The Samsung UN55B7000 and the Samsung UN55B8000 are two of Samsung’s best LED-based LCD HDTVs. As such, both deliver breathtaking images and cutting-edge interactive features without pumping up your electric bill. So which one should you buy?
Let’s take a look at the key differences of both models. For one, you can be able to tell them apart by just a glance, since the UN55B7000 has a distinct amber border on its panel, while the only touch of color on the UN55B8000 is its blue power indicator, which can even be turned off. Both are among Samsung’s thinnest HDTVs, measuring a maximum of 1.2 inches deep, although the UN55B7000 is a few inches taller. Both also come with matching swivelling stands – charcoal grey for the UN55B8000 and red for the UN55B7000.
Their clickers are different, too, with the one that comes with the UN55B7000 being more user-friendly, with backlit buttons that are easy to press and differentiate instead of the less-than-responsive scroll wheel. Its design has been slightly modified, too, so that it remains stable on flat surfaces, although it won’t work unless pointed to the screen – something the UN55B8000′s clicker, with its RF capability, can do. Both have secondary remotes for power, channel and volume controls.
As for picture quality, both offer crisp images with vivid, generally accurate colors, although the UN55B8000 offers deeper black levels and brighter whites with a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 as opposed to 3,000,000:1. The Wide Color Enhancer of the UN55B8000 is also more advanced, allowing it to stretch each pixel to its three-dimensional limit.
Last but not least, the UN55B8000 has twice the refresh rate of the UN55B7000 – 240Hz, which allows smoother frame transition during fast-motion sequences. Still, you won’t see any blurring on either set, even with the dejudder processing turned off.
These are the major differences of the Samsung UN55B7000 and the Samsung UN55B8000. Other than these, the rest is pretty much the same. Both get a score for interactivity with basic Yahoo widgets that keep you posted on the latest news, weather and stock market updates so you don’t have to turn off your computer, and both allow you to access media files from networked computers without leaving the room. Like other Samsung models, both also have an extensive built-in content library which you can access anytime.
Both also score well in energy efficiency. In fact, it would not be wrong to say they are the most energy efficient HDTVs around. After all, they are LCD televisions, which consume less energy than other HDTV types, and they are LED-lit at that. In addition, they employ Samsung’s edge-lit technology, which uses less LEDs that cuts down energy consumption even more. For good connectivity, four HDMI inputs, a PC input and two USB slots top the list of inputs and outputs provided.
So, should you buy the Samsung UN55B7000 or the Samsung UN55B8000? If you want truly outstanding picture quality, you should go with the latter, that is, if you are willing to pay more. On the other hand, the images on the former are not half bad, and are still sure to keep you happy.
Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes Plasma TV Reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To read more about the Samsung UN55B7000 or check out the latest Samsung HDTV reviews visit HDTVreviewlab.com