Televisions

The first big new TV release of 2012 is here, in the comely shape of Samsung’s UE55ES8000. And if its level of technological advancement and all-round quality is symptomatic of what we might also expect from other brands in the coming weeks and months, then the rest of the year could be pretty special.

Samsung may have been beaten to the 4K/UHD drop by Sony, but it’s not about to let its Japanese rival hoover up all the early-adopter UHD action. Not long after Sony’s 65X9005A lit up our test benches, Samsung’s debut ‘mass market’ UHD set, the UE55F9000, is here. And while it is in many ways quite different to Sony’s groundbreaker,  it still makes a potent case for the benefits of embracing UHD for your next TV.

Samsung’s UE65C8000 is the latest addition to the brand’s 3DTV range. At a gargantuan 65ins, it allows the manufacturer to stake a claim to producing the world’s largest 3D LED TV, superseding the 8000 series that peaked at 55ins.

For Samsung, 4K is yesterday’s news. Old hat. Water under an ultra high-definition bridge. The brand is already on to the Next Big Thing. What’s more, this Next Big Thing isn’t just something creeping into ‘concept corners’ at technology shows. It’s already unleashed, on the first new 2015 TV we've had on test: Samsung’s UE65JS9500.

Televisions are like shoes. They get comfortable real quick. Buyers tend to agonise over which screen size best suits their room, debating endlessly the merits of 42in versus 46in panels, but the simple fact is that in 97.3* per cent of all cases (*actual figure may vary) they buy a telly they’ll conclude is too small within days. 

The LC-37LE320 is an LED flatscreen that takes its design cues, if not its picture technology, from Sharp’s high-end Quattron TV range. These panels squeezed a fourth pixel from the usual RGB array, and the yellow pixel’s arrival certainly led to a significant step up in performance.