Samsung front 425

(March 30, 2010) Samsung's  55″ UN55C8000 ($3499 retail, [amazonify]B0036WT4KG::text::::$2849 Amazon[/amazonify]) falls in the comfortable middle of its 2010 3D LED (LCD) line, though it has a higher rated contrast ratio than the upcoming more expensive, wafer thin (.3″) C9000 series.

The C8000s are the only Samsung 3D LED models to feature "Precision Dimming", (commonly known every bit local dimming) and adds 240 Hz refresh and slim .9″ depth.  Due to a panel uniformity issue in our mill loaner test unit, we limit this first look to its 3D features and performance.

This 55″ set has a thin (1″) bezel with a brushed aluminum blazon finish. It includes a chrome finished swivel quad leg table stand and a backlit remote. All inputs are on the rear of the panel (4 HDMI, one composite video with L/R audio, twin USBs and an Ethernet jack). Due to the thin console design, Samsung abandons the standard Ethernet, analog sound/video, sub-D 15 pin PC and component video jacks, substituting miniature jacks and supplied connection â€Å"dongles.”

Samsung 8000 Back

The C8000’s product sail states it "Delivers 3D action and 240 Hz smooth motion,” but while the set up includes both features, they are non active at the aforementioned fourth dimension. With 2d sources the set refreshes with 240 frames per second using motion estimation/motion compensation to create interpolated intermediate frames from 24, 30 or 60 frame per second content. In 3D way the C8000 displays 120 active images per second (60 per eye) with blackness frame insertion between active prototype frames. The sequence: left prototype, black frame, right image, black frame, left paradigm etc.

Due to the dearth of 3D content with "Full HD" (1920 x1080 each eye), our source material consists of two Blu-ray discs: â€Å"Monsters and Aliens” and Panasonic's 3D demo disc. Other available demo cloth features "Side by side" 3D, which is one-half Hd resolution (960 x1080) per center and includes Cablevision's 3D telecast of the Rangers vs. Islanders' hockey game recorded on a DVR and serial of clips from 3D Guy. The 8000 and all other Samsung 3D HDTVs have 3D "Next" content loaded on a USB drive via its USB port.

Samsung 3D displays incorporate new controls not found on any of its 2D displays, including 2d to 3D conversion (more on this afterward), 3D Auto View mode (sets 3D format if content is encoded with necessary meta data), Picture Correction (reverses left and right eye images if content was recorded reversed), and 3D Viewpoint (pushes forward or back the 3D issue, we call information technology horizontal parallax shift).

Usually this command is set to "0"; it has a range of -5 to +5. Increasing the control moves the image forward (at the toll of increased crosstalk, more on this later) while decreasing the control pulls it back. A potential utilize is to compensate for a 3D epitome mastered for a larger screen. Lowering the control may aid in reducing eye fatigue for the small-scale percentage of viewers who take "stereo eye convergence" issues.

3D

Viewing native 3D content requires Samsung'southward 3D spectacles, enabling the 3D fashion on the TV and of course, native 3D source cloth, which for at present consists solely of  â€Å"Monsters vs. Aliens” bachelor exclusively in Samsung’southward 2 pairs of spectacles 3D starter kit ([amazonify]B0036WT4KG::text::::link[/amazonify]).

The $349 starter kit is gratuitous with the purchase of a Samsung 3D HDTV along with the purchase of the [amazonify]B00365EVWO::text::::BD-C6900[/amazonify]  3D capable Blu-ray player or its 3D Dwelling house Theater System HT-C6930. To help Samsung 3D set owners obtain content, we arranged  for a download of 3D Guy'due south "3D Girls" video and other samples through our sis website HDGuru3D (link, 3D Content push button on top).  Copy the 3D demos to a USB drive, insert it into the USB port on the rear of the Tv, choose the USB input equally the source and the "side past side" setting on the 3D menu and watch. Panasonic 3D  sets do not support this USB 3D content.

