Samsung's high-priced flagship LED TV falls short (video)

Everybody I'm David Katzmaier from CNET and this is the Samsung UN ES 8000 series this is up 55 -- -- in this review -- also -- the 46. The sixty and the 65 inch version of the series. This is Samsung's highest and TV. 42012. -- he has all the bells and whistles it's also Samsung's sleeker design yet -- -- start -- the -- it really is the high points TV. Around the -- you can see it's got the silver strip it's got a really thin strip of black right next to the screen and whole thing measures about a half -- -- from the screen to the -- -- and that's. Among the -- -- we've seen of course the result. This TV's pretty much all picture above and below that picture you'll actually -- to the mobile is one has the Samsung logo the one on the top -- the most interest to -- actually contains. A little camera and a little microphone. So the idea is you can wave at the TV to turn it on it to do a couple of -- rudimentary features using the camera and you can also speak to it. I using the microphones to compute basic commands again like turn off volume up I even changed the channel things like that. Now this TTV function is called Smart interaction now when I -- it test drive it wasn't really. As good as using their remote control I would actually tended to misinterpret a lot of things I said the controls very limited as I said but again this is a very unique feature on -- -- -- TV. ISO you know you can't really get it on any other television we expected to be able to refine your -- -- updates but all told I prefer to stick to a standard remote control. Speaking -- -- he actually that's two different models as a standard. Infrared multi button model and this touch -- version here. They -- as a thumb pad just like standard laptop. I really great for browsing -- -- -- wasn't quite responses I expected on the set like this I want bonus for this touchpad remote fact that it doesn't require line of -- uses Bluetooth to communicate with the TV. There's only couple buttons on here so actually doing anything beyond again volume and channel up down a little bit taxing if you gotta go into -- -- You do that. -- and also present another accessory this little Bluetooth IR dongle that allows that Bluetooth remote to control other infrared devices in your system including. A cable box and a Blu-ray player again it doesn't work quite as well as -- universal remote and its need to be able to use the included remote to not do all -- and stuff. As ion TV of course the set includes -- -- Sampson has the most content of any Smart TV provider out there except for Google TV. I you can go -- -- find a bunch of different apps there's also the standard suite of audio video I -- does have HBO go its unique this year although it's not quite yet included on this point while model we expect that to happen soon. There is also no Amazon instant on this that unlike a lot of -- TVs out there. Also leverage Smart TV suite is -- we actually expected to include. A cloud gaming service again later this year speeding up the response time and -- martini is Samsung's dual core processor. New this set you can. Actually upgrade that process or at some point. Later sentences -- when he thirteen you can swap out the processor and the memory for a better version so that's called Smart evolution again a unique feature. Round -- includes a three HDMI that's one fewer than a lot the other client TVs out there is also. Three USB ports -- component video input. But there's no VGA style input for analog computers says the air around the bezel so it's been Sampson also allows control of -- -- -- this little -- instead so you can see it calls up an on screen -- days. Actually pretty slick. Would all the features and slick design and high price of this he had to expect -- picture quality be a little bit better than we found. I was TVs weakness is its relatively light black levels it doesn't reach that. Nice deep galactic and -- the picture with. Better collar and of course the better picture with the lights off and when -- dark material on the flip side Sampson has a very good job with color and video processing. The screen is glossy so will reflect more ambient light in matte screens out there on the flip -- it does help preserve black levels a little bit better in high overhead lighting. Unlike last year the uniform is a little better so there -- as many bright spots on the screen although again a little bit of a problem compared to some of the other LE ET's out there. Reading performance -- -- high point the -- has less crosstalk than most the other active TVs I've seen out there but all told us to -- forms will at some point for such high end model. That's a quick look at Samsung's U -- yes 8000 series on data Katzmaier.