46in LCD Picture Sound Features Usability Value The C8000 offers a genuinely innovative 3D experience which addresses some of the glitches found on the C7000. Rating: 92%

Reviewed: 07 July 2010

  A genuine 3D experience, stunning looks

  Expensive, 3D glitches remain to a degree

Design

Having been impressed by the svelte like profile of Samsung's UE40C7000, described by the Korean manufacturer as 'slim', we knew we were in for something a little bit special with the C8000, which Samsung has seen fit to describe as 'ultra slim'. Samsung have managed to shave another few millimeters of what was already an impossibly thin profile.

Along with a silver metal finish and distinctive broad, four pronged stand, Samsung have managed to produce a TV that comes as close to meeting the requirements of that old cliché "selling on its looks alone" as any flat screen we have come across to date.

Add Samsung's usually high standard of fit and finish and to the mix and you have what is in our opinion, the most desirable TV around.

3D

With the arrival of Samsung's C9000, C8000 and C7000 range of LCD TVs, 3D is now a reality in UK homes. Not only do you get a true 3D experience based on 'active shutter' technology, Samsung also offer a kind of pseudo 2D to 3D experience on the fly. Hit the 3D button on the remote while you are watching normal TV and you get Samsung's take on 2D-3D conversion.

To enable the screen to respond fast enough to the active shutter 3D system, Samsung has developed faster crystal address technology along with blank frame technology to effect a smoother screen and glasses sync.

It is worth remembering that 3D technology has moved on from the red and blue cardboard glasses you may have had some experience with at the cinema (or Channel 4's recent 3D week). This is an all new experience bringing a new advanced form of 3D into the living room.

Special 'active shutter' glasses are a prerequisite for 3D viewing and unfortunately Samsung are not bundling in any with the C8000. Although we were told that the 3D specs would retail for £100, we are starting to see them through various outlets for much less. Samsung has indicated that only its glasses will work with its TVs.

At the moment there is a concern over the amount of 3D material available. There is a dedicated 3D TV channel on the way from Sky later this year (3D premiership football is already available via selected pubs across the UK), but at the moment there is just the one 3D Blu-ray title available - Monsters v Aliens.

There is already a preview of Sky's 3D channel available to subscribers. To enjoy 3D Blu-ray, you will need a purpose built 3D Blu-ray player; Samsung have just launched the UKs first, the BD-C6900.

If you would like to find out more about 3D TV you might like to read our 3D TV, Cinema & Gaming Guide.

Features

A slimmer profile is the most obvious difference between the C8000 and its C7000 younger sibling. There are other more subtle differences that have been designed to have a big impact on the way this TV performs.

	Screen: 46in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 'mega' Other Features: 3D HyperReal Engine, 200Hz, Freeview HD, Motion Plus, LED motion control, PVR ready, Internet@TV, DLNA, Wi-fi ready. Sockets: 4 HDMI (v1.4), SCART (RGB), 2 USB, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input, Ethernet, CAM slot.

 

With 'Clear Motion Rate' technology adding a scanning backlight, Samsung could have (optimistically) described the effect as a 400Hz refresh rate. Instead they describe the C8000 as 200Hz with 'Clear Motion Rate' 400.

An enhanced refresh rate is seen as an important element of an effective 3D system, in particular, for the elimination of 'crosstalk'. Cross talk is the undesirable ghosting effect of a 3D image frame destined for either the right or left eye lingering to the extent that it interferes slightly with the next frame being received by the opposite eye.

With reports that the C7000 can suffer from backlight inconsistencies, prospective buyers will be glad to know that the C8000 introduces a more sophisticated form of local dimming which Samsung call 'precision dimming'.

With so much talk surrounding the arrival of 3D, it is important to remember that  for many of us other features such as the availibility of High Definition material is just as important.

The UE46C8000 gets a built-in Freeview HD tuner for access to subscription free High definition programmes direct through an existing aerial. Freeview HD services are currently being rolled out across the UK, so it is important to check via Freeview whether they are available in your area.

The UE46C8000 carries an updated version of Samsung's Internet@TV web portal. An improved interface offers access to the likes of BBC iPlayer, Twitter, the Picasa online photo album site, YouTube and Skype.

The widget platform, which has been designed amongst other things to allow independent developers to produce online 'apps' has also been enhanced, although when we looked, the amount on offer seemed a little thin on the ground just now.

Elsewhere there are 4 HDMI inputs, all of which are v1.4 which supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), two USBs, an Ethernet jack, and a D-Sub PC port. The only drawback of the waif like profile is that you need to use supplied adapters for Scart and component connectors which are too wide to fit directly within the TV (although they are conveniently at right angles to the TV for wall mounting).

