Samsung Series 8 LED TV review

If we had one gripe with the Samsung Series 8, it would be that its price is too high and the screen sizes on offer are limited. The Series 8 plasma looks almost as good, is a bit cheaper and offers larger screen sizes. Considered on its own, the Samsung Series 8 is one of the best LED TVs we’ve seen.

The Series 8 is Samsung’s top-tier LED TV, with all the features of lesser TVs like the Series 7 and Series 6 as well as boosts to picture quality and video processing. If you can afford to pay for it it’s an excellent TV with no crippling flaws — the few problems are mainly restricted to the TV’s Web features. However, its Series 8 plasma rival has almost equal picture quality and offers larger screen sizes.

Samsung Series 8 3D LED TV: Design

The Series 8 looks just like its Series 8 plasma sibling, apart from a much thinner bezel around its 55in screen. The 5mm thick chromed bezel blends into the space behind the television, so in a dimly-lit room the Series 8’s screen stands out. It’s a very modern-looking TV — times have changed since chunky piano black LCD TVs dominated the market two years ago. The Loewe-esque four-legged stand is a feature we have liked on Samsung’s TVs since 2010, so we’re happy to see the trend continuing here.

At 29.7mm thick the Series 8 is a reasonably slim TV. It’s not as stunning as the Series 9 LED TV from 2010, which was thinner than a pencil, but we think the Series 8 would look great mounted against a wall with Samsung’s thin picture-frame wall mount.

The Samsung Series 8 is bundled with a novel remote control, which has a standard remote control layout on one side and a QWERTY tactile keyboard on the other. The QWERTY keyboard makes entering Web addresses or router passwords much easier than the traditional remote control keypad, and we like its inclusion even though we think it’ll get minimal day-to-day use. We did have some trouble getting used to flipping it over when a text-friendly prompt came up, and we found we had to be within a few metres of the TV to use it. Read more »

A cheap 24in Full HD LED TV with good picture quality

Grundig’s Vanto GLED2407HDC LED TV is reasonably priced for a small-screen TV, and has good picture quality as well as a slim design and good energy efficiency. Unless you have a pressing need for the Internet features offered by new TVs from big brands like Samsung and Sony, we can’t see any reason not to buy this TV if you’re looking for a small screen in the bedroom or office.

Grundig Vanto GLED2407HDC LED TV: Design, features and power

The materials the Grundig Vanto GLED2407HDC are constructed of feel slightly cheap — the plastic bezel around the screen is a bit tacky and easily picks up fingerprints, for example, and the base of the TV’s stand is a simple square of glass — but the TV is solid and doesn’t feel flimsy when standing. The stand swivels over a small range. Read more »

Samsung boosts Explore 3D app for LEDs, plasmas

Samsung has expanded its Explore 3D television app to include a wealth of new, free 3D content, the company announced today.

Samsung’s 3D glasses.

Owners of 3D LED and plasma televisions from the company’s 2010 and 2011 lines will now have access to music videos; full-length television shows, courtesy of small network Wealth TV; and educational programming via the Explore 3D program. The application is available on the sets’ SmartHub interface.

Samsung’s Explore 3D application has been available to owners of those televisions for quite some time. Previously, users only were able to watch 3D movie trailers.

To further bolster its 3D push, Samsung also said today that it plans to add paid content, including 3D films and documentaries, to the Explore 3D application “later this year.” The company has yet to reveal pricing or availability.

The addition of new 3D content to Samsung’s line of televisions is a welcome advancement for consumers. Earlier this month, IHS iSuppli revealed in a study of the 3DTV market that just 80 live sources of 3D content were available in the U.S. and U.K. last year, leaving consumers with very little programming to watch on their sets. However, this year, the research firm believes 3D content will grow via sporting events, films, and prime-time shows.

Samsung launches Smart TV in the UAE

Samsung Smart TVs line-up combines design with a wide range of smart features. Combining smart content and smart experience, Samsung Smart TVs offer a viewing experience with its minimal aesthetics and 3D impact, as well as a new world of web-connected TV entertainment and allows users to easily search for movies, TV shows, browse the web, explore Samsung Apps, chat with friends and much more.

Samsung’s “Smart Hub” is the interface to all Samsung’s Smart features, offering a simple menu system that is easy to connect, discover and enjoy a wide range of content. Users can also easily search for movies, shows and videos via online services and across connected devices, browse the Web from their TV and access a wide variety of applications from Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTV-based apps store.

The smart features that constitute the Smart Hub include

Samsung Apps—the world’s first HDTV-based application store offering hundreds of apps globally that help people connect to their various passions—whether in sports, entertainment, information, games or social networking. Currently Samsung Apps boasts around 400 applications for Smart TV globally, of which approximately 300 are free, and is looking into increasing that number to 1000 by end of 2011.

AllShare— Samsung’s enhanced DLNA feature called “All Share” offers a wireless network, which is convenient and easy to use, allowing users to share HD quality content such as pictures, videos and music among all Samsung and other DLNA compatible digital devices, including mobile phones, notebooks and digital cameras.

Search All— a smart feature unique to Samsung Smart TVs, makes it easy to access and search for desired content on the web and other DLNA connected devices, networked PC and mobile devices, and Internet and video-on-demand services.

Social TV—makes it easy to chat with friends and family in real-time while watching the same TV content, thanks to integration with social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Talk.

