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#1 ·
Hi, guys…I've decided to start a new thread on these new 2014 4k TVs from Samsung so we can talk about them. Here are some links to more info about them:

HU8550 Series (55")
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN55HU9000FXZA

HU9000 Series (55")
http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN55HU9000FXZA

HU8550 Spec Sheet
http://www.brandsmartusa.com/pdfs/manuals/20175428.pdf


I currently have an older Samsung UN55C8000 3D LED TV and it has served me very well over the last few years. Since the 4k TVs came out, I was seriously considering the 55F9000 as a replacement, but now I'm looking at this new 2014 series. As far as I can tell, here are the main differences between the HU8550 series and HU9000 series (this is after doing a comparison of the two sets on the Samsung website): HU9000 has Quad Core Plus processor, while the HU8550 has a standard Quad Core; the HU9000 is Smart Evolution Ready, whereas the HU8550 does not appear to have the same feature; the HU9000 has a pop-up camera while the HU8550 has no camera; the Clear Motion Rate on the HU9000 is 1440 while the HU8550 has a Clear Motion Rate of 1200; the HU9000 has Purcolor and Auto Depth Enhancer while the HU8550 does not have either feature.


Interestingly enough, if you review the Spec Sheet for the HU8550, it also suggests that there is no One Connect Box for this series. The sheet specifically mentions that the One Connect Box is sold separately…does this mean that the One Connect Box is not included with the HU8550 and all connections are made directly to the TV? If so, then I would give an edge to the older F9000 because I'm a HUGE fan of the One Connect Box idea and I would actually lean towards picking up the F9000.


As I understand it, these TVs also have an 8-bit panel, so I would assume that colors will be limited…this is a disappointment since I am not sure that these TVs would be able to accurately render a wide variety of colors according to the new HDMI 2.0 spec or whatever 4k standards will be established over time. I also find the HU9000 series to be INCREDIBLY annoying with the curved screen idea. I wish Samsung would have included these extra features on the 8550 flat series inasmuch as I do not see any great advantage of a curved screen. I will wait to see what the reviews say about these new series TVs and how they compare to the F9000. At this time, I'm torn between getting the 8550 or the older F9000 once that older series becomes cheaper. Presumably Samsung will release a new One Connect Box for the F9000 that will give it the same features as the 8550, so I'm wondering if that will be the best option for me.


Please discuss your thoughts on this new series along with expert and owner reviews here!
 
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#1,781 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phrawst  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24798340


Well wanting to do my due diligence I packed up my 360 and took it to a store that I knew had the 65" 8550 on display and they let me hook it up. Tried Halo 3, NHL and Street Fighter. Zero lag from my perception so... yeah. If that helps anyone in their decision.
Well, thats the way you find an answer.........
 
#1,782 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by hossta  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1740#post_24787804


This might interest prospective buyers of HU8550.  I really like the Rtings.com site, and having read their review of HU8550 ( http://www.rtings.com/reviews/tv/lcd-led/samsung/hu8550) I emailed them asking what size screens they'd tested, and their opinion on banding, & Motion Handling, specifically compared to last year's F8000, which I own & really rate (has no motion blur/judders at all).

Here's their response:

We had the 65”. No banding at all (as you can see from the gray uniformity picture). The black uniformity was also surprisingly good for that size.
 
The motion blur trail is exactly the same (the response time of all Samsung panels that starts with T is the same). But the PWM cycle is slower on the HU8550, so it produces, in my opinion, a clearer picture. Check out the motion blur pictures of the HU8550 vs the H8000 (which is about the same as last year F8000). You will see that the trail is exactly the same, but the HU8550 appears better.
 
Hope that helps,
Cedric Demers
Rtings.com

I seriously think that they are reviewing a hand picked sample, as I cannot believe the 65HU7500 (65HU8550 in US) had no banding at all! I personally have seen two units with severe banding, and owned one of them, which I then replaced for 65HU8500 (65HU9000 in US).
 
#1,783 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vddobrev  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1740#post_24787632


Strange thing happened to my 65HU8500 last night. I started the Hobbit Unexpected Journey in 3D a couple of days ago, but stopped it at about 1 hour into it, 3D was working excellent!


Last night continued, but the 3D was horrible, terrible crosstalk, and effect similar to out of focus... the player is Samsung 7500. No matter what settings I tried I could not fix it. I ended up unplugging both TV and player for a minute, then everything was fine, 3D was back to how it used to be.


I am wondering what may be causing this problem.

