Samsung UN55C8000 LED 3D TV

The Samsung UN55C8000 3D TV is a 55 inch 3D ready display that is part of Samsung’s 8000 Series of LED based LCD HDTVs. While the 8000 series has is lacking in some of the bells and whistles of the flagship 9000 series (Including the lack of the revolutionary touch screen remote control) this 3D television has an excellent feature set with great picture quality and an ultra-slim profile with gorgeous looks. Read on to learn about the features and performance of the TV and see how it compares with other 3D TVs.

Screen Size and Appearance

This sleek TV uses conventional LCD technology in conjunction with Samsung’s new LED edge lit backlighting system. LED Backlighting enables manufacturers to push the limits of flatscreen thickness as is evident with this 3D TV. The UN55C8000’s screen is a massive 55 inches in size. This TV is sure to turn heads in your living room with its beautiful metallic looks and ultra-thin LED backlit panel.

Display Technology

Features and Benefits

The Samsung UN55C8000 features a 240Hz LCD panel capable of full 1080p display. This enhanced refresh rate has three distinct advantages over lower end LCD TVs.

1. The higher refresh rate is better for viewing 3D content with Samsung’s active shutter glasses. This is because each eye will perceive a refresh rate of 120Hz since active shutter 3D systems halve the effective frame rate of the TV. This will lead to a smoother 3D experience with absolutely no flicker. Read more about active shutter systems in our 3D TV technology guide.
2. A 240Hz display enables smooth judder free playback of movies which are shot at 24 frames per second. They are able to do so via 10:10 pull down. To explain it simply, since the refresh rate (240Hz) is a direct multiple of the video frame rate (24fps – 24×10=240), the frames from the video can sync perfectly with the LCD TV refresh rate, thus providing very smooth, judder free playback.
3. The high refresh rate on the UN55C8000 also offers a better viewing experience for high speed video content such as sports and action movies. The higher refresh rate helps reduce motion blur and ghosting issues thus providing a smoother and more enjoyable TV viewing experience.

Drawbacks – Things to watch out for

The edge lit technology might give rise to slightly uneven backlighting across the whole screen. This is a small sacrifice you have to make when going for a panel with as slim a profile as the UN55C8000. However, this should not be an issue unless you prefer to view movies in the dark. Once this TV is released, it should become more apparent whether this will actually be an issue.

Another concern is a halo effect that has been reported by some viewers at CES 2010 when viewing 3D content. It could of course be teething issues with a new technology and there is a good chance that Samsung will fix these sort of issues before sending their final TV models into production.

3D Technology

As mentioned before, Samsung has adopted Active shutter based 3D technology. Given that the advantages of Active Shutter technology when it comes to LCD and Plasma panels, this seems to be the right choice. The 120Hz refresh rate per eye will allow for an immersive and smooth 3D viewing experience. In addition, the 1080p display will enable HD enjoyment of 3D content on the UN55C8000.

Additionally, this TV set features Samsung’s proprietary 3D up conversion technology that enables it to up convert regular 2D content into 3D material. How well this works still remains to be seen. This artificial 3D content will never look as real and natural as true 3D content, but it does seem quite promising, especially for certain types of content that it is best suited for.

Format

The Samsung UN55C8000 is capable of displaying true 1080p content. Thus this panel has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Given that all HD content is currently either at 720p, 1080i or 1080p, the native 1080p display of the UN55C8000 will make it compatible with all HD and 3D content.

Media, Internet and other Connectivity

The Samsung UN55C8000 features internet connectivity via a regular Ethernet port. This enables the use of Samsung’s “internet@TV” software capabilities. While this feature was largely ridiculed in last years models, hopefully Samsung will have incorporated major improvements to enhance the utility of this feature.

Samsung is also going to provide an iPhone-esque App Store which allowing for the streaming of movies and images from Netflix, Youtube, Flickr, Picasa as well as a host of other news and media content providers straight to your 3D TV.

The UN55C8000 also features USB 2.0 connectivity allowing you to play videos, view slideshows or listen to music with ease.

Features and Specifications

• 3D Ready HDTV
• 55″ Screen
• 240Hz Motion Plus display for fast screen refresh rates
• LED Edge Lighting Technology
• 1080p screen resolution
• 3D Processing Engine for 2D to 3D on the fly video up conversion
• Dimming technology for improved black levels
• Slim and elegant metallic design featuring Touch Of Color(TM)
• Internet ready, featuring Internet@TV
  • Streaming videos via Netflix
  • Pandora for streaming music
  • Accuweather
  • Samsung Apps
  • Picasa
  • Twitter
  • News Apps (USA Today)
• Compatibility with multiple 3D Standards
• Energy Star 4.0 – Improved energy efficiency thanks to LED Technology

Conclusion

The Samsung UN55C8000 LED 3D TV was announced by Samsung in 2010. From our early impressions and the TV features and specifications, it seems like an excellent 3D Ready television for those consumers who are in the market for a large 3D TV without having to pay a premium for extra bells and whistles associated with the flagship 9000 Series. The 1080p 240Hz LED edgelit LCD panel promises an excellent viewing experience for consumers, whether it be 2D or 3D content. Stay tuned for more details!