Samsung UN55B8500 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV | 
| Brand: Samsung
Category: CE
List Price: $4,499.99
Buy New: $3,097.00
as of 3/10/2010 07:33 PST details
You Save: $1402.99 (31%)
New (3) Used (1) from $2,997.00
Seller: Home Theater Store
Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 1407
Color: ToC Grey
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Display Size: 55
Shipping Weight (lbs): 61.7
Dimensions (in): 1.6 x 52.1 x 31.4
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: UN55B8500
Model: UN55B8500
UPC: 036725230385
EAN: 0036725230385
ASIN: B002HDZNSC
Release Date: September 22, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| 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 | | • | 5 HDMI — Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) (side) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The 8000 Series of television build upon the success of Samsung's first and second generation LED HDTV models. Each using LEDs as their primary light source, the televisions all feature ultra-high contrast ratios as well as slim depths that allow for more artful designs, plus increased energy savings.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
 AMAZING! February 27, 2010
Tyler Duncan
This is by far the best TV on the market. I first got the 8000 and had the flashlight effect like everyone else so I returned that and bought the 8500 and now the problem is fixed :) Best picture I have ever seen and the size is amazing hangs like a pretty picture on the wall.
The Best TV of 2009. Neat Amazon Video Features! Weak Speakers. February 18, 2010
P. Colin McGraw (Castle Rock, CO)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
CNET called the UN55B8500 the TV with the second best picture quality of any TV they tested behind the discontinued Pioneer Kuro plasma. However, since the Samsung UN558500 is much more energy efficient, thinner, lighter, is 240 HZ, and includes two remotes, I'd say the Samsung UN55B8500 is probably a contender for the best TV ever made.
The black levels are amazing! It's actually hard to tell where the black bars of a widescreen movie end and run into the bezel since the Samsung is so close to absolute black.
On the other hand, I found that the speakers on the TV were pretty mediocre. This TV's picture quality is superb, but not the sound. You'll want to buy extra speakers of some sort.
The 4 HDMI ports are nice to have, but there's only one component/RCA input (which will be taken by your Wii if you own one). The TWO included remotes are great; One is small and simple, the other is an RF remote featuring a spinwheel among other controls.
The other strong surprise is just how well the TV works with Amazon! Once you register your TV with Amazon (a slick 5 minute process online), then any movie you rent via the Amazon website will be available to watch on the TV set, and I discovered that sometimes when purchasing Blu Ray movies from Amazon, you can watch a free digital version of it on your TV while you wait for the mail to come! It works super well, you just browse Amazon as you normally would, and your purchased/rented movies automatically show up as available movies on your TV!
Granted the Yahoo! widgets (including the one for Amazon VOD) are pretty slow, but it's tolerable .
Otherwise the TV is just great! Note that you'll want to upgrade your firmware when you first get the TV to avoid the "crop circle" problem, but once you do, your movies and TV shows are going to be even more fun because of the outstanding punch of the picture. I love mine so far!
Simply the best February 16, 2010
A. Leetham (Salt Lake City, UT USA)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Let's get straight to the point. This is the local dimming LED television we have all been waiting for. It is the best television available today. Yes, it's even better than the famed Pioneer Kuro 151. I owned a Kuro 151 for over a year and I can tell you with 100% certainty that this television outperforms it in every regard. The black level on this 8500 is literally twice as dark as the Pioneer Kuro. The black level on this television is so dark, endless, and infinite that you can't even imagine it. The black level is so dark that the entire television disappears if you are viewing it in a completely darkened room and the scene goes completely dim before switching to the next scene. I'm not exaggerating. You literally can't see the television at all anymore when the scene goes completely dim. It's like the black of being in a completely pitch black cave. I'm not sure it should even be called a black level on this television because it's not a level of black. When I say that, I mean there is no possible way you could measure it. It is legitimately pitch black. It's as dark as you can possibly imagine. If you want to have a little fun, go to CNET and read their review of the Sony XBR8. In the review, they discuss how the XBR8 is capable of achieving a darker black level than the Kuro during certain scenes. Now go and read their review for the 8500. In the review, they discuss how the 8500 achieves a much darker level of black than the XBR8 and how the black level performance is vastly superior to the XBR8. However they also try to say that the 8500 achieves the second darkest level of black -- after the Kuro -- they have ever seen. Well, you can't talk about how the XBR8 can get darker than the Kuro, then discuss how the 8500 achieves a much darker black level than the XBR8, but then try to say that the 8500 has only the second darkest black level you've ever seen. CNET, this makes you come across as hypocritical idiots. It also