Review: Samsung UE65H8000

Introduction and features

Curved screens are a tactic I still find a little confusing since the 'more immersive' reasoning, for me, just doesn't hold up; in my field of vision a curved TV screen merely appears to curl-up in the corners.

Forget 'why' though, the question you should be asking about this 65-inch flagship monster TV from Samsung's Series 8 is simple: would you pay £2,500 for a TV that wasn't sporting an Ultra HD 4K panel?

With just a Full HD panel, the UE65H8000 is going to struggle to find a place on any AV nut's wish-list.

Features

In all other respects the UE65H8000 is a classic, range-topping high-end TV. It's got a Freeview HD tuner, a Freesat HD tuner, an app-laden Smart Hub, S Recommendation with voice interaction, Micro Dimming Ultimate picture processing, and a quad core plus processor.

Design

Looks-wise, the UE65H8000 is a player, too, with its smart metallic frame and metal stand likely to get a few wows from passing visitors. As well as being contoured, the slim (though the footprint of the curve is actually a chubby 107 mm) panel has a slim screen surround that's arguably more fashionable.

Around the top and sides the black plastic surround measures a mere 5mm, with less than 0.5mm of blank, black screen before the picture begins. The bottom has another 5mm of frame plus a gap to a transparent rim, which is the output of the twin stereo 20W speakers.

As with many Samsung TVs theres a spider-style stand, though this one can't be swivelled. That's a shame since the curve does cause some unwanted reflections that it would have been nice to move them out of view, though the dangers of moving something this big – and unusually shaped – are obvious.

Apps

The UE65H8000 is laden with apps. A five-strong screen called Smart Hub adds various pages for downloadable games, on-demand movies, and digital TV, but it's the simple grid of apps that's the clear highlight. A top row includes the apps of four UK terrestrial broadcasters – BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Demand Five and 4 on Demand – as well as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and a few other space-fillers.

Also included is the STV Player for those in Scotland and Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Skype, Twitter, USA Today, VEVO, Vimeo, DailyMotion, TuneIn, euronews, Plex, Picture Box, UHD Zoo (no need to worry about that one on the Full HD UE65H8000) and BlinkBox.

It's also got a new app called Samsung Smart Home in case you want to jump ahead into the Internet of Things era now to control your Samsung-made fridge, washing machine, robot cleaner and air conditioner from the UE65H8000. There's also a web browser and a camera app, despite there being no pop-up camera on the top of the UE65H8000.

Ins and outs

As expected, the UE65H8000 doesn't skimp on hardware, with two pairs of 3D active shutter glasses and two separate remote controls; one is a palm-sized 'smart' remote that is rounded, has braille-like buttons and a built-in microphone, motion sensor and touch pad.

Along the bottom of a connections panel on the TV's right-hand side as you look at it are ins and outs for the TV tuners, a LAN slot (though Wi-Fi is also included), and component video and composite video inputs. Along the vertical are four HDMI slots, three USB slots, an optical digital output and a headphones jack. There's also an Evolution Kit slot for inserting 2015's software into.

Also available

For a smaller take on the UE65H8000 head for the much cheaper, 55-inch UE55H8000, which is essentially the same, though has less of a problem with its Full HD resolution.

For the curve and Ultra HD 4K action, opt for the 55-inch UE55HU8200, 55-inch UE55HU8500 or 65-inch UE65HU8500. If you're felling really flush, how about the 78-inch UE78HU8500, which sells for £6,499?

Picture quality, usability, sound and value

The UE65H8000 is great, but it's too big for its boots. It puts in a dynamic picture performance with all sources, but throughout the review it became more and more obvious that a 65-inch panel really does demand 4K resolution. OK, so the sources don't exist yet, but digital TV pictures look soft on this huge screen, and so do Blu-ray discs.

The set's movie mode is the only passable picture preset, though very useful is the chance to apply any picture tweaks you make either to only the live source (say, Blu-ray over HDMI 1) or to all sources. The Auto Depth Enhancer tech, which analyses different areas on the screen and increases the contrast is underwhelming, though colours are particularly well saturated and nuanced. Crucially, everything looks natural, real and spotlessly clean.

Black levels & backlight

When it comes to contrast and black levels, it depends where you look. Most of the screen offers reasonably convincing black, and blocks of the stuff that contain enough in the way of shadow detail. However, in the corners that's not the case; a lot of light leakage from the edge-mounted LEDs is visible. It means blotches of light causing grey-ish and blue-ish tinges where there should be dark hues. It's not just the corners; I also noticed a streak going from one corner towards the centre.

I also witnessed a relatively tight viewing angle; while contrast holds-up when watched from the optimal viewing position in front of the TV, if you move sideways it quickly fades. You also get the added bonus of reflections, which is down to that dastardly curve.

Blur & judder

Motion blur doesn't really come into play on the UE65H8000, but when left alone, our test disc Hugo was wracked with film judder. That's perhaps not so surprisingly on such a large Edge LED panel, though it does appear to need Samsung's Motion Plus circuitry more than most of the manufacturer's current crop of TVs.

