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2M views 22K replies 1K participants last post by  SaberJet 
#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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#12,701 ·
I have been following this thread the last couple weeks and almost picked up a 55" 8550 on Black Friday to replace my 6 year old LN52A850 Samsung. I spent too much time going back and forth trying to decide on the 55 or 65 inch, and the prices went back up before I made the purchase. At this point, I am looking to simply wait another couple weeks until the 2015 models are out and see how much the 65 inch will be. I will mostly be using it for 3D until 4k content is common. Is there currently a set that does better 3D at this point than the 8550 series? (rhetorical question)

There are 2 general usage questions I've been wondering about that I hope someone hear can enlighten me on..
1) Why don't tv manufacturers include an hdmi output on their displays so we can pass full audio bandwidth to our receivers? My understanding is the audio outputs on most sets are limited to 5.1 and an hdmi output would resolve this, allowing us to enjoy the latest audio formats???

2) For those connecting your computers to this display, why not set the resolution on the computer at 1080 and have the tv upscale to 4K? I know this question only applies to a few of us "gamer geeks", but I imagine gaming on one of these displays to be quite the experience!

I hope those who own these sets are finding time to actually enjoy them. You can only tweak the settings so much...

Regarding your questions:
1) There is an hdmi output (ARC) if you have the same capability on your receiver. No reason to have an "independent" HDMI output other than ARC (for those without ARC capability on the receiver) because the display won't output anything more than DD 5.1 on HDMI (ARC) or optical digital. Its a limitation of the set's processing; not the cable specs.
2) I don't use a computer with my TV; but I'm sure plenty of people connect their computers with 1080P since most video boards don't output 4K. Those that have the capability prefer 4K because there is more original data in the 4K signal than 1080P upconverted to 1080P.
 
#12,703 ·
I guess I'm surprised that the 8550 puts out so much noise on the AC line.


FYI "absorbing" the X10 signal is not a real concept. Once the signal is on the line there is no way to "absorb" it; there is only the concept of noise overpowering the signal -- which can, of course, be attenuated by distance over the wiring. This is what commonly happens when a transmitter is on one phase of the house electrical system and the receiver is on the other, in which case they sides need to be coupled (there's a product to do that). There are also signal enhancers, but they're a bit pricey. (Sorry for the tutorial -- and no back to the topic at hand.)
Sorry. I didn't want to get too technical for you (but I now see you could have handled it) and "absorbing" is the lay term X10 uses.

The X10 signal is being filtered (attenuated) by capacitors between the hot and neutral lines. Line noise is of course a factor, but noise generated by the TV is not causing your problem. X10 signal attenuation is being caused by your TV or some other device or combination of devices. Swapping surge suppressors has helped me overcome this problem in the past, though perhaps by providing better isolation of the real offending device. An SCR dimmer is a huge source of noise as its switching action causes lots of harmonics on the line. Your home theater equipment is nothing like your dimmers.

My solution for weak or unreliable signals was the X10 Pro modules. I have also used more than one transmitter for different areas of my house to keep the receiver close and on the same phase as the transmitter. I have not needed to use the passive couplers or repeaters/boosters, but did know of them.

Thanks. I guess I returned the favor/tutorial.
 
#12,704 ·
Quick question for the experts. On my 8700 when watching really dark sene i see what i can describe as blue noise. Kinda like a blue grain that looks like video noise. Anyone know how i can fix that

The UHD drive has really bad video quality. The dark areas of the picture have tons of grain. Overall something you should know, the 4K upscaling will exacerbate any imperfections much more then a normal 1080p set would.


I also have the 10 movie UHD pack and ditched it a long time ago. I recommend using 4KDownloader and downloading 4K YouTube videos to a USB 3.0 drive. Then you will see some good 4K.


You can also use Netflix and try out Blacklist and Marco Polo movies/shows. They are excellent quality.


Download this one
 
#12,705 ·
I have this as my surge protector and it's freakin' amazing!

http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/products/surge-protectors/other-surge-protection/1010HT.html

I'm looking into buying this

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpower-pfc-sinewave-series-1500va-battery-back-up-system/1948089.p?id=1218301984343&skuId=1948089

I'd like to know if I can plug the UPS into the surge protector as an added layer of protection to my home theater system.

I've seen a few comments that it's not wise to make that kind of connection, but I was wondering if anyone here knew more than the ones that made those comments. Amazon Questions.


In this YouTube video review.



This guy has it plugged into a surge protector which you will see at 5:30 into the video. So, does he know what he's doing, or did he make a big mistake?

Thanks for all your continued support, knowledge, and wisdom!


Of course, this is to protect the HU8550 that I went through hades to get, lmao!
 
#12,706 ·
Thought you guys might like this. Stock battery for our 3D glasses is a CR2016 which is really hard to find. Radio shack had packs of 3x1632s which are probably twice the ampacity and it looks like they are easier to find.

If you have a hot knife or dremel, modding the battery compartment takes about 30 seconds. Shave down the inside battery compartment symbol and the side risers in the plastic battery cap, drop the larger battery in and boom youve got a cheap pair of 3d glasses that now last much much longer. Pic 3 is with the larger battery installed and door shut.
Best Buy carries the CR2016, wherever you bought your TV should also carry that battery. Pretty popular, they had a few brands.
 