clearly brings out your bias for plasma, especially Pioneer Plasma. I owned the Kuro 151, and I am now the owner of the 8500. If you compared the black level of these two televisions side by side, it wouldn't even be close. A Plasma simply cannot go 100% literal black. The individual plasma cells can go completely dim, but they still have an electric current flowing through them, and they still have to use a black filter to keep from showing the light of the current in them. Plasma's are also using phosphors which will never be able to go completely dark. The Pioneer Kuro can go very dark and achieves an amazing inky black, but a local dimming LED -- when done correctly -- can completely shut out every single bit of light to any given area of the panel. This results in a black level that is so dark it cannot be measured. It is the only way to achieve legitimate black. Let's discuss a few other performance aspects of this television. Words cannot describe the colors on this television. The color accuracy is absolutely flawless. Colar saturation is also superb. The features are excellent, and only matched a few televisions available today. The video processing and motion resolution are unmatched. The 240Hz with LED motion plus resoloves all 1080 moving lines. This is one of the only televisions ever made that can resolove all 1080 moving lines. This television exhibits no blooming whatsoever. The extreme contrast ratio makes the glossy screen a non issue. The only way you will ever notice the glossy screen is if you are viewing a really dark film in a brightly sunlit room. If you are viewing bright content such as sporting events in a room that is full of sunlight with a window directly facing the television, you would not see any reflection whatsoever. The glossy screen and ultra clear panel also help this television preserve an identical level of black regardless of room lighting conditions. I also own the XBR8 and while the matte screen is great for a room with a window facing the television, the matte screen does not allow the television to preserve that deep, dark, inky exact same level of black. I certainly see some brightening of the black level in a non-darkened viewing enviroment with my XBR8. It definitely still achieves a great level of black, but I just wanted to mention this for anybody who is considering matte vs. glossy. With all of this said, I just want to close by once again stating that this television will not let you down in any way, shape, or form. As my headline/title suggests, it is simply is simply the best. I truly believe that this television will be used as a reference to compare all future televisions against for some time to come. There's not going to be a television released that exceeds the performance of this television for a very long time. We might see a 2010 plasma compare to this in a completely darkened enviroment, but plasma viewing will never be able to compete with this in a moderately dim to very bright enviroment. Yes, plasma's -- the top of the line ones -- have came a long way as far as their anti-reflective screens and increased brightness, but the image displayed by even the very best plasma is still unacceptable in a bright room. The black level still turns to grey, and the colors still wash out. This is never going to change. The technology inherent to the plasma image will never be able to present an image that excels in a bright room. I love my giant 65 inch plasma in my 100% dark at all times theater room, but with this B8500 you truly get the best of both worlds. The picture performance outshines even the best plasma in a completely darkened room and absolutely blows every other television out of the water in a bright room viewing enviroment. I hope this helps. Thank you.
awsome television February 13, 2010
C. Weir (Northern Calif.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I had my Samsung un55b8500 delivered January 19th. Pilot Pro delivered it in mint condition, Helped me unpack it and set it up. Waited until I inspected it for damage and made sure it worked right.
This is my first big screen T.V. and it is spectacular. I read lots and lots of reviews before I spent the money on this set. The most prevalent concerns were the viewing angle, reflective screen and the price. The picture quality is so much better than I can describe with words. The is more reflective than a matt screen. I have it in aroom with windows and is not that big of a problem. The viewing angle is not a problem unless you are right beside the T.V. It up-converts standard definition transmissions very well. Easy to set up. More than enough HDMI inputs. As far as price, Worth every penny. Put H-D content or a blue-ray on this thing and it is stunning. If you can't tell by now, I am extremely satisfied with this T.V. I had some reservations ordering something this big and expensive on line. Amazon did a great job making sure my T.V. arrived as promised. I would not hesitate to use them again.
Nice! February 6, 2010
Zmk
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
After some review of the led based tv's, i ordered un55b8000 by samsung. My first impression was great.however like other reviewers,I could not get over the led corner lighting problem. I called samsung re. This. Then called amazon and returned the set.I then decided to go for the un55b8500 led set. So far so good!. This is a very nice set,in form and function. My big concern now is that this set may be discontinued!. I'm hoping for explanation as to the future of this very nice tv?
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
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