46" Samsung 9000 Series 3D LED TV Review

Being a huge tech geek and media freakazoid, I needed to get a TV for my newly finished basement. I shopped around for about a week and came across the Samsung LED9000 series. It was hands down, not only the best-looking TV but, it also had far and away the best picture quality of all the TV's I looked at (which was basically all of them).  I saw this thing a few days ago and was instantly mesmerized by it.  Not only is the picture gorgeous but, the over all Stainless Steel look of the TV is nearly perfect.

Samsung's LED9000 Series represent the pinnacle of its TV range. Designed with money-no-object flair combine the very latest in LED backlighting techniques and picture processing modes with 3D capability.

They are, in every sense of the word, 'statement' products.

Picture Quality 10 (If I could rate higher I would)

The Picture quality is better than anything I have ever seen! At a whopping 6,000,000:1 the picture resolution is off the charts… it’s not the highest resolution in the marketplace but, Samsung has done a few extra things to the screen that allows it to really stand atop the competition. When it comes to the picture, this has to be the BEST LED 3DTV in the market place (lets scrap the LED preface), it absolutely, positively has the BEST picture quality of all TV's currently out there.

The 2D picture clarity of this set is startling. Detail levels are phenomenal. If it's in the source material you'll see it on the screen. This revelatory approach will have you searching for the very best source hardware you can find.

The set uses edge-mounted LED backlighting (hence the screen's astounding slimness), and illumination is pleasingly even. As a result, black levels are deep and consistent, and color fidelity high. As with all LCDs, perceived black levels are higher in a well-lit room than in a darkened environment (plasma, of course, is the opposite), but there is no impression of creeping greyness.  Pictures from the Freeview HD tuner are terrific and improve even further with Blu-ray.

One area of traditional weakness for LCD is motion resolution, and multiple solutions have been used over the years to improve this (high frame rates, black frame insertion, flickering backlights and so on). This TV shows how far these techniques have come.

Now… Let's talk a little bit about those “extras" Samsung put into the 9000, it’s incredibly advanced and has far more leds than any other TV currently out. It also has more hertz than any of the others in the marketplace giving it a huge leg up on its competition. The picture is smooth and you do not see any judder or blurriness during fast moving scenes. The blacks are really deep and there is no light bleeding from the edges or flickering that often times becomes a problem with some LED TV's. The picture has such depth to it that it really looks 3D without the feature even turned on.

So far I love the TV, it’s hands down better than the my Pioneer Elite that I have in my upstairs living room (I never thought I would say that). Everything looks great on this TV. DVD's look like Blu-ray and Blu-ray looks mind boggling! This is due to the frame rate on the TV. I will say that it is hard to get used to how clear everything is… It gives movies a totally different look and can take away from some of the magic (which is fine with me). It is an option you can shut off but, I personally love it. This feature has made it somewhat hard to watch anything on any other TV. HD on other TV’s does not even look like HD anymore. It’s a stunning display that I can’t say enough good things about!

Sound Quality: 8 

You might expect a blade-thin TV to have insubstantial audio, but the TV is great when it comes to sound.  Its speakers are cleverly located in its pedestal, facing forward across its width and unless you're seeking them out, you won't spot them.  Power output is rated at 30w (2 x 15W).  In movie viewing I would still recommend utilizing a separate multichannel sound system, but for every-day use the sound is fine.  I have mine hooked up to a Klipsch Reference Series Surround Sound so, my sound is off the charts(10)! Most people however, will not have anything close to this type of setup and are just going to go off the standard speakers on the TV....no worries, they work great.

Features: 10

Features of this TV are awesome and I only have one complaint...its with the reliability of wireless internet features (they are not the best). The Set-Up was seamless and easy and if if you hardwire the net in it tends to work great.  Not only can you access your media across your home network, pulling digital still images, music and video from PCs and NAS devices (there's support for JPEG, MP3, DivX, MKV and AVI extensions), you can also browse YouTube, check-in with Facebook and stream movies from LoveFilm. Samsung's App store also offers a range of simplistic games and more choices are promised for later this year. The remote is crazy…It has a fully customizable remote that values out at near $250.00. It’s a tad bit tricky to program but, I have it operating my whole media center and it is working just as good as the Harmony remotes out there. There are insane features such as “clone” mode on the remote, it gives you the ability to mirror whatever you are watching on your TV on your actual Remote (no need to pause the movie anymore when running to the washroom... just bring the remote along, lol). Along with all standard features the TV has by far the thinnest screen out there and it really gives an awesome effect to the room it is in.

All the components are located in the base, because the actual LED screen is less than 1/3" of an inch thick. It’s extremely light weight, and the base folds up and mounts with the TV (so you do not need to buy one)! When the TV is on the base, you can touch the bottom of the stainless steel set and the control panel comes out automatically, and then folds right back in when you're done with it…so sweet.

Price: 10

The price itself is a bit deserving...on launch date this TV retailed out a bit over $7,500.00 (with tax, you're looking at well over $8,000.00 out the door)... That price isn’t justified on any TV but, on sale at $2,300.00, it was hands down a sweet deal. Plus it comes with a pair of 3D glasses that are valued at $300.00, Two wireless Lan sticks valued at $200.00, a fully wireless Blu-Ray 3d player valued at $500.00, a wall mount that would run near $150.00, and a Samsung full touch remote that is sold separately with all other TV’s for $250.00. If you add that up, that is $1,400.00 bucks on things you would eventually need to buy if setting up a full surround sound entertainment system. Looking at it from that point of view, the total on the TV looks more like $900.00… hands down a STEAL

This is for lovers of the extraordinary, viewers who hanker for something a little bit special. A number of brands exist in this niche, catering for well-heeled customers, but it's unlikely that the likes of Loewe, Pioneer Elite, and Bang & Olufsen could have foreseen being shown a clear pair of heels by Samsung.

Summary:

This is the most ambitious LED LCD TV you can buy. Beautifully designed, with leading-edge electronics, it's a worthy flagship product from the world's biggest TV maker.  The two-dimensional pictures are terrific, images are extra-sharp and the use of LED backlighting aids black levels immeasurably. The feature set, with well considered online and network capability, is also on the money.  The 3D compatibility almost seems like an afterthought, but performance is very good, although crosstalk artefacts are there if you want to look for them. Overall, this is a fabulous TV proposition.  It's expensive, but it very much looks the part. And if you're more interested in the visual performance than the aesthetics, there's always the brand's step-down Series 8 range.

Overall this is a remarkable LED LCD screen. It exceeds expectations in most areas and stands as a shining example of just how well Samsung can do high-end screens.

Out...Cundiff