I'm quite the couch potato. I really am. Growing up, my parents even cancelled the family's Mnet subscription because they decided my brother and I were watching more cartoons and KTV than could be considered healthy. This meant that when I was finally out of the house and living on my own, one of my first priorities was purchasing a flat-screen TV and a DStv subscription.
Of course, my budget doesn't allow for the best of the best though, so when I was given the chance to review the very best of Samsung's new smart TV range, it was like a childhood dream come true.
Enter the 46-inch Samsung ES8000 Series 8 Smart Interaction 3D LED TV. Since it's quite difficult to review a 3D TV when only watching the standard TV channels, Samsung also threw in (figuratively speaking, of course) a 5.1 Channel 3D/Blu-ray home entertainment system - complete with surround sound speakers (and three 3D Blu-ray DVDs to boot).
So let's start with the main attraction - the TV itself. The design is simply sexy, super slim, light and finished with a very thin silver bevel around the edges - making the front of the TV almost all screen. I was also quite impressed that I could carry the TV around myself without breaking into a sweat or calling for backup.
On the top of the TV, in the centre, is a built-in camera and mic. This is balanced by the Samsung logo in the centre, at the bottom of the screen. The logo lights up when the TV is switched on. The TV stand is a departure from the standard base attachments one sees from Samsung TVs. The u-shape stand is both attractive and stable - and is also surprisingly easy to set up. So in terms of design, I struggled to find any faults - top marks to Samsung.
New controls
On to the controls. The TV comes with two remotes - one standard remote with the usual intimidatingly large number of buttons, and a second, more innovative 'touch pad' that aims to change the traditional concept of the remote control. Together with the touch pad remote comes an IR blaster that turns the touch pad into a universal remote (which is very useful for controlling both the TV and home entertainment system from a single remote).
The touch pad took a little getting used to, though, and could be a little jerky in its responses. I would often find myself having to concentrate quite hard to make sure I didn't over-shoot the mark in trying to select the option I was looking for. The concept is a good one though, and I anticipate we'll be seeing a lot more 'touch pads' and fewer traditional remote controls in the years to come.
Key selling points of the TV are its voice and motion control capabilities. Of course, “new interfaces” have been the order of the day this year, as manufacturers have been moving towards more human-centric approaches to interacting with new devices, and Samsung has been pushing particularly hard in this space. With the voice control features, you are able to configure the TV to recognise your voice and to be able to turn it on by simply walking into the room and saying “Hi, TV”. The touch pad also plays an important role in the new form of interaction, with its dedicated voice control button. By pressing the button, a number of menu options appear along the bottom of the screen - such as “Play/Pause”, “Source”, “Volume Up/Down” and “Settings”.
While this works fairly well, the limited number of options that are actually available for voice control can be quite frustrating. I would like to see the addition of options like 'skip scene' and a way to adjust the volume by more than just one point each time. I also found if I let someone else give it a try, it would take some time for the TV to be able to understand commands from my voice again.
At first, voice control certainly had novelty appeal, but in terms of actual functionality, I found myself reverting back to using the touch pad or, in some cases, even back to using the standard remote if I couldn't find what I was looking for.
Speaking of novelty features, the TV is also marketed for its motion control abilities. Again, I wish I could say this had more use than just being a novelty, but I had a fair amount of difficulty just setting it up. In order to work, it requires just the right lighting settings and you having to awkwardly wave at the screen (in a very specific way, at a very specific speed) in order for it to acknowledge your presence.
Once set up, in theory, you should be able to just wave at the TV a few times (in that very specific way, at that very specific speed) and then a large pointer appears on the screen (as well as very simplified controls) for you to then use to perform certain commands. This was very jerky though, and, for the most part, unresponsive (and a workout for my arm as I flayed around trying to get the pointer in the right place). Again, a great concept in theory, but something that still needs some refinement before it can really be considered useful.
Fine tuning
Means of control aside, the actual range of settings available on the TV is very impressive. In terms of picture settings, there are four different modes to choose from (dynamic, standard, natural and movie). More specific picture settings available include backlight, contrast, brightness, sharpness, colour, colour tone, tint, screen adjustments and 3D. Under the advanced options are dynamic contrast, black tone and white balance. There is also a 'judder reduction' option for fast-paced action viewing.
As for the sound, you can choose between standard, music, movie, clear voice and amplify mode. The built-in sound of the TV itself is good, and I didn't really have any complaints. The speakers are, however, located on the back of the TV, so the sound quality can be affected by the physical placement of the TV. When the home entertainment system was in full swing though, it really did feel like a full-on home theatre. The system was also unobtrusive and easy to set up.
On to the all-important picture quality. With my expertise limited to being purely from a consumer/couch potato perspective rather than that of TV technician, I was generally impressed with the picture quality. It was crisp and clear, with very realistic and natural colours. The range of adjustments available also makes it easy to configure the display exactly to your personal preference. The only problem I picked up (and have seen echoed across many online forums) is that of backlight bleed. For example, in the opening scenes of Thor (in the dark desert), one could clearly see light patches glowing in all four corners of the screen. This was only noticeable in dark scenes, but was disappointing, nonetheless.
Step into the future
The tagline for the advertising campaign for this smart TV is “step into the future of television”, and this is where the 3D and smart TV features come to the fore. I am generally not a fan of 3D and find it to be quite a strain on the eyes - especially with the cheap 3D glasses one is given in cinemas. As sceptical as I was though, I have to say, the 3D quality on the Series 8 8000 is, without a doubt, the best I've ever seen.
Attributable to the high quality of the screen display (compared to that of the average cinema), the 3D experience was truly impressive and immersive. The 3D glasses themselves (four of them are included with the TV) are definitely a step up from the cinemas' - with them even being battery-powered and a lot more comfortable than one would expect plastic glasses to be. I still can't get around the fact that it's quite unnatural to have to wear a specific set of glasses in order to enjoy a movie. It's nice to have the option, but if my own experience was anything to go by, again, it was more of a novelty feature than something I could see myself doing day-in and day-out - so it's a good thing then that the standard 2D picture quality is as good as it is. Switching between the two modes is also as simple as pressing a single button.
Apart from the 'smart' gesture and voice control options, what really earns the Series 8 its 'Smart TV' title is its connectivity functions. The Smart Hub requires a WiFi or network connection in order to operate (so this could be a limiting factor for households that lack connectivity), but once connected, the TV can really become the single screen for multiple services and functions. There's no question that Samsung's Smart Hub is the most capable smart TV platform available. You are given access to a specially built app store with access to apps such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter - all optimised for the big screen. The TV also boasts a built-in Web browser (which provides some more usefulness to the touch pad control).
Skype can also be used together with the built-in mic and camera, and the large screen makes this quite a compelling feature for families. Other features include Samsung's own social platform, Family Story (designed for the sharing of family photos and similar content, rather than being a fully blown social network), Fitness, Kids, Your Video and All Share Play.
All the special features aside, the main reason for buying a TV remains the picture quality and viewing experience, and from that perspective, this model scores top marks. While the extra features may really appeal to those looking to have a taste of next-generation technology, I feel a lot of the 'smart' technology still has a way to go before it can really be considered more than a novelty. All the extra features also come at a hefty price, with the TV retailing for about R21 000.
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