Web Browser—offers Samsung’s proprietary built in Web Browser that includes full flash video support, allowing you to surf the net right from your TV. For easy navigation, you can turn your Android or Apple OS device into a Cursor Control remote control or QWERTY keyboard by downloading the relevant mobile application.
Second TV— a Samsung proprietary feature that allows users to stream visual content between devices where viewers will be able to push Blu-ray, DVD and live TV from their screen to other Samsung devices such as tablets and Galaxy smart phones.

From a design perspective, Samsung’s new “One Design” 5 mm ultra-slim bezel on premium LED TV models impacts the viewing experience by liberating 3D pictures from the TV set.

In addition, Samsung has launched a Total 3D Solution, which takes consumers even deeper into the immersive 3D experience. Total 3D Solution includes a ground-breaking 3D Audio technology which simulates the height and depth of the audio track by distinguishing between foreground and background sounds to create an immersive experience. Complementing the stylish elements in any home, Samsung Total 3D also includes the world’s slimmest 3D Blu-ray player; the BD-D7500, that comprises smart features and epitomize Samsung’s 3S concept design philosophy—symmetric, slim and slot-in.

Adding to the experience, Total 3D Solution brings the company’s Silhouette -designed 3D active glasses which are now the world’s lightest 3D active glasses at merely 28 gm and greater comfort thanks to the new placement of printed circuits and batteries behind each ear. Samsung’s Total 3D Solution is further complemented by a stylish new wireless charger which charges up to four pairs of active 3D glasses through an elegant, glossy black cylinder.

Samsung’s new 3D glasses use Bluetooth instead of infrared signals to sync with the 3D TV, meaning the glasses do not need to have line-of-sight with the TV set.

“Samsung continues to blend technology and art to take TV design one step further and the Smart TVs range offer the most exciting home entertainment experiences we have ever created. We have developed smart new features and applications based on our “Smarter Life” concept and combined those with innovative design. Samsung’s Smart TVs offer the ultimate viewing experience and will redefine the way users experience home entertainment,” said Justin Shaw, General Manager of AV division, Samsung Gulf Electronics.

The Samsung Smart TV line-up includes a range of LED, LCD and PDP TVs in order to provide a minimalistic, more immersive viewing experience. The flagship D8000 LED Smart TV with 3D capabilities has a barely visible 5 mm brushed metal bezel, a fine line that slightly frames the rich content on the screen and enhances the TV’s light form factor. The D8000 Series continues the minimalist style of the award-winning C8000 Series and uses an improved Quad Stand to ensure ultimate harmony between the TV and its environment. The new series also has all the features of Samsung’s Social Hub that allow users to access all types of online content from one location thereby making it easier for viewers to engage their passions by accessing Web-delivered content on their TV screens.

Samsung’s Smart PDP TV range delivers the best viewing experience in 2D and 3D coupled with breath-taking picture quality, advanced connectivity options and superior audio-visual technologies. The range also offers Samsung’s breakthrough Plasma+1 design, which features a new narrow bezel that adds one inch of viewable screen size for a greater viewing area without increasing the outside dimensions of the set which is now available in 43″, 51″, 59″ and 64″.

Samsung LED D8000 Series LCD 3D HDTV

New for 2011, the Samsung LED D8000 series 3D TV comes in a 0.2″ brushed metal bezel, a fine line that subtly frames the rich content on the screen and enhances the TV’s light form factor. The D8000 Series continues the minimalist style of the C8000 Series and uses an improved Quad Stand to ensure ultimate harmony between the TV and its environment.

The reduction in bezel size means consumers can enjoy a larger viewing screen and wider viewing angle without having to increase the physical size of their TVs, and makes using social applications like Skype and YouTube, browsing the Web, sharing content and playing games that much more inclusive.

With a 240Hz refresh rate, 2 millisecond motion picture response time (MPRT) and improved LED backlight scanning, this CES Innovation Award honoree offers true-to-life 2D, 3D and HD images with outstanding clarity. In addition to the Ultra Clear Panel, the TV is the first to offer Micro Dimming Plus technologies to provide the richest, most lifelike pictures with deep blacks and pure whites.

The D8000 Series comes with Samsung’s new 3D glasses and Samsung’s innovative Touch Control that can also stream TV programs to its built-in 3″ LCD screen, almost like a second TV, even while a Blu-ray disc is being played on the TV.

The D8000 has a built-in Wi-Fi connection and many convenient ways to manage and display content through Samsung’s Smart Hub portal. The set can connect to other devices using DLNA or Samsung’s patented One Foot Connection technology.

SAMSUNG 3D LED TV TO BE WON

Samsung’s Skype-enabled, 7000 and 8000 series High Definition 3D LED TVs reportedly sold over 10,000 units in just, and this achievement is made all the more remarkable simply because it was achieved within six weeks. Half of the TVs sold were 55? models for which the major reason is considered to be their capability to convert 2D stereoscopic images to 3D ones with just one push of a button.

and out of the total number sold, around half of them were of the 55″ variety. One of the main reasons this model is so successful is due to the TV’s 2D to 3D feature, where such conversion technology is available to enable users to convert 2D to 3D stereoscopic images with but a single touch of a touch of a button. It would be interesting to see whether the US will see such adoption rates or not.