Samsung UN55B8000
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: UN55B8000
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The expensive, stylish Samsung UNB8000 series has its share of picture quality drawbacks, but a firmware update helps, and the thin frames are worth serious bragging rights.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory4Less.com | Not yet rated | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/22/2013 Refurbished |
| ![]() | In stock | as of 05/22/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Samsung UN55B8000 price range: $3,723.54 - $3,999.99
- Reviewed by: David Katzmaier
- Reviewed on: 09/25/2009
- Released on: 05/01/2009
The good: Produces relatively deep black levels; mostly accurate color; very good dejudder processing; sleek styling with 1.2-inch thick panel; extensive feature set with Yahoo Widgets, network streaming, and lots of built-in content; energy-efficient.
The bad: Expensive; less uniform screen than other LCDs; poor off-angle viewing; lower contrast in dark scenes; shiny screen can cause reflections in bright rooms; benefits of 240Hz difficult to discern; scarce analog video inputs.
The bottom line: The expensive, stylish Samsung UNB8000 series has its share of picture quality drawbacks, but a firmware update helps, and the thin frames are worth serious bragging rights.
User reviews
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Terribly expensive but it is more than just a TV
by mudballs on June 18, 2009
Pros: This is the clearest TV on the market so far. Hooking up components and accessing them, as well as all the features this TV offers, is a breeze. A remote control that lights up as you touch it saves frustration in dark lighting.
Cons: Nothing so far
Summary: Watching sport channels is almost better than being there. The detail is beautiful and clear. The only complaint you are going to have here is from the wives of the ...
Summary: Watching sport channels is almost better than being there. The detail is beautiful and clear. The only complaint you are going to have here is from the wives of the fellows who come over. They won't want to go home.
I compared this television to the almighty Kuro, and my eye loves this television more, whether it is in bright or dark lighting. Good HDMI cables and a good signal make this TV outstanding. There is no perfect TV out there, and we can always find fault in anything: But finding fault in this TV is like trying to spot fly droppings in pepper.
Admittedly, I wasn't impressed at first, because I was tuned in to a standard low resolution channel. The characters were pixelating and there was some motion blur. Then I plugged in my thumb drive with some high resolution pictures and I was totally blown away. Then I grabbed my HD video recorder which has avchd format, and I was knocked out again. I started up my Blu-Ray and the picture was practically 3-D. I went back to my receiver and tuned in some HD channels and soon you couldn't get the smile off my face. It is beautiful.
Later that evening, I grabbed the remote control, and it lights up instantly, displaying all the buttons.
I started playing with some of the features, which I had thought to be gimmicky at first. I tried "the Gallery" and it had choices of pictures to view like, wildlife, landscape and popular paintings. This made the TV transform into a large picture frame with brightly lit up works of art. It couples those works of art with music or you can play your own tunes. Beautiful if you have company over.
The gallery has loads of other features that are interesting as well.
The Internet options were not quite what I thought they would be, and again, at first they didn't give me any more info than the Nintendo Wii, but I can easily see that with this feature; the game has just begun.
There is some blooming, but again, it certainly depended on what you are watching. For the most part, I didn't see it. I also heard that off center viewing isn't as good as head on. Well I am afraid I just don't see that either. If you have to look that hard to find a problem with this set, just buy the Kuro. It is a beautiful set but doesn't have half the features and is just as expensive.
The Samsung 8000 is expensive but that is the price you pay for the leading edge in technology. I didn't give this TV a five star rating simply because this is new technology and we are in a state of evolution.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best LED on the Market
by drjhay on October 24, 2009
Pros: I just purchased the unit on oct. 21 2009. Awesome picture! It is truly the best on the market in my opinion. I waited months doing research on the right tv for me and had arrived on purchasing this set. Truly a stunning display.
Cons: I believe this is a con with all tvs. I am unable to access the full 240hz capability with cable or blue ray. The set auto adjusts to the broadcast signal, which is at 60hz.
Summary: I did a lot or research in purchasing a LCD/ LED, or Plasma and for this to be the best purchase for me. The picture is incredible. I find my ...