Some hate frame interpolation and always will, primarily because it introduces a smooth, arguably slightly fake, video-like look. For those who prefer to knock the edge off unsightly judder and motion smears it's usually enough to engage Motion Plus (a balance between blur reduction, judder reduction and LED Clear Motion 100Hz processing – with a slider for each available in custom mode) on its lowest power clear mode.

However, on such a big screen that solution barely touches the issues the UE65H8000 has with judder; I instead engaged the standard mode. It's a much slower effect than the all-powerful smooth mode, which is stained by artefacts including rips and flicks around fast-moving actors and objects. Left in standard mode it's a much stabler image, and enjoyable to watch.

3D mode

It may not be on-trend anymore but 3D movies are actually worth watching on a screen this big – with two caveats. Big, involving and full of clean depth shots, Hugo in 3D looks truly excellent on the UE65H8000. The first issue is minor, with black areas of the image appearing much darker and more indistinct. This black crushing is forgivable: it's a predictable side-effect of the 3D active shutter glasses, but more worrying is the obvious lack of detail.

The opening scene's sweeping shot across Paris and into the Gare Montparnasse train station shows both shadowed city streets with little detail within and soft, fake-looking character cut-outs along the platform that too easily giveaway the CGI-strong production techniques.

The fault, once again, lies with the size of the TV and the mere Full HD image; Ultra HD 4K resolution is clearly lacking, with visible stepping in diagonal lines, and a lack of ultimate detail in close-ups, too. However, there's not a whiff of crosstalk.

If 3D immediately shows-up the problems of Full HD, could it be headed for a renaissance once Ultra HD 4K TVs catch-on?

Usability

A quad core plus processor makes the UE65H8000 a cinch to use. Press the remote control's shortcut button and up pops not the huge, rather overdone five-page Smart Hub, but a list of icons for recently used services, such as a the app you last watched, the input you last used, and a link to fire-up the full system.

Software

The UE65H8000 also indulges in S Recommendation software for digital TV, voice commands and the playback of digital files, all of which is covered in our review of the Samsung UE32H6200. Given how important it is to the set's overall picture when playing a Blu-ray disc, I do wish Motion Plus – which includes the frame interpolation options – was easier to find quickly. It's squirrelled away in picture options at the bottom of the picture page where few will find it.

Set-up

For a high-end TV the UE65H8000 is tricky to set-up and dissemble. Laying a curved TV on the floor to screw-on a plastic bracket and a spider desktop stand has obvious repercussions for the stress it puts on the weaker screen.

There's some polystyrene across the front of the screen in the box, but it's not large enough to lift the TV off the floor, which necessitates a fiddly two-person DIY process. It also took me over an hour to pack it away again. Next time, Samsung, please manufacture curved TVs with fixed stands only because nervy, dangerous DIY on a product that costs over £2,500 is unacceptable.

Sound

The UE65H8000 has one of the best-sounding speakers of the year on a bigscreen TV. The size of the chassis doesn't really come into play – the UE65H8000 is pretty slim – but nevertheless its 40W system manages to supply enough low frequency for an episode of Homeland to remain edgy, while there's enough treble detail and even mid-range to make music palatable, too.

Value

Overall the Samsung UE65H8000 – which has an all-new, first-gen curved screen, remember – can be said to have a picture performance akin to 2013's flatscreen LED panels. That has a huge impact on its inherent value; not only will TVs like this be unheard of this time next year, but there are already lower-priced 65-inchers out there. It's even possible to buy a cutting-edge 55-inch OLED TV from LG for less than the UE65H8000 costs.

On the UE65H8000's side are its provision of plenty of 3D specs, two remote controls and that Evolution Kit for future upgrades, which is a nice option.

Verdict

Does Full HD cut-it at this size? A 3D curved screen aside, a 65-inch TV with a Full HD resolution has to be considered relatively low-spec.

We liked

Colours are spot-on, blacks are convincing, and the Smart Hub is wonderful. It's particularly easy to use on the UE65H8000 because of the processing speed lent to it by the quad core plus processor. It's hard to argue with the design, too; the UE65H8000 looks a picture, and it sounds good, too.

We disliked

The UE65H8000's Full HD resolution is the low point, and something that restricts the shelf-life of this behemoth. The blotchy brightness and LED light spillage in the corners of the screen are occasionally noticeable, too.

Final verdict

The UE65H8000 is an impressive all-rounder, but it's just too big for its boots. To design-in a curve and then use a Full HD panel on a huge high-end TV like the UE65H8000 just seems odd. It's definitely not going to be on 2015's flagship curved or flat TVs, that's for sure.

However impressive its core pictures and sound, with Ultra HD 4K TVs now on sale, I'm not convinced that anyone should be paying over £2,500 for what constitutes last year's technology.

The UE65H8000 remains a fine TV, but if you've recently added 'must be curved' to your TV wish-list, then surely 'must be 4K' was already on it? A curved screen might well be more immersive, but extra detail is much more so. A good effort, then, but there are better value options out there.

Also consider

If you're after a curved TV and you don't mind sacrificing 10-inches for a much better picture that's also got Ultra HD 4K detail, arguably a much bigger treat than the UE65H8000 is to ditch LED and head for the first OLED TV – LG's sumptuous 55EA9800.

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