Well, 1 out of 3 times when I start playing a 3D blue ray disk, I am getting poor convergence and severe crosstalk. Most of the time stopping, then starting playback again cures it... Someone said it is the player, any other opinions as to where else could the problem be?
 
#1,785 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by vddobrev  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24798963



I seriously think that they are reviewing a hand picked sample, as I cannot believe the 65HU7500 (65HU8550 in US) had no banding at all! I personally have seen two units with severe banding, and owned one of them, which I then replaced for 65HU8500 (65HU9000 in US).
And are you happy with your HU8500?  Is there any banding, or Motion Blur/Juddering?

Does anyone own a 65" HU7500 (HU8550 in US) with no vertical banding?
 
#1,786 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by hossta  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24798976



And are you happy with your HU8500?  Is there any banding, or Motion Blur/Juddering?

Does anyone own a 65" HU7500 (HU8550 in US) with no vertical banding?

Yes, I am extremely happy, my unit does not have any banding. Motion Blur/Juddering is minimal, and it depends on what settings you chose and what content/quality you are watching. For example, a high quality feed of soccer game is very nice, but not as nice as on a plasma display.

Also, did you know that the set has an option for optimizing 50/60Hz content? It is in the System menu, and I don't think the HU7500 has this.

Indeed, I love the TV and very satisfied, apart from a small 3D issue which could be due to tmy player. I have installed a LED stripe behind the TV to give me a good ambient light. This really helps to improve the picture when lights are off.
 
#1,787 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rf13  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1740#post_24795933


I agree it was very short, they're website is reviewed.com so far they haven't put up a formal review of the two yet. There is one for the 8550 up posted recently so there should be one soon for the 9000.


Edit: actually the hu9000 review has been up for a while here it is http://televisions.reviewed.com/content/samsung-un65hu9000-4k-led-tv-review

I would be extremely cautious about any review who's idea of color performance only says that the colors are pretty. With the tools available for us today, the absence of a calibration report screams that there are problems.
 
#1,788 ·
Jim, to be fair, they also said this about color:


"The HU9000 is also a brilliant performer when it comes to color production, adhering to international color standards almost flawlessly. Viewers can expect grassy green fields, vibrant blue skies, or even the bubbling magma of Mordor to look as intended."


IOW, they said it conforms to Rec709 quite well.
 
#1,789 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by GregLee  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24796237



I've tried to find settings for my wife's hu8550 that she likes, and she does like the way I have it set up, but I don't. She wants too much contrast and color. I'll describe my settings procedurally: Start from the default Movie settings and use color tone Warm1, but turn contrast and color way down (until they look right). Look at some movie credits on a black background, and adjust the brightness control until the background just goes black. Turn the Smart LED setting to High and to get back the shadow detail which this loses, turn up the Gamma setting to +2 or +3.


By the way, I do the adjusting when sitting in my wife's viewing chair, and when I'm done and stand up, try not to look back at the screen, because from a standing position, the picture looks lousy.


Oh, another footnote. Above when I say to turn down the contrast, I'm referring to the contrast control of the TV, which controls the peak white level. I don't mean actual contrast, which should be high (which is why I set Smart LED to its maximum). The problem with having the contrast control = white level too high is that you lose picture detail in bright areas of the picture.
Great Thank you Greg.  TV is scheduled for delivery this afternoon.  I will test your settings.

 

Also for everyone asking about gaming on the HU8550.  I will hook up the Xbone and Ps4 to it tonight and chime in.  I wouldn't call myself a serious gamer, but i will put in a few hot laps on Forza5 and couple international friendlies on Fifa.  I don't have much in terms of shooters for consoles, thats why we have PC's with keyboards and mice (So much more accurate with a mouse, anyways...)

 

I am excited I just hope CEVA doesn't screw up the delivery!
 
#1,790 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleveland Plasma  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24798691


Well, thats the way you find an answer.........

Yup just means you can't take a lot of these reviewers results as fact. The reviewer that gave the 8550 the worst marks for response time also said the H7150 model has equally good picture quality. I've seen both units side by side and I can say with certainty that is not the case. Anyways hope this helps out anyone on the fence.
 
#1,791 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phrawst  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24798340



Well wanting to do my due diligence I packed up my 360 and took it to a store that I knew had the 65" 8550 on display and they let me hook it up. Tried Halo 3, NHL and Street Fighter. Zero lag from my perception so... yeah. If that helps anyone in their decision.
I downloaded a bunch of 4k content and walked into a best buy on a weekday afternoon when I knew they would be empty and asked the guy if i could hook my MBPr to the different 4k sets and see which picture looked the best to me between the Sammy, Sony, and LG.  Salesman was cool about it he looked bored as the place was dead on a Weds afternoon.
 