Summary: I did a lot or research in purchasing a LCD/ LED, or Plasma and for this to be the best purchase for me. The picture is incredible. I find my self watching some shows I would not normally watch but I keep looking at the intimite detail which is generated by this tv. On a full black screen you may notice the edge lighting but to me it is minimal and that is the only time I have noticed this complaint by the other reviewers.
I purchsed the HD Essentials Blue Ray disc for proper set of the color/ contrast/ etc. and I highly recommend this disc. The easy to follow steps make it possible to change the TV settings to true color, picture etc. from the factory settings and get a true representation of the natural colors. I believe Best Buy charges $300 for this service but save yourself the money.
I have had no issues with the quality of the picture in any way. I have not tried all the yahoo widgets yet but I will attest the process does appear slow. The set is only 1.2" thick so if space is an issue this set fits the bill. It is so thin it has the appearance of being a picture minus the cords.
The only real negative comments I read were about nonfunctioning sets or the results of power surgers. I personally purchased the in store extended warranty on the set and I would recommend anyone else doing the same. It cost me $400 for the service but the set costing me $2300, I though is was a good idea. I don't always purchase these extended warranties but to remove the stress of a potential problem, I did.
I channel the audio through my reciever and use a number of components with my set and I don't really find a need for the little remote which comes with the set. The other remote is back lite and seems to light up just sitting there.
Overall I highly recommend this LED for purchase. The picture is amazing, the set is artfully designed, and the setups are easy.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great TV But.....
by BulaRae on July 28, 2009
Pros: Sexy, Sleek, Fabulous Picture, nothing to gripe about
Cons: The plastic outer case scratches with the blue satin cloth they give you!! It's horrible!! Ruins the whole thing.
Summary: Awesome TV but the $250 wall mount they sell, when used they way they designed it, where you prop it out from the wall to connect the cables, the mounting ...
Summary: Awesome TV but the $250 wall mount they sell, when used they way they designed it, where you prop it out from the wall to connect the cables, the mounting disks tear up the back of the TV, and as far as the outer frame case scratches?I can see the swirls and hairline scratches (spots where I wiped finger prints off with wet blue satin cleaning cloth they provided) from the sofa 18 feet away! It's distressing. I have an open case with Samsung Executive Customer Service to do something about it. There's something seriously wrong in the plastic they use or something cuz I've never had a computer or anything (sunglasses, etc.) scratch that easily and that badly!! It's scary!!
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Must Buy TV for Me
by hellchoi on October 12, 2009
Pros: Thin, Sexy, 55" screen, 4HDMI, Internet, clarity and color amazing
Cons: Blooming, inconsistent lighting, weak speakers
Summary: I absolutely love this TV even with its flaws. Let me tell you as for styling it is the best for the money. I got my TV for 1800 at ...
Summary: I absolutely love this TV even with its flaws. Let me tell you as for styling it is the best for the money. I got my TV for 1800 at Bestbuy with 299 insurance open box purchase. The picture is amazing - and when I hook up to my mac via HDMI there is no blooming the black is black all the way through. Watching HD movies through itunes Quantum was amazing in movie mode. Mac works great get the hdmi converter and 3.5 plug put it into HDMI 1 and the audio it works all together perfect 1080p at either 24hz, 30hz or 60hz.
Internet is slow but fine. I also stream my own music, photo, and videos through this TV a little slow but works great.
Speakers are tinny so what i did was hook via optical out to my stereo which makes it amazing.
Remote sucks but get a univeral Logitech remote to control everything but having trouble as I change sources to remove that sidebar after.
overall amazed at the color clarity of this TV.
Love the picture like hanging option and wireless option for Internet
This TV has it all style and performance. I did my research looked at Panasonic 55v10 and LG 60PS80 and Sharp and Sony XBR - but for the money and style this is the best and it weighs less than 60 lbs I can pick it up myself you cant do that with the rest of the TV unless it cost more than $4000.
Open box item was almost perfect missing manual and two rubber feet which I easily replaced by Home Depot felt. No scratches anywhere and stand is solid and no scratches. Nice that you can move it around, but really thinking of mounting on wall but at angles you need to move TV.
Content Internet is amazing on this TV you can play Bowling, learn to cook, origami for the kids, picture showing it is freaking amazing.
