With the addition of 240Hz processing to the edge-lit LED based LCD TV, Samsung came out with its highest end thus far in the LCD TV arena. The UNB8000 series is one of the, if not THE, most expensive in the market as of this writing with the 55-inch version ranging anywhere from $2500 to $ 3000. There is also another member of this series which is the 46-inch TV which costs just a little bit cheaper, yet all the other features are the same.

Positive Justifications

With the Samsung UN55B8000’s high cost, consumers are definitely expecting a lot from this model. Fair enough, Samsung maintained its highest quality standard and gave buyers several reasons why they should take this baby home.

Just by merely looking at it, elegance and sophistication is already apparent. From the side, its thickest point is just 1.2 inches, which makes it one of the thinnest LCD TVs in the market. Its black exterior with transparent edge all around gives it a classy look. This Samsung series also comes with a brushed-metal base with a unique transparent cylindrical stand that holds the TV upright.

In terms of performance, the Samsung UN55B8000 exhibits great picture quality. The LED backlights allowed for more accurate colors and clearer display. Also, its deep black level is one of the best among all LCD TVs in the market, producing more realistic pictures and excellent contrast. The series showed significant improvement from its 7000 series counterpart. The main difference between the two is the firmware upgrade that was done for the UNB8000 series, and that, indeed, did its job of improving some of the flaws seen before on the 7000 series.

Another cool and unique feature of the Samsung UN55B8000 is its remote control. Unlike others that require line of sight for the remote control to work, the remote for this Samsung model works on the RF technology. This means that the user can be in another room, within the covered distance of RF, and still be able to use the remote control with the TV. The only requirement for it to work is for the remote to be “paired” first with the unit. Once it is done, the remote need not be pointed at the television anymore to change channels or settings.

Similar to earlier Samsung models, the menu screen is still one of the best among other LCD TVs. It has just the right size of text and the menu options are mostly useful, especially to entertainment freaks who know the ins and outs of the TV settings. Another new feature of the Samsung UN55B8000 is having the Yahoo widgets built-in, together with some other applications like games, weather, recipes, etc.

On the Other Side

Obviously, one of the reasons why most consumers will probably hesitate with this model is the price tag. Its major marketing point is the fact that it is able to process at 240Hz; however, for an average TV viewer, the increase in video processing is virtually unnoticeable. Hence, the 240Hz does not really justify the price that much.

Another noticeable downside of the Samsung UN55B8000 is its off-angle viewing. Yes, the transparent stalk allows swiveling on either side, but once the unit is moved, the picture significantly degrades. Also, its shiny exterior may produce reflections when watching in a bright room. Entertainment and tech savvy customers might not appreciate the lack of analog inputs that most other electronic devices still have at the moment.

Taking both sides into consideration, Samsung UN55B8000 is still a good buy, especially for those who do not mind spending more in these types of gadgets.

If you want to buy Samsung UN55B8000, go grab it at Amazon