Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV

by Samsung

Product Features

• 7,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Auto Motion Plus 240Hz
• Medi@2.0 Internet@TV - Content Service; DLNA Wireless; Content Library (2GB Flash Memory); USB 2.0 Movie
• Fast 2ms response time
• 4 HDMI — Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) (side)

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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

September 15, 2009
Picture performance, advanced connectivity, and an and stunning design come together with the Samsung UN46B8500 46-inch LED HDTV to achieve a high level of picture quality as well as provide a unique and immersive entertainment experience. Using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as its primary light source--rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL)--this cutting edge HDTV also offers the benefits of an ultra-high contrast ratio and a slim depth that allows for a more artful design. And the 8500 Series also includes innovative LED Local Dimming technology, which selectively turns blocks of LEDs off to render perfectly true blacks while others are left on to produce more light in order to express pure whites.

The 46-inch Samsung UN46B8500 LED HDTV (see larger image).

The Crystal Neck swivel stand.

With Samsung's innovative use of white LEDs as a backlight source, the 8500 Series is capable of a stunning 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for extreme detail and image depth and an an ultra-quick 2ms panel response time for fast-paced content. Its Wide Color Enhancer Pro ensures that colors are consistently vibrant, while Samsung's Ultra Clear Panel works to improve image clarity and brightness regardless of a room's ambient lighting.

To battle motion blur and image judder that can plague LCD displays when displaying fast movement onscreen, this 8500 Series LED HDTV utilizes Samsung's Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation technology with an ulatra-fast 240Hz refresh rate--four times that of other TVs. It also boasts high dynamic contrast ratios, complements of the ground breaking LED light source.

The 8500 Series features Samsung's new InternetTV online content service. Developed with Yahoo!, InternetTV uses either a wired or wireless Ethernet connection to access content onscreen from Yahoo!, Flickr, YouTube and more with the push of a button. The widget-based interface and scrollbar run along the bottom of the screen for easy browsing of the latest programs and content.

Key Features

• Screen Size: 46 inches
• Full 1080p HD (Learn more)
• New -- Breakthrough local dimming LED technology for a sharper picture as well as true-to-life brightness ranging from the purest black to pristine white. (Learn more)
• Auto Motion Plus 240Hz: Advanced processing that reduces blur and enhances image detail when viewing fast motion video sequences. (Learn more)
• Energy Savings: Samsung's LED TVs use up to 40 percent less power than conventional LCD TVs. (Learn more)
• Ultra-slim Design: 1.6-inch depth
• Ultra-quick 2ms response time minimizes blurring of fast motion in sports programs.
• Mega dynamic contrast ratio (7,000,000:1)
• HD-Grade Pixel Resolution: High-resolution pixel density is combined with a built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.
• Ultra Clear Panel: Advanced LCD technology lets you enjoy crisp image details, natural skin tones, excellent shadow detail, and vibrant colors.
• Game Mode enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sounds of your games. Picture and sound quality optimized for the special needs of gaming systems at the touch of a button.
• Wide Color Enhancer Pro optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors.
• Picture-in-Picture (PIP) enables convenient, simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC content sources.
• Audio: Two stereo speakers (10-watts each, for 20 watts of total power)
• SRS TruSurround HD creates an immersive, feature-rich surround sound experience from two speakers, complete with rich bass, high frequency detail and clear dialog.
• Content Library (2 GB Flash Memory): Built-in library contains photo art gallery, games, workout routines, recipes, and other interesting digital content. Additional items and updates are available from Samsung.com.
• Two USB 2.0 ports for playing a variety of video, photo, and audio files from portable devices, including external hard drives
• DLNA-compatible for better interopability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers (Learn more)
• Anynet Plus (HDMI-CEC) allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by a Samsung TV remote control.
• Energy Star Compliant: Reduces energy consumption by up to 25 percent compared with standard TVs.
• Built-in digital tuner--no external box needed.
• V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by a parent to contain objectionable content.
• Crystal Neck swivel stand
• Warranty: 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty (90 days parts and labor for commercial use), with in home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support.
• Medi2.0 lets you enjoy more with Internet TV, allowing you to receive content via Yahoo!, Flickr, and more via on-screen TV widgets. (Learn more)

Connections

• HDMI (version 1.3): 4 back
• USB: 2 back
• Component video: 1 back
• Composite video: 1 back (shared with component)
• PC input: 1 back
• Ethernet: 1 back
• Optical digital audio output: 1 back

Dimensions

• TV without stand: 44.5 x 27.1 x 1.6 inches (WxHxD); 41.2 pounds
• TV with stand: 44.5 x 29.9 x 10.9 inches (WxHxD); 54.1 pounds
• What size TV should you get?

