out their 'design' by colouring in cells in an Excel spreadsheet (I doubt it was crayons and graph paper, but who knows).
How can such a good-looking tv have such a minging remote?
I had a fairly positive attitude to this telly........
...........as I read through your thorough review Steve until I came to the bit about it ships with ONE pair of the specs. ONE pair with a TV that costs over two and a half grand? Sammy are extracting a great deal of urea out of customers they expect to part with over 21/2K.
firmware update?
Update the firmware and review it again for the bits you didnt like (not the 3d)
couple of other reviews had the same issues and new firmware fixed it.
Also never use DLNA its a butchered protocol that should die if i had my way :)
@deshepherd
Maybe they should take a leaf out of LG's book (though hopefully not their Standard Def scaling book) and have it that pressing "input" brings up the input menu, but pressing it repeatedly moves the highlight on the menu down by one selection each time, and then not pressing anything for a few seconds activates that selection. Or you can use the up/down arrows and enter button on the remote for faster selection.
And also LG seem to be the only manufacturer of consumer-level kit that still have an RS232 control port on the back, and still allow consumers to send commands to the set (the control codes are handily printed at the back of the manual) - which is amazing for automation systems that can use RS232 control.
