Samsung's 3D gala: 65-inch UN65C8000, 50-inch PN50C490, and BD-C8000 eyes-on
By Joanna Stern 
posted August 11th 2010 3:31PM
posted August 11th 2010 3:31PM
- Samsung UN65C8000 - The 65-inch Samsung LED UN65C800 is as close as you can possibly get to putting a 3D movie theater in your living room. Save for HDI's 100+-inch masterpiece, that is. We put on a pair of Samsung's 3D glasses and were just blown away at the impressive experience and the crispness of the image -- even if it was Shrek! Hardware wise, the incredibly slim, silver set is pretty much identical to the version we saw at CES earlier this year. Oddly, the UN65C800 on display at the event wasn't running Samsung's Apps, but it is supported. Now we just need to come up with the $6,000 to get this thing into our apartment!
- Samsung PN50C490 - The biggest question we had with the sub-$1,000, 50-inch PN50C490 was whether the 720p resolution makes a real, noticeable difference when watching 3D content. The answer in our short viewing period is "yes." Compared to the $1,600, 1080p PN50C680, which was on display right next to it, we could see that the 3D images on the more expensive set were crisper and clearer. And we weren't the only ones at the event sharing that sentiment. We guess that's not all that surprising, but is paying an extra $600 for 1080p 3D worth it? We'd probably say so, but ultimately that's going to be up to you.
- Samsung BDC800 - The $499 portable Blu-ray player looks quite a bit like a netbook from afar, but up close you can clearly make out that the deck of the device houses a slot for Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray Discs. The 10.3-inch, non-3D display is super glossy, as are the touch sensitive controls for controlling the interface. The little device also runs Samsung's 'Apps' service, which could turn the WiFi-equipped clamshell into an Internet TV device with the preloaded Hulu and Netflix programs. Samsung didn't have the BDC800 hooked up to a 3D HDTV, so regrettably we weren't able to see how it manages 3D Blu-ray playback.
I dont see why people dont get the Samsung LN46C750. I got mine for like $1,150 and it kicks ass. I play all my 360 games in 3d, and its epic.
@Mr Hett
That looks like a nice set. However I like a larger screen, but $6000 is way too much (for me). I'll settle for a polarized projector. Not for everybody, but projectors work for me.
@MagnetMan yes, but can your projector cut cake? i'm loving the design but its so thin some could argue its a 65" $6,000 butter knife, with apps
@Mr Hett but it ain't real 3d is it?
@ajwoodhouse
its not like "all in your face" 3d, its more like looking out a window, like you can see how far away stuff is.
the only thing that really floats is the HUD
@Mr Hett
Well, I'm not in the market for a 3DTV at the moment, but the bottom line is that when I look at a Samsung LCD TV through shutter glasses, there's way too much ghosting of the image. For example, when you have the girl from Monsters Vs. Aliens sticking the gun out of the TV (or was it the alien overlord, I forget...), you see a faint image of the muzzle to the left and right of the "real" gun. On the other hand, I didn't notice any such problem with the Panasonic plasma TV. Bottom line, if I was going to jump on this iteration of the 3D bandwagon, I'd go plasma.
That being said, I'm kinda holding out for a TV that supports true 1080p120 output over DVI (and DisplayPort?) as well as the less-capable HDMI standard used by BluRay players and such, and which displays the 3D image using a glasses-free lenticular solution. If an IPS display can fit FullHD into less than 24 diagonal inches, there's no reason a lenticular display couldn't handle full, simultaneous resolution to both eyes at anything over, say, 46 diagonal inches.
@Old fogie late bloomer
well I use the rechargeable glasses and I dropped the sharpness down to 10 and that seemed to solve the ghosting problem.
I would have gone with the panasonic but I wasnt gonna spend alot of moola on my first 3dtv , because Im sure something better will be out next year.
Do you really need the quality video & sound of blu-ray for playback on a 10" screen hooked up through some cheap laptop speakers or headphones? I think dvd may suffice for this application for now.
@dswatson83
Yeah, buying the DVD and BD version of every film you want makes a ton more sense...
@dswatson83 How do you know it's cheap have u used it yet?......no u ignorant fuck just shutup
Downranked for stupidity
@dswatson83
Imagine if VHS quality was portable, and then the portable DVD player came along. You would be saying that DVDs are overkill in a portable device and should be confined to home theaters.
Things change over time. Advances in technology.
@Timerider Well there is a perceivable difference between quality of vhs as well as an extreme portability factor that made dvd viable. I'm not saying bluray isn't better, I'm enjoying it myself, I'm just saying the quality difference is probably non existent w/out a large screen & quality speakers. 'iperson' has a point with media but I can just get a tablet that plays back 1080p video for the same price
@dswatson83
It's simple to answer your question: iPhone 4.
The display on the iPhone 4 is a crazy 200 to 300 dpi. And you can see the difference, though it is more subtle than blatant. I compared my 3GS to the 4, and I could very much tell the 4 had a better screen.
So, in short, the answer is "yes" you can see the difference. If you throw the image onto a 100'' screen with 7.2 THX surround, yeah that's a better experience! But that doesn't eliminate the legitimacy of increased resolution on a portable platform.
-Pie
does the gps work in it? /sarcasm
cuz the one on my captivate doesnt.
uhm, what about the Panasonic TC-P65VT25?...
Isn't 3d tv just a joke? If I have to wear glasses to watch tv, I want the tv IN THE GLASSES!
And the iPad killer gets a "oh, by the way..."
@toddjy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasstron
not as cool as you think, although they are more than 10 years old now. an updated version might be neat
I think the portable blu-ray player is pretty cool. I don't have a blu-ray player but this can double as a standalone player on an HDTV.
Hey Samsung you make some nice TV's but until you go full array LED back lighting like LG does with the Infinia series I will never buy one from you. That edge lighting crap has to go. Until then good luck and god speed.
Why wouldn't you just get a 63C7000 for half the price and convert it to become a 63C8000 via the service menu (it's a plasma and they use the same panel)? These were going for $2650 on Amazon a couple of months ago and they're still less than $3200. LED LCD technology is a rip off.