Accessories

• 2010 LinkStick: Connect wirelessly to a world of digital content from Samsung. The LinkStick wireless LAN adaptor eliminates the hassle and cluttered look of wires. Learn more about the Samsung WIS09ABGN LinkStick Wireless LAN Adapter.
• Wall Mount: Picture frame-style mount for simple installation. Mounting hardware included. Learn more about the Samsung WMN1000B Fixed Low-Profile Wall Mount.

Learn More

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Breakthrough LED Picture Quality with Local Dimming

Compared to a traditional CCFL, LEDs produce darker blacks that appear endlessly deep to the eye. And with the 8500 Series' LED local dimming backlighting technology, the lit parts of the on-screen image can brightened to the maximum while all light is shut off in the dark areas of the screen. The result is the ultimate in contrast ratio. Moreover, the reduction of brightness in the dark areas also cuts power consumption by as much as half. The 8500 Series also includes Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer Pro feature, which provides a broader color palette by analyzing each pixel and then stretches them to their 3-dimensional limit for the fullest, most lifelike colors possible. Samsung's Ultra Clear Panel further allows the preservation of every detail even in brightly-lit, imperfect viewing conditions. This is done by effectively allowing more light to pass through the screen and simultaneously reducing reflections from ambient light.

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Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)

You already know something about digital living. There’s the TV and digital video recorder in your family room. (And another set in your bedroom.) You have a PC and digital printer in your office, along with a network attached storage device. And you’ve copied all your music onto your portable music player and haven’t had to open a CD case for years. But getting them to talk to each other can be pretty tough. Why is it still so difficult to send digital content from one device to another? Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a collaboration of the world’s leading consumer electronics, PC and mobile companies that has created design guidelines for a new generation of products that can work together — no matter the brand. Think for a moment about all of the photos "locked away" on your home PC that you wish you could access while entertaining your friends and family. Now, thanks to DLNA enabled devices, a DLNA-enabled PC can be accessed from the comfort of your living room or family room via a DLNA-enabled HDTV, where you can enjoy your memories with friends and family, without having to deal with the hassle and non-intuitive "PCexperience". Or, say you recently downloaded your daughter’s birthday party video from your digital camcorder to your PC. Now you want to share it with your parents who are visiting. Without DLNA, you probably have to burn a DVD of the video or hook up the camcorder to the TV. With DLNA, you can just use your TV’s remote to call up the video on your TV. That's it.

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Medi2.0

	Medi2.0 lets you enjoy more with Internet TV, allowing you to receive content via Yahoo!, Flickr, and more on screen. It also includes a content library so you can enjoy pre-loaded content, such as cooking recipes and fitness exercises. Plus, DLNA CERTIFIED connectivity lets you remotely access your PC's personal media so that you can download music, video, and photos and enjoy them anywhere in the home your TV is. Finally USB 2.0 multi-media center lets you connect a thumb drive or a digital camera quickly and easily.
Current Widgets	eBay Get real-time updates, place bids, monitor your favorite items, view photos and compare prices with the press of your remote. You won’t miss a buying or selling opportunity with the eBay TV widget.
	RallyCast Track fantasy league scores, standings, and player stats in real time while you watch the games on TV.
	Twitter Keep in touch with people and share real-time updates and frequent answers while you watch TV.
	Flickr Share photos with family & friends and browse the latest photos posted by the Flickr community.
	YouTube Share your favorite YouTube videos without having to gather around a computer screen.
	Yahoo! Weather Choose a location and get a snapshot of current weather conditions, the 5-day forecast and more.
	Yahoo! News Get breaking news, headlines, and top stories from leading news sources, designed for the big screen.
	USA Today Sports Get the latest sports scores, stories, and snapshots, as the news happens from USA TODAY.

Widgets allow you to track local weather with Yahoo, access eBay, display Flickr pictures and see Twitter updates - all on your screen. With a split-screen display, you can do it all without missing a second of your favorite shows. And now, you can also get movies on demand via blockbuster and Amazon Instant Video.