I don't work for Samsung. I love technology never written for any product until now. I am 42 and live life large and in NYC. Very successful and live in Trump. I ran a large IT dept and always follow technology for the last 10 years.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Still an LCD TV it just uses LED for a backlight!!
by mack5555 on June 4, 2009
Pros: The 120hz is much improved over previous samsung models.
Cons: Uneven backlight, really noticable on anamorphic widescreen. Poor viewing angle. Poor contrast.
Summary: Overall a really cool step in the direction of a sleek style with the thickness of the TV, but a step backwards in picture quality. Still an LCD TV it ...
Summary: Overall a really cool step in the direction of a sleek style with the thickness of the TV, but a step backwards in picture quality. Still an LCD TV it just uses LED for a backlight which seams to be very misleading as they say nothing about LCD even in the manual.
Uneven backlight, really noticable on anamorphic widescreen movies. Poor viewing angles compared to previous samsung LCD TVs. Contrast is poor especially when taken out of vivid mode or after the TV has been calibrated. Out of the box everything is cranked up on high to make contrast look ok which looks nice in the store but not in a low light area like your home.
In my opinion the only reason to buy this TV is if you need something really thin for a certain application. You can spend less and get a better picture in the standard Samsung or Sony line.5 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nothing is Better!
by A1Fish1 on August 9, 2009
Pros: Great Picture.
Cons: Dark areas in corners
Summary: Purchased this TV 2 weeks ago from Best buy. I can honestly say that I have never seen a clearer more defined picture. Correct that....in HD. In standard definition ...
Summary: Purchased this TV 2 weeks ago from Best buy. I can honestly say that I have never seen a clearer more defined picture. Correct that....in HD. In standard definition that picture is just OK. But HD and Blu Ray pictures are stunning and have a lifelike 3-D effect. I find myself watching movies I don't even like just because the picture is so clear. My wife is sick and tired of me commenting on how beautiful this picture is. The blacks are as deep as any plasma I have seen and the picture is brighter.
Now for the bad....As others have reported there are small dark patches in each corner. It is minor but they can be distracting once you know they are there. Also I think it was a waste to include artwork, childrens songs, and slow playing games built into the TV. Maybe that's my opinion but I bought this beauty to watch TV.
Samsung also missed the boat with the 2 remote controls. They only operate the TV and I use a reciever for sound and a DVR to change chanels so to me they pretty useless. It would have been nice if they were programable.
Now that I'm done complaining I would just like to say that I would choose this TV again in a heartbeat. The picture just can't be beat!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I was satisfied until the Samsung just stopped working.
by disneyworldgrandma on December 16, 2010
Pros: Great picture, ease of use. Wonderful Color!
Cons: After 13 months of use, one person household, it won't turn on. I called Samsung, they said I need a new component. They have to send out a man for $500. to replace a component.
I paid over $3000 for this. My last tv lasted 35 yrs. No problems ever.Summary: I would have gotten an extended warranty.
Summary: I would have gotten an extended warranty.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazing picture quality! Great value for the money!
by qb9411 on January 7, 2010
Pros: Picture quality is outstanding. Can't believe how bright the picture is, flesh tones are very accurate and I can't detect any motion blur. The thin form factor looks good as well. Very stylish.
Cons: I wish Samsung increased HDMI inputs to 6 total, it only comes with 4. Sound also is okay but you'd want to pair with a good speaker set for surround sound capability. Probably a 5.1 or 7.1 sound set.
Summary: 1/7/2010
Just bought this product before start of New Year at Fry's. I've been wanting to get the Samsung 55" 8000 series but it was way ...Summary: 1/7/2010
Just bought this product before start of New Year at Fry's. I've been wanting to get the Samsung 55" 8000 series but it was way too expensive when it came out. Before New Year 2010 Fry's put it on sale reducing the original price by $900 and I immediately bought it. This is my very first HDTV. The previous TV I had was a 32" SONY CRT and I had that TV for 16 years and it's still good :-)
But the Samsung UN55B8000 is just amazing. The picture quality is oustanding! The picture is just so bright and flesh tones are so realistic (and this with standard settings). I have the TV paired to my HDTV-DVR cable receiver and the HDTV programs come out looking very good. For playing movies I use my PS3 :-) which I also use for gaming. Gaming is really improved because I can now see details that I couldn't see from y 32" SONY CRT TV. All connections are via HDMI cables.