#1,792 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by IceZ23  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799341


I downloaded a bunch of 4k content and walked into a best buy on a weekday afternoon when I knew they would be empty and asked the guy if i could hook my MBPr to the different 4k sets and see which picture looked the best to me between the Sammy, Sony, and LG.  Salesman was cool about it he looked bored as the place was dead on a Weds afternoon.

What did you think looked best?
 
#1,793 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phrawst  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799363



What did you think looked best?
Samsung = Sony >>>>>>>>>>LG

 

The samsung and the sony were very close.  The deciding factor for me was the Samsung smart hub was "smarter" than Sony's offering.  Native support for the Plex App was a biggie for me.  Honestly I don't think you could go wrong with either set the picture was beautiful on both.
 
#1,794 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by IceZ23  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799388


Samsung = Sony >>>>>>>>>>LG


The samsung and the sony were very close.  The deciding factor for me was the Samsung smart hub was "smarter" than Sony's offering.  Native support for the Plex App was a biggie for me.  Honestly I don't think you could go wrong with either set the picture was beautiful on both.
the best buy by my house let me bring in pacific rim and the ran it for me. I agree.


The thing I like about the Sony was the speakers. Gaming speeds.

Sammy was punchy picture, and just this clean depth that sucked me.in.


The hu9000.


Sammy and Sony should combine. Make one TV. Would not be beaten.


Either would be a dream to own. So just enjoy those bad boys.
 
#1,796 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JimP  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799058



I would be extremely cautious about any review who's idea of color performance only says that the colors are pretty. With the tools available for us today, the absence of a calibration report screams that there are problems.
I would be extremely cautions about any reviews who's idea of color performance and PQ consist only of calibration reports. Let us not forget that the object of PQ is to look at the screen and be amazed, not just hit some arbitrary reference points.
 
#1,797 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hisma  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799488


can you guys recommend 3d glasses that are also compatible with this set?  The stock glasses' battery gets flat after 3 or 4 uses.  It's frustrating.

When you say "flat" are you talking about the on screen power level showing quick depletion? If so mine have been showing that for the last month but still work. I'm keeping any eye on it and others have noticed it also. Maybe a firmware update will fix the problem. I don't remember the life span rating but the battery starts going down after a couple of uses. I was watching some 3D yesterday and the level had bottomed out but the glasses still worked. We should be contacting Samsung about this as I at least would like the reading to be accurate.
 
#1,798 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jbug  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799689



When you say "flat" are you talking about the on screen power level showing quick depletion? If so mine have been showing that for the last month but still work. I'm keeping any eye on it and others have noticed it also. Maybe a firmware update will fix the problem. I don't remember the life span rating but the battery starts going down after a couple of uses. I was watching some 3D yesterday and the level had bottomed out but the glasses still worked. We should be contacting Samsung about this as I at least would like the reading to be accurate.
I see.  Yes, I was going off the on-screen indication.  Mine is well into the red already after very little use.

 

I suppose it's not a huge deal if the battery really is still okay, but samsung should fix this annoying bug.
 
#1,799 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jbug  /t/1522081/official-samsung-4k-hu8550-and-hu9000-thread/1770#post_24799689



When you say "flat" are you talking about the on screen power level showing quick depletion? If so mine have been showing that for the last month but still work. I'm keeping any eye on it and others have noticed it also. Maybe a firmware update will fix the problem. I don't remember the life span rating but the battery starts going down after a couple of uses. I was watching some 3D yesterday and the level had bottomed out but the glasses still worked. We should be contacting Samsung about this as I at least would like the reading to be accurate.
According to the specs listed you are supposed to get 70 hours of viewing per battery.

 

http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs-accessories/SSG-5150GB/ZA
 
#1,800 ·

Why are these TV's bundled up in one thread -- I'm guessing they have the same dimming? One is curved and one isn't. Is the screen uniformity the same? Has anyone in this thread owned a f8000 and upgraded to a 8550 and seen better screen uniformity?

 

I dont like curved so Im honestly debating this TV and the new AX8000 by Panasonic, wondering which has better screen uniformity (most in the case of clouding/flashlighting). Can anyone offer up some opinions or facts? 
 
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