Samsung 55UED8000

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June 2011

Freesat Freeview euro tv skyThe best kit, The best programmes

Samsung 55UED8000

Samsung 55UED8000Move over Derren Brown, Samsung’s wizards have squeezed every feature going into this very thin 55in 3D-ready LED TV

Samsung’s top-of-the-range 55in LeD TV is a jaw-dropper of a TV. Combining a startling minimalistic design with an extensive feature

set – including Freeview HD, Freesat HD, 3D and internet connectivity – it ticks every box on any self-respecting upgrader’s wish list. Quite how they’ve done it is baffling.

Build and connectivity Its sharp, bright pictures are barely constrained by the tiny 5mm brushed metal bezel. Look closely and you’ll notice Volume, Channel and Source buttons on the bottom right of the screen, accessed via a neat local pressure sensor.

unfortunately, the super-slim design also means that there are no side-mounted inputs at all. If you have media on uSB flash drives you’ll have to plug them into

the back panel – which is not particularly user friendly. The recessed nature of the rear HDMI ports also limits what type of lead you can use. For example, a heavy-duty IXOS HDMI cable simply didn’t fit, but a cheap generic cable was fine.

Samsung has abandoned plans to bundle its second-generation touchscreen remote with this year’s Series 8 TVs. The brand has opted to stick with a conventional remote zapper for this screen, offering users the choice of either buying the touchscreen controller as an optional extra, or downloading an app that does much the same job from a tablet or smartphone.

Tuner options are extensive. In addition to Freeview HD there’s Freesat HD or naked DVB-S2 and DVB-C (not Virgin Media-compatible).

2D HD pictures are excellent across the board, with plenty of tweaking options available. Take care with the processing to get the best results

The Freesat EPG is similar to the standard format. It’s good but, oddly, the selected ‘live’ channel isn’t displayed in the top-left corner as expected

Provision for non-Freesat channels is impressive, with support for DiSEqC 1.2 motorisation, USALS and the ability to select satellites and transponders

n www.samsung.co.uk n £2,600

The OppositionToshiba 55WL768 n This Active Shutter 3D TV offers both Freeview HD and DVB-S2 tuners but not Freesat ePG. Picture quality is very good but, unlike the Samsung, it has no dedicated IPTV portal

Panasonic TX-P65VT20 n Widely regarded as the best 3D TV of 2010, this 50in plasma has Freeview HD and Freesat HD, plus excellent image quality. Shortly being replaced by VT30 models

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Setup Opt for the Freesat HD option and you’ll find yourself within the familiar Freesat ePG environment, albeit with a Samsung design twist. If you prefer you can always download a ROVI ePG alternative, but it’s darn ugly in comparison. We tuned in a total of 172 Freesat TV and radio stations, noting with interest that ITV Player will soon have its own on demand channel (902 – ‘Coming soon’) alongside BBC iPlayer (901). Curiously, the set’s programme guide Live TV window did not function when in Freesat mode.

elect to tune the TV using the ‘Satellite’ rather than ‘Freesat’ tuner and you get a slightly different viewing experience, with multiple regional versions of the same channels as well as miscellaneous feeds and detritus turning up numerically in the ePG. You can opt for all or just free-to-air TV channels. Curiously, when we tuned in via ‘Satellite’ our Live TV ePG window began to function again. A total of 445 free TV and radio services were stored from Astra 28.2°e.

Within the set’s Satellite System menu (security protected, but the pin is 0,0,0,0) you’ll find a wide assortment of controls: there’s a selectable DiSeqC mode (Off, 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, Tone A, Tone B), an option to alter lower and upper LnB oscillation and selectable DiSeqC 1.2 or uSALS positioner control; the latter allows you to manually enter longitude and latitude settings. A dedicated Installer mode goes even further, allowing you to alter the positioner limit east or West. You can also manually scan for channels and import/export a channel list directly to or from uSB.

PictureThe 55ueD8000’s 2D hi-def picture quality is excellent. Be they from Freeview HD or satellite, HD pictures prickle with detail. The screen also smartens up low-bitrate SD channels. extensive picture control is offered, so tweakers will be able to dig deep. To see the TV at its very best, partner it with a Blu-ray player and then bathe in its deep, nuanced black levels and insanely vibrant hues.

