- #SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER 320KBPS#
- #SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER BLUETOOTH#
- #SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER SERIES#
- #SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER TV#
#SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER TV#
The Smart Connectivity pillar of Samsung’s 2012 TV sales pitch is a solid one. You can also use a compatible Samsung smartphone as a second display for the TV with the Smart View app, and another app lets smartphone users mimic a TV remote control. It supports Wi-Fi Direct so any new laptop or smartphone can beam files directly to the TV for playback, with no infrastructure wireless network required.
#SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER SERIES#
Wi-Fi is built into the Series 8, and is 802.11b/g/n compatible. You can also plug a USB hard drive into the Series 8 and use it to record TV.
#SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER 320KBPS#
The USB ports support almost any compressed video, photo or music files we tested 1080p MKV videos, 24-megapixel JPEG photos, and 320kbps AAC music with no problems, and these are generally the trickiest file types for TVs to play. Older component and composite connectors are optional, on a break-out cable, and there’s no VGA input. Three HDMI 1.4 ports is a slight step back from last year’s four, but there’s now three USB connectors as well as the standard Ethernet, headphone and digital audio ports. The Series 8 is, like the Sony HX850 and LG LM9600, at the front of the pack when it comes to connectivity. Samsung Series 8: Connectivity, networking and setup We didn’t test out this feature but we can see its value if configured properly, although it won’t work with any devices that need an RF signal rather than infrared. The idea is that you’ll hide your other devices in a cupboard with the IR blaster aimed at them, and use the Smart Touch Remote to mimic their original remote controls. You can set this up to control your other devices - TiVo, Blu-ray player, home theatre system - by using the Smart Touch Remote as a universal remote control. Samsung also includes an infrared blaster in the Series 8’s packaging. The touchpad is useful for navigating the integrated Web browser, but for most other purposes we’d stick with the standard remote. The Smart Touch Remote Control has is dominated by a touchpad, but also has buttons to activate voice control (there’s a built-in microphone in the remote) as well as to jump quickly to Samsung’s Smart Hub or change inputs. The Samsung Series 8 LED TV comes bundled with two remote controls - one standard channel-changer, and Samsung’s Smart Touch Control. We’d still pick a passive 3D TV like the LG LM9600 when it comes to 3D, though: the glasses are far cheaper, and there’s no chance of annoying flickering around light sources. They’re reasonably comfortable due to the light weight, and the large lenses mean a wide field of vision, so if you intend to watch a lot of 3D then Samsung’s approach is solid.
#SAMSUNG CHANNEL CHANGER BLUETOOTH#
They’re Samsung’s latest rechargeable units, syncing with the TV through Bluetooth and weighing only 29 grams. Two pairs of active 3D glasses are included with the Series 8. If you don’t have any curtains, and if you’ve got a bright light source directly in front of the TV, your viewing will be interrupted by very noticeable reflections.
If you’re in a darkened or dim room with no single bright light source, you won’t notice any reflections - ideally, we’d suggest an entirely dark room for viewing but if you’ve got a window behind or to the side of the TV that you can dim with curtains, that would be adequate.
The screen is moderately reflective like last year’s models. The stand raises the TV a few centimetres from whatever it’s sitting on, with a floating effect that means it stands out from other models we’ve tested recently - it’s worlds apart from the monolithic Sony HX850, for example. The TV is attractive, and while the bezel isn’t quite as thin as the one on the LG LM9600, it’s still very thin and looks great. There’s no swivel, though, which is a step backwards from last year’s model. It’s nearly as long as the TV itself, so the two feet offer excellent support. Instead of a set of power/volume/channel buttons, the Series 8 has a multifunction five-way controller/power button at the back of the TV on the right that corresponds to an on-screen menu.Ĭontinuing on with the fashionable chrome stand trend of the 2011 Series 7 and 8, the 2012 Series 8 sits on what Samsung calls an ‘arch flow’ stand. Inside the chrome bezel, an equally thin black bezel surrounds the TV’s LCD panel. There’s a corresponding bump on the bottom bezel where the Samsung logo can be found, with a soft white glow when the TV is turned on (this can be disabled if necessary). Available in 55in, 60in and 65in sizes, the Series 8 - model number UA55ES8000 for our 55in test unit - is all chrome and smooth curves.Ī very thin chrome bezel runs around all four edges of the television, with a bump in the middle of the top bezel for the TV’s integrated stereo microphone and webcam-cum-motion-control sensor. The Series 8 is the most expensive TV that Samsung makes, and accordingly it has the most modern and space-aged styling of any model in the company’s line-up.