Samsung UN55D8000 55 inch LED HDTV
Sep 12th, 2011 | By SimonThere are a couple enhancements to the D8000 worth pointing out. If you recall with the C9000 there was a USB antenna for the wireless network. The antenna has now been integrated into the bezel and you don’t need the goofy looking adapter sticking out. Second, you will remember how much I disliked the touch screen remote control. Yes, it looked awesome but it had a very short battery life and the touchscreen keyboard was not easy to use. Samsung has now solved that issue with the two-sided QWERTY remote! On one face it looks exactly like your regular remote control with the numerical keyboard, channel up/down, volume up/down and some basic media and app controls. However, when you rotate the remote over you get a full QWERTY keyboard complete with a small touchpad to use as a mouse!
The remote automatically detects which side is facing up so you don’t accidentally press the buttons on the underside. I’ll make a quick note in saying that out of the box the QWERTY feature of the remote doesn’t work, you do need to synchronize it with your TV. It’s just a matter of following the two steps in the instruction manual. A key on the remote enables the backlight so you can use it late at night without turning on the lights in the house. The first picture of the remote has the light on giving it a light glow around some of the keys.
If you ever lose your remote or happen to run out of batteries, the UN55D8000 can be locally controlled, albeit the controls are very basic and only allow you to turn on/off the TV, enter the menu, switch input sources, channel up/down and control the volume.
The newest feature in the UN55D8000 not seeing in previous generations is the SMART HUB and this is what makes the UN55D8000 a SMART TV. The SMART HUB is a portal to all of the apps available on the UN55D8000. It gives you access to your favourites, integrated apps like video, photos and music playback or online apps like YouTube, Social TV, Web Browser, BBC News etc.
The Media Play feature runs pretty well the same as before with a slight GUI change. If you switch video sources to a USB thumbdrive it will automatically load up Video Player and you have to switch to Music or Photos at the top . The playback quality is very good – both video and audio. There was no ghosting or uneven lighting in the videos and the audio playback is just as good as my soundscience speakers.
One of the features I really enjoyed with the SMART HUB is the Web Browser. With the QWERTY keyboard on the backside of the remote the Web Browser effectively eliminates the need for an HTPC. With network access to my NAS with all my digital content I can do all my browsing right off the TV. I’ll admit the Web Browser is definitely not as fast as my HTPC and the keyboard does take some time getting use to, but if you’re just doing some light browsing like looking up what’s playing tonight or reading e-mail then this would be all you need. The quality of the online browser is very good, just as if you’re working right off a computer. He’s a few screen shots. Later on in the review you’ll see how the TV looks when doubling as a monitor for my HTPC.
Another modification to the UN55D8000 is the primary menu. I’ve put this section at the end because it’s one of those set it and forget it. Once you’re happy with the way your audio, video, network is setup you’ll likely never re-visit this page. That said, here’s a quick snapshot of how it looks. The GUI has changed and I find the GUI much easier to reset with the contrasting background and text. The selection hasn’t changed with user changes being accepted on Picture, Sound, Channel, Network, System and Support. The ECO Solution features to control how much power is consumed by changing the backlight or turning off the screen are still there. A nice new feature is the e-Manual where you can read about how some of the apps work and what all the features do. Keep in mind that it does require internet connection to work.
Some of the other features with the UN55D8000 are not new so I’ll skip over them. I find these apps are not ground breaking and would not affect your purchase decision, many of which can also now be replaced with the Web Browser feature. Let’s now move onto the test phase of the UN55D8000.