There’s a formidable amount of picture-processing power at work within the confines of the set. The latest iteration of the brand’s proprietary Motion Plus technology (choose from Clear, Standard, Smooth and Custom settings) can effectively remove all trace of image judder, causing everyone onscreen to slide around like ice dancers. Take care with this. Very high frame rates ruin the distinctive look of celluloid. Suddenly, even big blockbusters look like they were shot on a camcorder.

That said, motion picture resolution is excellent. A clear 1080 lines are delivered when Motion Plus is engaged. However, this picture-processing mode will

Smart Hub is Samsung’s latest Connected TV platform including apps, LoveFilm, YouTube and Skype – you can also manage recordings made via USB from here

Non-Freesat channels get their own EPG, displaying broadcast data and the live channel in quarter-screen. You can view FTA or encrypted channels only

also add ringing artefacts around moving objects (the severity depending on the setting you choose). You can turn off Motion Plus altogether, but this limits motion resolution to little more than 650 lines. The best compromise is the Custom mode. Set Judder Reduction to 0 and the ringing artefacts subside.

PVR and multimediaThe set supports recording to an external drive via uSB. You can manually schedule or program recordings via the ePG but all are DRM-protected and can’t be accessed by another device. You can only record or timeshift one channel at a time and not while viewing another.

This is also the first Smart Hub TV we’ve seen from Samsung. This new Connected TV platform marks a migration from last year’s Internet@TV offering to a much more app-heavy playground. In addition to YouTube and LoveFilm, there’s Facebook and Twitter plus scores of games in the brand’s app marketplace. users can set up their own folders within the Hub area. This means that individual family members can group their own apps together. The screen can also stream media you may have stored locally on PC, nAS or uSB.

PerformanceThe 55ueD8000’s 3D performance is a step up from last year’s Series 8 models. Samsung has reduced the thickness of the LCD panel itself, meaning that the viscous liquid crystal within can react faster to frame changes. This helps to minimise 3D crosstalk.

In many ways the design of the screen enhances its 3D picture performance. The 5mm bezel throws all your focus onto its images. When David Attenborough soars above the clouds in a glider, shadowed by a ‘flying monster’, it seems entirely possible that one or the other will peel off above your sofa.

You can still see crosstalk double-imaging – Attenborough’s bright blue shirts often appear to have three arms – but it’s less intrusive. By taking down the backlight and contrast you can de-emphasise the effect further. There’s an elastic stretch to the 3D presentation, which is extremely engaging n Steve May

FeaturesResolution: 1920 x 1080pContrast ratio: Officially claimed to be ‘Mega’Tuners: Analogue uHF, DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-CDiSEqC: 1.2/uSALSSpeakers: 30W (2x 15W)EPG: Freeview/Freesat HDCommon interface: Yes (via adapter)

Teletext: YesSoftware update: OTASD in: 1x Scart (via adapter) HD in: 4x HDMI v1.4, component video (via adapter)Audio out: Stereo phono, optical S/PDIF, headphones jackAudio in: 2x stereo phonoData: 3x uSB 2.0, ethernet, integrated WiFi

Tech DataFreesat-only scan: 0m 09s

FTA scan Astra 28.2°E: 3m 21s

Common interface supports: not specifiedPower consumption: In use: 108W, (0.19W in standby, 56W energy Saving mode)

0 5 mins

0 5 mins

VerdictOverall, this hugely impressive set knocks the ball out of the park. Although the 55UED8000 has some foibles, including overly aggressive Motion Plus preset modes and no side-mounted USB slots, its versatile installation options, brilliant Smart Hub connectivity, dramatic 3D and beautiful HD pictures more than compensate. We think it’s magical.

RatingsPLUSn Outstanding hi-def picturen Freeview HD, Freesat HD/DVB-S2 tunersn Smart Hub net connected app and IPTV portal

MinUSn 3D crosstalk artefactsn No side-mounted AV inputsn Motion Plus artefacts

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91%

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