Since their appearance in 2013, curved TVs have been the talk of the market. Curved TVs are known for their immersive viewing experience. Their concave screen design bends the picture in a way so that it perfectly fits in the periphery of your vision, thus making you feel that you’re in the movie being played. Curved TVs also add depth and are just amazing to look at, no matter what’s playing.
Over the last year, we’ve seen quite a few curve TV models being launched in the market and we’ve seen princes tumble, making them more affordable than ever. The TV we’re looking at today is the Samsung UA55H8000AR. It’s Samsung’s second curved TV instalment this year, after the HU8500. Unlike the HU8500 though, this model doesn’t sport an Ultra HD display. It supports a full HD resolution, which is also one of the reasons why it’s priced just under Rs. 1,85,000*. There is more to the UA55H8000AR than just its curved design. So let’s take a deeper look into its features and find out if it’s worth upgrading to the Samsung UA55H8000AR’s curve display.
Features
of the curve TVs today, but it still is pretty good to look at. Samsung has loaded the UA55H8000AR with quite a few features. One feature that improves the curve experience, according to Samsung, is the built-in Auto Depth Enhancer, which they claim increases the depth in the picture by adjusting the contrast levels in different regions of the screen. Another feature that lets you make the most of the 55-inch display is the Multi-Link Screen, where you can watch a movie on one side and search the web for information on the other.
The TV features a number of connectivity options. It comes with four HDMI ports which should be enough to connect all the HD sources you have at home. Along with that, you also get three USB ports. You can either use them to play media using a USB storage drive or connect a Bluetooth keyboard to the TV using a dongle. There is also a high-speed USB 3.0 port included in the lot that should help with fast read and write speeds. An optical out and an Ethernet port are also present. Composite and component connectors also make the cut, mostly to make due for a DVD player or an old digital camera.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the TV comes with Wi-Fi 802.11n. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA, which means that you can stream media content on it directly from your smartphone or tablet. Besides that, you can also mirror your smartphone screen and enjoy games or enhance your web browsing experience on the wide 55-inch curved screen. The TV is also loaded with a bunch of smart features. One of the biggest one is called Smart Hub. This feature lets you download apps from the Samsung app store. The apps range from various categories related to media, fitness, education and sports and games. You can bookmark the apps that you like the most on the main page. The Smart Hub also consists of a separate page where you can get all the latest news from around the country.
The Smart Hub also acts like a shortcut to connect your devices such as your smartphone, tablet and PC to the TV. You need an app called Smart View 2.0 for this to work. The app not only allows you to stream media content on the TV, but will also let you use your device as a remote for it.
This particular model also supports a slot for an Evolution Kit. This kit will allow you to upgrade the TV’s smart features including its app, interface and other features. It will keep your TV up-to-date for the next few years. Like most of Samsung's latest smart TVs, the H8000 also comes with a smart remote in place of a standard controller. The smart remote is compact and lightweight. It features motion control and a touch panel for easy navigation. Despite its small size, it has plenty of shortcut buttons on it, including one for the Smart Hub and Multi-Link screen.
The smart controller also houses a microphone that lets you use voice controls on the TV. With the help a few voice commands, you can get yourself through the basic functions like volume control or switch sources. You can also open apps directly with the help of a single voice command, rather than going through the interface with a remote control. Gesture control is also available. For that you’ll have to purchase an additional camera, which can also be used to make Skype calls on the TV. To make the experience more immersive, Samsung has integrated the H8000 with active 3D technology. You get four pair of 3D glasses in the box, which should be more than sufficient for most households. The TV also supports 2D-to-3D converter, which you can use to also make your daily TV shows or sports events a little more interesting by converting them into 3D. In terms of audio, the TV is powered by a set of 2.1, 40W down-firing speakers. The key over here though is the woofer, which should add to the immersive experience while watching movies, especially the ones that have fast paced action sequences in them.
Design and Build
One thing that’s common among all curve TVs is the amazing design; the H8000 doesn’t fall short in anyway here. Simply put, the H8000 is pretty elegant and striking to look at. It is slim, with a bezel that measures under an inch. This is particularly impressive, because it brings out the curvature of the screen. The screen is surrounded by a slim bezel that measures merely a centimetre. There is a silver frame around the edges that adds to the overall elegance.
The back panel is made of plastic. It’s a bit disappointing, but the finish on it maintains the premium feel. All the ports are placed at the back, right in the centre. They aren’t very difficult to reach even when the TV is wall-mounted, all thanks to the forward bending curve design.
The TV comes with a stand that Samsung calls the Arch Curve. It shares a similar curve design as the TV and does a very good job of accentuating its looks, no matter where place it. Personally, we feel the TV looks way better on the stand than mounted on a wall.
Performance
There is no doubt that the curve design adds to the immersive experience, but it also has its downsides. Some might have an issue with the curved design. Even with its 55-inch wide screen, you can only get the best possible viewing experience when you sit right opposite it, at a reasonable distance from the screen. This problem is common with all curve TVs. Another problem we faced was the amount of reflection. Of course, this will depend on where you place the TV in and your house and how many bright lights you have on. When the TV was wall-mounted, there were reflections on the screen from almost every light in our room. This will be a problem if you have a window right opposite to the spot from where you want to position your TV. For the best experience you would have to dim the lights in the room or even switch them off. When you manage to tackle these problems however, you’re in for a treat with the H8000. The TV truly does present an immersive experience. This features is quite noticeable when you have wide angle shots playing on the screen. We played a few full-HD movies on the TV and were quite impressed with its clarity. The colour reproduction is just spot on. Switching to movie mode didn't help here much. We found the picture to look natural on the Standard mode.
Contrast level on the TV look good as well. The wide range means that natural whites can co-exist with the darker blacks in the same scene, while displaying maximum amount of detail. Sharpness is up to mark as well. Even while watching fast paced action sequences, the picture felt quite smooth and clear. While playing full HD videos from our 1TB hard drive, we didn't notice any stutter. The TV didn't take much time to read and organise all the data as well, which was good to see.
Results in 3D tests were quite good as well. Depth in the image looks pretty realistic and the objects that pop out the screen don't seem to lose their sharpness. Compared to a few other models we reviewed before, the 3D effect on the TV was quite soothing, even after going through a lot of 3D content. On most other TVs we usually notice a strain on the eyes just after a few minutes of viewing. The 2.1 speakers do total justice to the picture quality. They are loud and clear and don't distort even on high volumes. The movie mode amplifies the sound to give you good theatrical effects. This feature was quite prominent while watching Dark Knight Rises. The motion remote is quite accurate but will take time getting used too. We weren’t very fond of the voice control. It failed to recognize the voice commands most of the time we tried using it.
Verdict
The Samsung UA55H800AR is priced right under a whooping Rs. 1,85,000*, but for that price, we still think it’s a great TV. Apart from just having a curved design, the TV has all the features you would want in a premium TV including some interesting ones such as the Multi-Link Screen, Active 3D and the smart controller. The slot for an Evolution Kit also makes the TV future-proof, safeguarding your investment for a long period of time.
