The Samsung UN60D8000 belongs to Samsung’s class of Smart TVs, the company’s term for its connected HDTVs which were first announced at the 2011 CES early this year. Aside from being equipped with the Smart Hub, one of the most advanced HDTV connectivity suites today, the UN60D8000 also offers flawless 3D operation, a stunning design and other great features, though at a price many consumers won’t be able to afford.
Design
As one of Samsung’s premium HDTVs, the UN60D8000 definitely looks the part. Its sleek, chrome-edged bezel measures at just 0.2 inches wide all around the screen, except for a small portion at the bottom center where the Samsung logo appears while the overall depth of the panel is just 1.2 inches -
Samsung UN60D8000
not the thinnest on the market but ultra-thin nonetheless. The four-pronged matching stand comes with swivel capability for added convenience but is far from being its most attractive aspect. On the contrary, some consumers may find their sets more stylish on the wall without it.
The remote control of the UN60D8000 is a unique piece of work, having two sides – one side much like your regular clicker with 48 standard illuminated keys, and the other a miniature yet full Bluetooth-enabled QWERTY keypad with a small screen. To boot, the remote can sense which side is being used and immediately deactivates the other side. The only major flaw is that the QWERTY side isn’t backlit, making it hopelessly useless in the dark. The on-screen menu, in keeping with Samsung’s tradition, remains very easy to use, with explanatory text and even small illustrations to enlighten users.
Screen/Picture Clarity
For its extremely high price, the picture quality of the UN60D8000 does not inspire awe. Far from it, this model is plagued by uniformity issues, which, unfortunately, cause its otherwise inky blacks and well-saturated, fairly accurate colors to appear less than perfect towards the edges of the screen. Faint bands appear horizontally and vertically on the screen, as well.
On the plus side, video processing is excellent, reducing blur while preserving the cadence of the film. Motion resolution is another strong suit, a product of Samsung’s new Clear Motion Rate 960 technology.
Features
The Smart Hub is, of course, the UN60D8000′s most highly-touted feature, offering a wide range of applications, including those that enable viewers to stream media content from Netflix, Blockbuster, Hulu Plus, YouTube and Pandora, and access Facebook and Twitter updates. Aside from this, Samsung also throws in picture-in-picture capability, an Eco Sensor and the AllShare function, which allows synchronization with other DLNA-enabled digital devices. Picture controls are numerous and digital connectivity is ample, with built-in WiFi connectivity to boot.
All these considered, the Samsung UN60D8000 is not just a smart HDTV but a superb one, even one of the best LED HDTVs today, that is, if you don’t consider its below-par score on screen uniformity, and in turn, picture quality, which may just break the deal.
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