I've read the CNET reviews and don't really understand the tech stuff. All I can say is that this TV is amazing and I am so glad I bought this Samsung TV. I heard the series 9000 will be out August 2010 so you just have to draw the line somewhere and buy!
With 5,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio, 240hz auto motion and thin form factor, and 55" screen size, what more would you want? :-)
This HDTV is the best and I'm really satisifed with the purchase. Also I'm glad I purchased the 55" screen size and not the 46" screen size. It really does make a lot of difference :-)1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best LED TV on the market as of now! Great picture!
by plathank on December 6, 2009
Pros: Great picture, the colors really stick out... blacks are awesome too... With a Blueray player your tv will be astonishing to watch after a long day at work...
Cons: Flimsy stand is the only drawback, plus the extra content is alittle slow to your response with the remote control, but its fairly new technology, abd with a newer updated tv itlll be better..
Summary: Really is the best LED tv on the market for its price as of now.
Summary: Really is the best LED tv on the market for its price as of now.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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outstanding picture
by genedrew on July 5, 2009
Pros: picture, sound, cabinet design
Cons: none. I'm not a tv expert but have owned prior lcd tvs. This is the best...
Summary: outstanding picture. I have the UN55B8000XF model. This model upgrades the picture from the Directv. Everyone who has seen the picture freaks out. Outastanding TV.....
Summary: outstanding picture. I have the UN55B8000XF model. This model upgrades the picture from the Directv. Everyone who has seen the picture freaks out. Outastanding TV.....
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: UN55B8000
- Description: The 8000 Series of television build upon the success of Samsung's first and second generation LED HDTV models. Each using LEDs as their primary light source, the televisions all feature ultra-high contrast ratios as well as slim depths that allow for more artful designs, plus increased energy savings.
General
- TV type LED-LCD
- Screen size 55 in
- Color Black
Features
- Connectivity IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet)
- TV features Down-firing Speaker
Video
- Technology LED-LCD
- Backlight technology LED Backlight technology
- LED backlight type Edge Light
- Native resolution 1920 x 1080
- Resolution 1080p
- Dynamic contrast ratio 5000000:1
- Refresh rate 240Hz
- Motion Enhancement Technology 240Hz
- Response time (ms) 2 ms
- Progressive Scan Progressive scanning (line doubling)
- Widescreen Widescreen
- HDCP compatible Yes
TV Tuner
- TV tuner presence Yes
- HDTV Tuner Yes
- TV tuner reception system ATSC,
Clear QAM - Secondary audio program (SAP) Yes
Audio
- Speaker(s) 2 x Right/left channel speaker - Built-in - 15 Watt
- Surround mode Yes
- Sound effects SRS TruSurround HD
- Total output power 30 Watt
- Audio controls Balance,
Bass,
Treble Connectivity
- PC interface VGA (HD-15)
- Input/Output connections - Side,
4 x HDMI (19 pin HDMI Type A) - Bottom,
2 x USB (4 pin USB Type A),
1 x Component video input (RCA phono x 3),
1 x VGA input (15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)),
1 x Network (RJ-45),
1 x Digital audio output (optical) (TOSLINK) - Video interface HDMI,
Component Convenience
- Parental channel lock Yes
- V-chip control Yes
- Menu language English,
Spanish,
French Remote Control
- Type Standard remote control
- Second remote control type None
Built-in components
- Component type None
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & support 1 year warranty
- Service & support details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year
Stands & Mounts
- Stand included Included
- Stand design Tabletop
- Stand features Swivel
- Flat panel mount interface Yes
Power
- Power device Power supply - Internal
Dimensions & Weight
- Dimensions (WxDxH) 52 in x 12.1 in x 33.9 in - With stand
- Weight 63.9 lbs
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
- Width 57.1 in
- Depth 15.7 in
- Height 39.2 in
- Weight 81.6 lbs
Sustainability
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes
- Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2011) 4.1
- Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2012) 4.2
Product series
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Samsung
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001