Interestingly it is possible to record programmes via the TV's USB connections to an attached HDD (hard disk drive) or even a 4GB or larger USB stick. This gives you simple PVR (Personal Video Recorder) functionality, although recordings are locked to the TV they were made on.

The C8000 is DLNA complaint meaning that you can hook up the TV with your PC via an Ethernet connection (or an optional Wi-fi dongle) to stream various multimedia files; an inconvenience to achieve this however is the requirement to load up 'All-share' proprietary software.

Performance

The first 3D TV we reviewed, Samsung's C7000, demonstrated that the new technology represented a genuinely innovative home entertainment experience. We had a few issues, notably with 'crosstalk' and compromised levels of contrast, but accepted the glitches as the price we would have to pay for the extra dimensional experience.

However, the arrival of Panasonic's TX-P50VT20 has already raised the bar. It has demonstrated an ability to produce a stable 3D image with minimal 'crosstalk'.

The extra processing that Samsung has dedicated to tweaking the C8000's refresh rate has paid dividends. Crosstalk has been noticeably reduced when compared to the C7000 and other elements have combined to reduce the levels of backlight inconsistency. We have to conclude however, that good as the C8000 is, it really does fall short of Panasonic's VT20 when it come to 3D performance.

As demonstrated by the C7000, Samsung's pseudo 2D to 3D conversion is at best a little hit and miss and if we are honest, rather pointless. Samsung have given us a glimpse of what 2D-3D conversion is all about, but on this evidence it will need further refinement before it approaches a level of sophistication which will see viewers using the function on a regular basis.

No one is under the illusion that 3D TV is the finished article and many will still view the technology as a passing fad; what almost everyone concludes however after experiencing 3D on the Samsung C8000 is that this is a genuine and worthwhile implementation of the technology.

While we did prefer the 3D performance of Panasonic's 3D enabled VT20, we have to remember that the majority of TVs will still be used predominantly for 2D viewing.

The UE46C8000 is of course based on LED technology and as such delivers some pretty good black levels. Just as important, the inky black aspect of the picture is complemented by levels of graduation across darker scenes that are subtle enough to appear without any obvious 'stepping'.

LED has gained an unfortunate reputation for uneven backlighting and while the C8000 is not completely free from this affliction, it is present to a far lesser degree than we have seen on other TV's. This we suspect may have something to do with the fact that the LED's in this case are presented along the top and bottom of the screen rather than all round, limiting any LED cross interference in the corners.

The UE40C8000, despite employing an 'Edge' based implementation of LED backlighting, also uses aspects of Samsung's 'Local Dimming' technology. We are not sure exactly how this technology has been implemented but it does offer a sort of local dimming. Unfortunately, the effect is delivered at a cost; a cost which presents itself in the form of brighter image elements that are not as subtlety integrated into the picture as a whole as you would wish.

Those decent blacks levels create a good backdrop for the presentation of colour, something that the C8000 is able to take full advantage of. The vibrancy of colours you get from LCD technology is one area where the technology trumps its plasma rival.

Colours on the C8000 are as vibrant as any we have seen, while still retaining a subtlety which presents tricky areas such as facial tones with a dynamic realism that few can match.

Once again, Samsung has delivered TV which handles Standard Definition sources with aplomb. It is all too easy to get caught up with a screen's shiny new features when most of us will be gaining the most benefit from a decent SD picture.

Samsung's core picture processing engine has seen year on year improvement which now delivers a virtually 'noise' free SD picture which suffers virtually no discernable artifacts during the 'upscale' process.

High Definition pictures are predictably excellent with a level of sharpness and colour intensity which takes full advantage of the built-in Freeview HD signal. Samsung and Panasonic now offer a comparable HD experience with most of their high end screens - an experience that compels you to reach out and touch the screen it is so believable.

Once again, a TV has sacrificed a decent Acoustic ability for the sake of style. Just how important a distinct lack of top end Bass depends to a degree on your outlook. Having spent the best part of £2000 on buying the screen in the first place you might well be prepared to fork out a little bit more on a separate sound system. The utter gorgeousness of the screen may on the other hand more than make up for the slight deficiency in many people's minds.

Conclusion

The UE46C8000 improves on the 3D performance of its C7000 sibling and seems to have addressed (if not completely removed) those annoying backlight issues. If you are open to buying an LCD or Plasma and want the best 3D TV money can buy, Panasonics TX-P50VT20 offers a more compelling alternative. If you prefer LCD and want to experience 3D and 2D TV to a pretty reasonable level of performance, the UE46C8000 is a TV worth serious consideration.

  A genuine 3D experience, stunning looks

  Expensive, 3D glitches remain to a degree