#12,709 ·
Does anyone have LED clear motion on? I turned it on a couple of days ago. I have zero judder. I am watching the western Kentucky bball game and I am not seeing any blurring. One final cherry on top, my black levels seemed to get deeper. It also gave the picture a more "Sony like" feel. I had a X850B. Aweful black levels and clouding/light bleed but the video processing was great. I wonder if they employ a certain amount of default LED processing? Looks great to me. Just curious if anyone else has played with it.
Yes, I also have clear motion on, I really never had any judder issues but to me the picture just looks better with it on, slightly better black levels too.
 
#12,711 ·
I have the 60" and love it. No flashlighting, clouding, or dead pixels. Seems like a perfect panel. I had a 46" which is still in the bedroom, but once you go big, for things like blu-rays and sports, you can't go back. The 3D on this set is amazing, and 4K is mind-blowing (though there's not much content yet).

The only thing "wrong" with my TV is that it calls out to me all the time when I'm trying to get something done, saying, "Turn me on. Glorious images await."
I read these issues with the 65" and I cringe.
I see very few posts regarding issues with the 60"
I have the 60" and also love it. Agree with all WheelHoss1's findings, inky blacks, no clouding or flashlighting, great picture. Plus, to-date, they all have the Golf chipset to support 4:4:4 video from a PC or nextgen Blu Ray.

-cp
 
#12,712 ·
I have the 60" and also love it. Agree with all WheelHoss1's findings, inky blacks, no clouding or flashlighting, great picture. Plus, to-date, they all have the Golf chipset to support 4:4:4 video from a PC or nextgen Blu Ray.

-cp

I feel like the 60" is what the 65" should have been. Cant believe the issues the 65" users are reporting.... and people returning the tv's 2-3 times. I would be so PISSED!!
 
#12,713 · (Edited)
I have this as my surge protector and it's freakin' amazing!

http://www.cyberpowersystems.com/products/surge-protectors/other-surge-protection/1010HT.html

I'm looking into buying this

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpower-pfc-sinewave-series-1500va-battery-back-up-system/1948089.p?id=1218301984343&skuId=1948089

I'd like to know if I can plug the UPS into the surge protector as an added layer of protection to my home theater system.

I've seen a few comments that it's not wise to make that kind of connection, but I was wondering if anyone here knew more than the ones that made those comments. Amazon Questions.

In this YouTube video review.

This guy has it plugged into a surge protector which you will see at 5:30 into the video. So, does he know what he's doing, or did he make a big mistake?

Thanks for all your continued support, knowledge, and wisdom!

Of course, this is to protect the HU8550 that I went through hades to get, lmao!
I use a SP before and after all my UPS's now. Some will say not to chain it like that. I think it is fine as long as it's not overloaded. For all the equipment in my sig, except the routers, I use a 2000VA, 1500VA, and 1000VA UPS. That is a lot of capacity. Similar overkill in my other home theater.
I had 2 surges in a 6 month period. Dec 2012 and June 2013. In both surges, the only SP in the chain that blew is the one the a UPS was plugged into. So it seems to offer some extra protection. YMMV
 
#12,714 ·
I have the 60" and also love it. Agree with all WheelHoss1's findings, inky blacks, no clouding or flashlighting, great picture. Plus, to-date, they all have the Golf chipset to support 4:4:4 video from a PC or nextgen Blu Ray.

-cp
I would not worry about uhd brays, as they will most likely be @24p 4:2:2 10bit, which from what had been said here is supported by the chipset.
No tv can play via hdmi a >30Hz 10bit 4:4:4 signal.
 
#12,716 ·
the last thing movie-makers want is a format that nobody can use. If they spec UHD bray in a way that only the most expensive and cutting edge TVs can utilize, they won't sell any disks. They already have a hard enough time selling HD bluray disks!

What will more than likely happen (which was already discussed) is that UHD bray will work on pretty much any UHD TV on the market, but that the players and disks will have smarts built in that will enable extra features if the TV supports it, such as HDR.

By the way, I have read several comments from people that visited CES that saw HDR demos and actually found it unappealing. It may just be early demos, but from what I heard it makes colors look less natural and shows distracting highlights. As of now its the next gimmick to sell TVs, and it may not be all its cracked up to be.

Suffice to say I am 99% certain we will have a TV that works on upcoming UHD bluray players.
 
#12,718 · (Edited)
I would not worry about uhd brays, as they will most likely be @24p 4:2:2 10bit, which from what had been said here is supported by the chipset.
No tv can play via hdmi a >30Hz 10bit 4:4:4 signal.
From what has been released so far the blu-ray spec maximums will exceed 24p 4:2:2... all the way up to 60fps but I doubt we'll see many (if any) disks exceeding 30hz.

And while your closing remark might be true for sets from other manufacturers, heres's an excerpt from the HU9000 manual that shows support for 2160p @ 60hz with YCbCr 4:4:4.

So at least we'll be prepared for whatever comes our way :)
 

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#12,719 ·
I spent too much time going back and forth trying to decide on the 55 or 65 inch, and the prices went back up before I made the purchase. At this point, I am looking to simply wait another couple weeks until the 2015 models are out and see how much the 65 inch will be.
I would say you are not looking in the right places, as the 65HU8550 is almost right at that price. As far as the 2015 models, I do not see to much of an over all gain. No real 4K advancements in the works ( Unless I missed something ). No huge gains in overall PQ unless you roll with the JS9500 for some serious jack if it is indeed FALD like announced at CES.
 
#12,720 · (Edited)
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