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Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get. Minimum size = Viewing distance/3 Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5

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Product Description

Picture performance, advanced connectivity, and an and stunning design come together to form Samsung LED TV 8500. For the image connoisseur, our highest 240Hz motion blur reduction technology, our highest 7,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio that displays incredibly deep blacks and pristine whites, and enriched color processing deliver outstanding video. Samsung InternetTV has web TV widgets from Yahoo, Flicker, Ebay and others to entertain, inform and connect you to specially designed web content right on your LED TV. This Ultra Slim 1.6” depth set is the ideal complement for your room and your life.innovative digital technology. Powerful LED technology offers the most impressive contrast and color you have ever seen on a 55-inch screen; innovative 240Hz technology renders four times the frames per second compared to standard HDTVs, for motion that’s truly lifelike and smooth. A pre-loaded Content Library puts countless hours of information and entertainment at your fingertips. The Medi2.0 feature brings online content – such as video, stocks, photo sharing and more – straight to your HDTV, with downloadable, customizable widgets that are easily controlled via the remote. The Ultra Slim Design is only 1.2 inches deep, and that’s including the tuner! Another visual highlight is the striking Touch of Color accented bezel. And with the photo frame wall mount, you can bring the elegant brilliance of this inches from the wall – in virtually any room. And with the same passion we have for delivering groundbreaking HD excitement and style, Samsung is dedicated to preserving the environment with LED TVs, through reduced power consumption (up to 40% savings versus 2008 Samsung conventional LCD TVs) and manufacturing techniques.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible picture quality but with very clunky extra features. November 19, 2009

By Terrance McCartney

PICTURE

In terms of video quality, this TV is awesome. I can't imagine how the picture could be much better.

There are some minor picture quality issues with off-angle viewing (as the CNET review states), but I think CNET exaggerates the severity -- it's only noticeable to me if I'm far off center.

I haven't yet noticed any blooming effects.

Setting the "judder reduction" to 10 introduces some distortion at times, but a setting of 6 smoothes out motion well without noticeable distortion. However, this varies a bit with different source material. When viewing video files via DLNA that have a lower frame rate, the judder reduction setting can sometimes make things worse. But this is easy to turn off/on by source.

The color level seemed slightly off initially, even with CNET's recommended settings. For example, sometimes a blue sky would look slightly purple (i.e., too much red). But this was easily adjusted in the picture settings.

AUDIO

I don't use the TV's audio, since I have an external speaker setup. However, the TV's audio seemed a bit bland when I tried it.

Unfortunately, digital audio output from the TV does not pass through multi-channel audio from HDMI inputs. You need to run extra digital audio cables from your DVD player and other components to your AV receiver if you'd like Dolby Digital or DTS sound.

ENERGY

I measured the electricity usage at 110-115 watts (energy saving mode at "auto", volume off, picture adjusted per CNET recommendation). Setting energy saving mode to auto doesn't seem to hurt the picture quality at all.

This is very energy efficient -- it uses less power than my old 32" CRT TV. I'm amazed at how little heat I can feel coming from the back of the set.

REMOTE

If you have a universal learning remote, it will not be able to learn from the RF remote that comes with this TV (i.e., since standard remotes are IR rather than RF). However, I called Samsung and they sent me a compatible IR remote, free of charge. With that remote, I was able to program my universal learning remote. Ask for remote BN59-00851A.

BUILD QUALITY

One small build quality issue that I encountered: the plastic at the base of my TV extended a bit too far, making it impossible to fit it into the stand. I had to carve away some of the plastic in the slots of the stand just to get it to fit, which made me a bit uneasy. But other than that, the build quality is fine.

MEDIA FEATURES

Viewing video files via DLNA works well, for the file types that are supported. Although I've encountered many files that the TV doesn't play for one reason or another, the ones that it does play work well. I regularly stream 1080p video files from my PC, and the picture looks perfect (with wired Ethernet).

The TV has a variety of Internet and media features. But unfortunately there are lots of quality issues such as:

1. When playing video files through USB, DLNA, or Internet features, most TV controls are disabled. While you can adjust basic picture settings, you can't choose 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios. In playing NTSC video (i.e., any video that came from standard def TV, home movies, etc) from USB or DLNA, the aspect ratio is *always wrong*: 16:9 video is always squeezed too thin and 4:3 video is always stretched too fat.

2. There is no fast forward, rewind, or chapter advance when playing video clips or movies. This is true of playing YouTube videos as well. Although there is a "skip" feature where you can jump in increments (e.g., 10 seconds), this is only available for some video files (most don't support this, in my experience).

3. As the CNET review stated, the Yahoo widgets are extremely slow to start. Note that this has nothing to do with your Internet speed, since I have a 25 Mbit Internet service with wired Ethernet to the TV and it's still painfully slow. I have an HD TiVo with a lot of the same features as the Yahoo widgets, and that is far more enjoyable to use. But the one area where the Yahoo widgets outperformed TiVo was YouTube -- the Yahoo YouTube widget can play HD video clips as HD but TiVo plays them as SD.