Nosotros began our set evaluation with the motion resolution in 3D manner. The Samsung retained all 1080 lines of resolution in the presence of motion. Nosotros also tested image brightness in 3D way. Only two pic setting modes are available when 3D is engaged: Standard and Picture.

Our tests indicate the Motion-picture show mode is closest to the ideal settings of the standard user picture controls. We found that without glasses the image effulgence measured 44.67 ft lamberts in the 3D "Standard' fashion and 43.twenty ft lamberts (w/o glasses) in the "Picture show" mode. Activating the glasses and placing one lens in forepart of our Konica/Minolta  LS-100 light meter yielded a measurement of xiv.60 ft lamberts (Standard) and 13.84 ft lamberts (Picture). All these readings are quite low for an HDTV and indicate the need for a dim viewing environs at the manufactory default settings.  Readers that insist on a brighter looking image tin increment the level of overall effulgence be resetting the TV's "Gamma Control" from factory default center (two.2) to maximum, which will produce a significantly brighter image at some cost to accurate prototype reproduction.

Viewing 3D

Two new factors must exist considered when evaluating 3D images: crosstalk and flicker.  Your encephalon creates the 3D illusion past combining a left and a right center ‘view” that the ready displays sequentially. Without 3D glasses the resulting picture appears as a blurry, double image.

The performance goal of a 3D brandish/spectacles combination is to never allow the correct eye image to be seen by the left heart and vice versa. Crosstalk, seen as an unintended ghost image, results when leakage occurs and the wrong heart sees the wrong image.

This phenomenon is most noticeable when high contrast occurs betwixt objects in the foreground and background.  For example, a player or referee in a 3D hockey game wearing black against the white ice.

Flicker appears every bit pulsing of the image, especially in bright areas.

The good news is that, unlike Sony’s store demos of its LED LCD the Samsung UN55C8000 was flicker-costless. On the other manus, we observed many instances of crosstalk. For example, at 3 minutes 54 seconds into â€Å"Monsters and Aliens” left and right ghosts appear of a black church building against a sky properties (encounter photograph of how information technology appears to 1 eye through the 3D spectacles).

Samsung 8000 crosstalk 425

In the short â€Å"Bob'southward Big Break” included on the â€Å"Monsters vs. Aliens” disc, crosstalk is oftentimes visible next to Dr. Cockroach's antenna. We never observed crosstalk during our evaluation of Panasonic'south TC-P50VT20 (link).

We also sampled Panasonic's demo disc and noted crosstalk in the coral reef segment’s underwater fish scenes (currently our favorite demo because the fish seem to be floating in the room in front end of the screen).

Is crosstalk a byproduct of 3D LED LCD technology? Based on the evaluation and comparison of a single model we cannot draw such a conclusion; notwithstanding, the Panasonic plasma produced a crosstalk-costless 3D feel using some of the aforementioned content.

2D -> 3D

The Samsung 3D gear up sets have the power to convert normal 2D content into what we like to call "18-carat simulated 3D". The conversion adds depth to the prototype, though information technology is highly dependent on the cloth. Some content looks more impressive than do others. Our two favorites for conversion to date are the new Star Expedition Blu-ray and the NCAA playoffs.  Both provide great depth from a apartment image, although we have not seen whatever object appear in front of the screen ( which is chosen negative Z axis) and don't know if it is possible.

The "depth control" produces the illusion of increasing the space between objects appearing at the screen plane and the background.   Overall nosotros found  this characteristic adds dimension and immersion to 2D content, merely it never appears every bit dramatic as native 3D content. I believe some owners will profoundly savour the event and employ it ofttimes. We'll continue to experiment with information technology and in the upcoming full review plan to listing other programs that the feature improves.

Decision

The Samsung produces a fine 3D experience in terms of depth, clarity and immersion and we appreciate the 2d->3D conversion, nevertheless nosotros constitute the crosstalk to be a distracting annoyance to an otherwise exciting experience. We’ll produce a full review incorporating our  full menu of  2d performance tests once we decide whether the uniformity issue is limited to our review sample or is owned to the pattern, so please stay tuned.

Visit HDGURU3D.com for the latest news and articles on 3D.

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