New 8500-line of Samsung LCD HDTVs
55 Inches for $4500 sound like a bargain to you? Well, probably not, but it’s hard to argue with the feature list which Samsung has announced for their new 8500 line of TV’s. Lots of features mentioned in the Press Release below, but it’s interesting to see the internet options are somewhat sparse, with basically just some Yahoo! Widgets available for now.
SAMSUNG INTRODUCES STYLISH NEW LED HDTV THAT DELIVERS EXCELLENT PICTURE QUALITY, CONNECTIVITY AND INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Joining Samsung’s Award-winning LED TV Line, 8500 Series Offers Consumers Supreme HD Experience
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – July 30, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America,
Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer
electronics, today unveiled the flagship model of its expanded LED HDTV
lineup with the all-new 8500 Series. The new HDTVs combine the
award-winning picture quality and thinness of Samsung’s previous LED
HDTVs, with the latest networking and interactive features, to provide
an ideal option to all TV connoisseurs.“For consumers who are looking for the ultimate HD centerpiece and
high-level performance in their home theater, the Samsung 8500 Series
delivers break-through quality and design,” said John Revie, senior
vice president of Visual Display Marketing, Samsung Electronics
America. “The 8500 Series underscores Samsung’s dedication to providing
a full range of HDTVs that not only achieve the highest levels of
picture quality, but also provide unique and immersive entertainment
experiences through our Medi@2.0ä suite.”Samsung 8500 LED HDTV Series Pricing and Availability
– Price: 46-inch class: $3,599.99 / 55-inch class: $4,499.99
– Availability: September 2009
Picture Quality and Control
With Samsung’s innovative use of white LEDs as a backlight source, the
8500 Series is capable of a stunning 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
for extreme detail and image depth. Its Wide Color Enhancer Pro ensures
that colors are consistently vibrant, while Samsung’s Ultra Clear Panel
works to improve image clarity and brightness regardless of a room’s
ambient lighting. The 8500 Series is also compliant with the latest
Energy Star® v3.0 ratings, and includes an optimized energy savings
mode that adjusts the backlight and picture quality, without
sacrificing the overall viewing experience. Additionally, its “Natural”
mode optimizes picture settings to model the brightness advantage of
LCD displays and the cinema-like richness of plasma displays with any
content.
The 8500 Series incorporates an ultra-quick 2ms panel response time,
combined with Samsung’s latest version of its Auto Motion Plus™ frame
interpolation technology that has a true 240Hz refresh rate to
significantly improve playback of fast-paced content. Going beyond the
three standard Auto Motion Plus™ presets, users can also separately
adjust the levels of judder and motion blur reduction for superior
picture control.
Connectivity and Content
The new 8500 Series features Samsung’s Medi@2.0ä suite, allowing users
to access content from more sources than ever before. The Internet@TV –
Content Service, developed in association with Yahoo!, provides
onscreen access to popular web-based content from Yahoo! (Flickr,
Video, News, Weather, and Finance), USA Today (Sports), Twitter,
YouTube, and others. The widgets-based interface and scrollbar are
activated with the push of a button, and run along the bottom of the
screen for easy browsing of the latest programs and content available.
Even after purchase, consumers will be able to use a growing library
of widgets, as the widget development kit is available for other
content providers to develop new offerings. Samsung’s Medi@2.0ä suite
provides wired and wireless DLNA compatibility to enjoy photos, music
and videos from a networked PC right on the television. Pre-loaded
photos, artwork, games, and recipes are also included for entertaining,
and two USB 2.0 connections can be used for playing a plethora of
video, photo, and audio files from portable devices, including external
hard memory.
Designed to Stand Out
Measuring at just 1.6 inches deep and featuring Samsung’s Touch of
Color™ (ToC™) bezel, the 8500 Series provides consumers with style and
flexibility in an HDTV. Additionally, both the 46-inch and 55-inch
models come with a built-in tuner and an array of multimedia
connections. Samsung’s innovative, ultra-slim wall-mount solution (sold
separately) makes installation akin to hanging a picture frame, by
reducing the gap between the TV and the wall to a mere 0.6 inches – a
major improvement over traditional mounting systems.
Samsung Electronics America’s press releases, video content and product images are available at www.samsung.com/newsroom.