4. If a media file played through DLNA (and I assume USB) has multiple audio channels, there is no way to choose which audio to play along with the video.

5. Does not support DTS audio.

I assume that these problems exist with all Samsung TVs with the Media 2.0 feature. Perhaps these problems will be fixed in a future software update. If so, I'll post an update (*** still no fixes to these issues as of 5/9/10 ***).

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome display January 6, 2010

By BCS

I have had this TV set up for 3 weeks now. Opinion:

Setup
Very simple, the packing box has removable plastic clips that allow you to slide the whole cover off. No annoying heavy staples. You can save the whole box with the reusable clips for moving the TV in the future. Took 2 people to safely lift the TV out of the styrofoam and lay it on the bed. About 15 screws later and the base is on. Pretty simple. The TV with base installed is about half the weight of my 32 inch Trinitron CRT.

Style
The black bevel with clear glass-like edging and brushed metal base is very attractive. When the TV is on there is a subtle blue glow on the bottom of the TV which is pleasant, but you can turn it off if you want. The base allows you to rotate the TV about 30 degrees each way which is a nice feature. The 1.6" thickness is a big wow factor.

Features
Extensive menu features for tweaking the picture. You can tweak the Auto Motion Plus (AMP) very precisely to your liking. You can change the colorspace settings extensively: you can modify each of the RGBCMY colors. For each input the TV remembers each of your calibrations. This is a nice feature. There is a "game mode" which minimizes input lag.

Picture quality
Totally depends on the source material. 1080i video from my comcast DVR looks amazing for certain programing. Vibrant colors, deep blacks. My favorite show to watch now is Glee because it really shows what the TV is capable of (my wife got me watching this...). I do not yet have a blue ray player, so I cannot comment on how this might look. I was impressed with the blue ray quality in the store.

One thing about movies on an LCD screen: all movies are filmed in 24 fps. First generation LCD screens that display at 60 fps always had difficulty with movies because they had to get 24 frames to fit onto a 60 Hz display. This results in judder, most noticeable during pans or smooth motion on the screen. This TV has the AMP capability to interpolate the extra frames to show smooth motion. But the problem is that if you crank the AMP settings all the way up you get a strange looking picture: movies start to look like amateur filmed video. You really have to see it to know what I'm talking about, but it is really annoying. There are 2 parts of the AMP setting: blur reduction and judder reduction. The JR is what gives the soap opera effect. So, for movies I leave the blur reduction all the way up, but put the JR at 0. There is still judder in the movie, but it is far less annoying than the soap opera effect. Oh - and regarding the AMP: it is a very useful feature you are watching a reality TV show or live action sports. I crank it all the way up and the picture looks awesome. For almost all other sources I use BR/JR of 10/0.

I am very pleased with how DVDs look upscaled. Pretty amazing that such a good picture can be made from a 480i source. Regular def video from the cable box looks pretty good. The TV has such high clarity that all the digital artifacts that come through the cable box are clearly visible. Playing the XBox on the 46B8500 is awesome. No noticeable input lag here. Very engaging experience.

Color
On this TV seem to be very accurate, although I am no spectrophotometer-wielding color expert. I like my white point a little bluer than most, so I started with the "Standard" setting and put the colorspace to "Native." I backed off on he green a smidge because the bowl game grass looked too green. Skin tones look very good, awesome on some sources. If you like warmer whites you can change your colorspace to warm1 or warm2. I briefly considered professional calibration, but I am satisfied with the colors as they are set now.

Regarding the blacks
They are so deep that when watching a letterboxed video or a 4:3 video with black sidebars, the bevel is the exact same level of black. Depending on how you have your settings, the LEDs on the black part of the screen are totally off. I cannot see how the blacks could possibly be any deeper.

The factory default settings for contrast are too high - 95/100 on standard. This results in occasionally noted blooming on the TV - really only noticed with one or two bright objects on a completely black background. Turning the contrast down to 80-85 minimized the blooming.

Viewing Angle
At first I thought cnet's description of the poor off angle viewing experience was overstated, but I somewhat concede the point. Once you get out of the sweet spot - about 5 people wide at 6 feet, the picture quality suffers. The picture gets washed out and blacks lighten up to the level of some of a traditional CCFL LCD or worse. Blooming becomes much more noticeable. While you still can technically view the image, the experience is not nearly as rich. This means you can't have like 12 guys over to watch the big game if you are gonna sit close to the TV.

