The Samsung UN55B7000 vs Samsung UN55B8000 – Which Should You Buy?
The Samsung UN55B7000 55-Inch LED HDTV 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.
Finally, the UN55B8000 has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz while the UN55B7000 only has 120Hz. This difference, though, is difficult to discern, except to a trained eye, both being able to effectively prevent images from blurring even during fast-action sequences.
Other than these differences, the Samsung UN55B7000 and UN55B8000 are pretty much the same. In terms of interactive features, both have the same basic Yahoo widgets for news, weather and finance, that you can place on your screen, as well as a built-in library of online content such as recipes, activities for children and workout routines. If you have other computers at home, you can network them and access their media files using either HDTV, too, since both have enhanced DLNA capability.
Both models are highly energy efficient, mainly because they are edge-lit LED-based LCD televisions, which means they consume nearly half less than conventional LCDs and even less than other types of HDTVs. In addition to that, you get three power-saving modes that cut down energy consumption even further. As for connectivity, there aren’t too many analog connections but there are four HDMI inputs provided – enough for your digital devices – as well as a VGA input for your computer and two USB ports that make it easier to share files directly from your thumb drive, MP3 player or digital camera.
Clearly, the Samsung UN55B7000 is not as good as the more expensive UN55B8000, especially in terms of the images produced, but it certainly comes pretty close and with a few hundred bucks less, is definitely worth considering over the UN55B8000. No matter which you get, though, you’re sure to get an excellent viewing experience you won’t regret.
About the author – Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes HDTV reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To read more about the Samsung UN55B7000 or check out the latest HDTV reviews visit HDTVreviewlab.com