REVIEWS / HDTVS / SAMSUNG INDIA

Samsung Series 8 UA55D8000 - Not Worth It

20 Jun, 2011, 6:54 pm IST | by Ashish Koshy | HDTVs

HDTVs

Expensive and average

Expensive and average
Slim and sleek design
Bezel has a chrome finish and gives it an attractive look
Browsing is quick and easy
Gives a detail on various movies
Has a plethora of input ports

samsung-series-8-ua55d8000

PRICE IN INDIA

249,990

TECH2 RATING

6.0

AVERAGE USER RATING

8.5

How we test

CONTACT

Samsung India

 1800 3000 8282, 18002668282

 www.samsung.com

Samsung’s new Series 8 range of LED-backlit, LCD TVs are finally here. Now, the Series 8 line from Samsung isn’t designed for every day users, but specifically for those who are looking for the ultimate TV they can get their hands on. The new UA55D8000 is a TV complete with everything from 3D to smart TV features bundled in a very pretty package. With every brand out there to prove that they’re the best, the new UA55D8000 has to show that it has the mettle to stand amongst best.

 

Design and Build Quality
The first thing that strikes you about the UA55D8000 is its size and how slim it really is. The thickness of the screen is as thin as it gets, but the more impressive bit is the bezel surrounding the display. The chrome bezel is just more than a centimeter in thickness and it adds to the elegant design of the entire package. It’s so slim that Samsung had to add a small section to the bezel to include their branding. Even the LED indicator on the display is tiny. The controls for the TV aren’t positioned at the front, it's placed along the sides and Samsung has used touch sensitive buttons instead of the standard physical buttons.

Slim and sleek design

Slim and sleek design

 


The stand is sturdy but takes up quite some space. If you buy this TV, you should ideally wallmount it instead of using the stand. Either way, the stand’s design goes well with the delicate look of the TV. The remote control is very chunky and has large buttons and is comfortable to hold in the hand and easy to use, as well. The bundled glasses are less bulkier, but sturdier than the usual set of 3D glasses that you get in the theatres.

 

Features
The UA55D8000 is a 55-inch LED-backlit LCD panel that supports the standard HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. In terms of connectivity, its got three USB ports and four HDMI ports on it. The remote control looks like any other remote, but unlike most other remotes, this one is backlit so using it in the dark is a little easier.

 

The smart TV component of the TV is really exhaustive. The TV comes with a bunch of preloaded apps and users can choose to install more from the app store. While there are media players today that offer similar widgets and features, one of the things missing is a proper web browser with tabbed browsing. The Samsung UA55D8000 has one, but browsing and making text entries can be a hassle. You are forced to use the remote as a primary input device and with no support for QWERTY, things can get hectic when it comes to entering long URLs. The delay in response also makes things worse.

 

While all of the features such as Vimeo and Picasa worked flawlessly on the TV, we faced some problems playing Youtube videos on it. There are a whole bunch of games and apps that you can spend hours playing around with. Google Maps for example is pretty functional and easily controlled using the remote. There is also a list of featured content that is displayed in a very interesting manner. The content on it is excellent and so is the quality.

 

Bezel has a chrome finish and gives it an attractive look

Bezel has a chrome finish and gives it an attractive look

 


One of the key features of the TV is the 3D capability. Samsung uses active 3D glasses whereas their competition LG, has recently switched to passive 3D glass technology. A pair of glasses are provided free with the TV and they use a cell battery to operate. There is no USB port to charge it, so you’re expected to replace it everytime it drains out. Support for media playback from external sources is present and so is Wi-Fi support.

Gives a detail on various movies

Gives a detail on various movies

 

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Tags:

Samsung UA55D8000 , Samsung Series 8 , UA55D8000 , LCD , LED backlit , 3D , HDMI , video , audio , Picasa , Youtube , Facebok , Twitter , apps , HDTVs , Samsung ,

Would you buy it?




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Samsung UA55D8000 Input Delay example

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YouTube - Samsung UN55D8000 Killzone 3.flv

23 Apr, 2011, 10:51 am IST

YouTube - Samsung UN55D8000 Killzone 3.flv

 


How We Test

The Tech2 Labs receives many products every single week and each of them is tested with the utmost care and highest level of objectivity. There’s a constant effort to reduce and totally eliminate subjectivity. Each product is tested according to set test processes so the same test scenario is used.

Verdict
The ratings awarded to a product are derived from a number of tests and calculations, keeping certain important factors in mind. These factors consist of features, performance, quality and value for money. In case of software and some other categories, build quality might be replaced with ease of use or ease of installation. Products are compared with other products in a similar price range or product category.


Features
The features component of the score is rated based on the kind of features present on a particular product. Features are a big part of what people look for when they’re buying a new product such as a phone or a camera.

Performance
The performance score is derived from the benchmarks and tests run on the product. In case of the subjective scores, an average of the scores given by the group of reviewers is considered.

Build Quality
The build quality of a product is important so that it doesn’t fall apart after some use. The build quality scores from the way the product is designed and the kind of materials used in the product.

Value
Value for money comes from the fact that a cheap product is able to provide most of the performance of a higher priced product. Once again, value for money is judged by comparing pricing and performance of products in a particular price range or category. 

There are many other aspects of the product that are looked at such as the bundled software and accessories. All of these scores are aggregated together to form the final score.

What do the ratings mean?

Ratings are simple - higher the score, the better the product. A brief listing of the features and what they mean are given below.

1 - 3

The product is bad in almost every aspect. We strongly advise against purchasing this product.

4 - 6

An average product that isn't the best you can buy, but isn't the worst either.

7 - 8

Product with this rating is highly recommended because it's priced sensibly, has a good set of features and performs well.

9 - 10

Exceptionally excellent product with features and performance unlike any we've seen in the past. A must-have for everyone!

What is the Average User Rating?

We at Tech2 take product reviewing very seriously and every product is tested with the utmost care and level of objectivity. The end user who buys a particular product and uses it over an extended period of time has his own take on a product and there might be nuances that he or she can shed light on. The Average User Rating is present to help readers get the complete picture of how good or bad a product is. The Average User Rating is calculated by averaging the ratings by the thousands of readers visiting Tech2.com every single day. To record your own rating of a product, simply click on the user rating bar. If you disagree with our ratings or our community's product rating, please don't hesitate from voicing your opinion in the comments section below the review.

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