There is a reflective screen. If you have windows behind you, you may notice them during dark scenes. I have no windows behind the couch, but do have a ton of light in the room. I see no reflections at all sitting in front of the TV during the day.

Sound
Abysmal. Immediately turned it off. If you are buying a TV this expensive, you will almost certainly have external speakers. The 18 year old $100 Sony floor speakers I have with an old receiver fit the bill. Don't buy this TV for the sound. The speakers face backwards and sound tinny and hollow, no bass. With a 1.6 inch thick TV you cant really expect too much.

Extra Features
Just as mentioned on previous posts, the yahoo widgets are really too slow to be useful. If you want to know the weather, watch youtube, or browse stocks, go to your computer. If you absolutely have to watch youtube on the big screen, it technically does the job - but very slowly.

Overall
I still feel like this is the best LCD that you can buy right now. With the right source, PQ is amazing. I researched for months and visited numerous stores to narrow down my choices. If your TV is going in a bright room, this TV is likely the one for you. If you are looking for a mancave TV for tons of darkroom movies, then a high end plasma might be better and cheaper.

B

69 of 76 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review: Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV November 23, 2009

By M. Cardenas

Amazon Verified Purchase

~*~Updated - 01/20/10~*~
- Samsung has decided to discontinue the 8 Series (Website has completely wiped them out). Couple of reasons for this is due to the fact that since not many people knew about the 8 series (more importantly this 8500 set), they were losing money off of something no one was buying. Another reason, is because they are now putting the majority of their 'eggs in 1 basket'. That 'Basket' being the new 3D Technology. Which leads me to believe that the next line of Samsungs are NOT going to have as much focus & emphasis on picture quality such as this 8500 HDTV, but more focus & emphasis on the 3D Technology. One supporting fact: Samsung has yet to deny the possibility that NONE of the 2010 models will have Local Dimming - which is one of the reasons why this 8500 set is (and still is) the best LED/LCD on the market today. Instead all of the new 2010 models will go back to Edge-Lit LED backlighting, which is a step backwards.

- My advice? We all know this new 3D Technology is not going to be the best the 1st time around and within a year or 2 years that 'new' 3D HDTV will then become outdated. This 8500 set is the Best LCD/LED HDTV out there and through the trail and errors of the new 3D technology, this 8500 will still be an HDTV to reckon with. If you see it at a good price, buy it before there's no more.

~*~

For the past decade, there has always been one thing that Plasmas could do that LCD just couldn't even touch = Contrast Ratio & Black Levels. Up until now LCDs always had a hard time producing deep-dark black levels and the consumers are left with pixilated 'inky' 'blochy' black marks across the screen during a dark or night scene. But not anymore...

The Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV is the BEST LED-based LCD HDTV out on the Market today, period. And what makes this HDTV stand out from the rest?

The use of LED Local Dimming Backlight Technology - Before, the Samsung LED HDTV used 'Edge-Lit' technology where the backlights were located on the Edge of the Screen which is why some HDTVs had a distracting light effect on the edges of the HDTV (aka Halo Effect). And also had trouble producing deep black levels because the backlights were naturally too far from the source (located on the edges of the screen).

With the use of LED local dimming backlight technology, the backlight is actually throughout the screen (not just at the Edges) and can turn off independently from one another during black scenes; making it the best LED-based LCD to produce the deepest black levels ever. Yes, even compared to the Plasma powerhouse Kuro by Pioneer. Never before has an LED-based LCD HDTV even come close to a Kuro plasma HDTV.

Pros
- Local Dimming Backlight Technology = Deeper black levels than any HDTV available
- 120hz/240hz + Adjustable dejudder Feature (Not seen in a majority of 120hz/240hz HDTVs)
- Reduced "Blooming Effect" compared with other local dimming LED-based LCDs
- Internet Widgets (Including Yahoo, Youtube, Weather, etc.)
- Extremely energy efficient compared to any other HDTV
- The style is very Neutral and extremely thin = 1.6-inch deep panel
- Intense Adjustable Picture Controls

Cons
- Price is a little discouraging (But when you think about it, this HDTV is about 5 - 6yrs Future Proof)
- Poor off-angle viewing (This has always plagued both Plasmas and LCDs)

I've waiting for a long time to get another HDTV and I can honestly say the wait is now over. It maybe a little pricey but for what you're getting this HDTV offers a lot and has features that not many LED-Based LCDs have right now. To put it in short (& [...] agrees with me): This is the BEST LED-based LCD HDTV out on the Market (right now)

No question, Invest and Buy it!

V_O_R