• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

In-depth review of the Samsung KS 8000

sobaka770

sobaka770

Banned
Decided to splash out some money on the KS7000 here in Europe and got the Samsung 4k Blu ray player with it. All I have to say is:

WORTH EVERY CENT

Star Trek was amazing in 4K HDR, I was blown away by the immersion and colors. As expected HDR is probably more important than the resolution bump, the variation of colors and the range is astounding.

Since the technology is new, I'm also happy that I didn't go for the fancy OLED or higher-range TVs at theis point. Sure, maybe the picture quality was not perfect, but it's already SO much better than the usual that I can't wait to see the technology mature and in 2-3 years get a set which will blow my mind even more (and will not cost me an arm and a leg).

My only beef is that the HDR shows on Netflix do not seem to be showing the same quality bump as the disks. After trying Marco Polo and Daredevil Season 1, it seems to me that the HDR effect is very subtle and I could probably achieve the same picture with normal format just by tweaking TV settings, which is dumb. I got a pretty fast internet Netflix, give me higher quality!!!

I can't wait to see games on PS4pro, consoles suddenly may have a huge advantage over PC games in terms of picture quality.
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
I love this TV but I really, really hope Samsung patches in the ability to have separate SDR and HDR settings in Game mode. The more hands-on time I have with HDR content, the more apparent it is that different settings are needed than with SDR. Switching back and forth manually when playing games is a nuisance.

They added HDR support to the Standard picture mode and then to Game mode, so I think they're on the right track.
 
Darklor01

Darklor01

Might need to stop sniffing glue
sobaka770 said:
Decided to splash out some money on the KS7000 here in Europe and got the Samsung 4k Blu ray player with it. All I have to say is:

WORTH EVERY CENT

Star Trek was amazing in 4K HDR, I was blown away by the immersion and colors. As expected HDR is probably more important than the resolution bump, the variation of colors and the range is astounding.

Since the technology is new, I'm also happy that I didn't go for the fancy OLED or higher-range TVs at theis point. Sure, maybe the picture quality was not perfect, but it's already SO much better than the usual that I can't wait to see the technology mature and in 2-3 years get a set which will blow my mind even more (and will not cost me an arm and a leg).

My only beef is that the HDR shows on Netflix do not seem to be showing the same quality bump as the disks. After trying Marco Polo and Daredevil Season 1, it seems to me that the HDR effect is very subtle and I could probably achieve the same picture with normal format just by tweaking TV settings, which is dumb. I got a pretty fast internet Netflix, give me higher quality!!!

I can't wait to see games on PS4pro, consoles suddenly may have a huge advantage over PC games in terms of picture quality.
Click to expand...

Just to mention, allegedly, HDR is supposed to get enabled in Windows as well but currently isn't. I have both my PS4 and my PC connected to my KS8000(US model) and can't wait for my Pro to be connected to it. That said, I would LOVE to see 4K HDR enabled games like Forza Horizon 3 on it.
 
F

FelixFFM

Member
I'd like to point out that many people in this thread overstate the importance of input lag, especially with 22ms vs 35ms. On paper, it may be 50% lower, but in reality, the screen lag is just a small part of the overall controller input to photon lag in a game. Most games, even 60fps games, have between 90 and 120ms of processing lag, and 30fps games even have 150ms and above. See for yourself: http://www.displaylag.com/video-game-input-lag-database/
Thus, the 13ms advantage goes from close to 50% better to merely 8-10% better. Not worth it compared to the huge advantage of image quality on OLED, in my opinion.
 
D

digitalrelic

Banned
Original Man said:
For those who have this tv. How do you put on HDR? I was watching Luke Cage last night and couldn't tell if it was on.
Click to expand...

What device were you using to stream Luke Cage? You have to make sure the device recognizes the TV as 4K/HDR compatible. The main settings you have to worry about on the TV is HDMI UHD Color is set to "ON" for the relevant HDMI port.

I like to have Color Space set to "Auto", Backlight to "20", Smart LED to "High", and Dynamic Contrast set to "Medium" as well.
 
B

Bill Rizer

Member
FelixFFM said:
I'd like to point out that many people in this thread overstate the importance of input lag, especially with 22ms vs 35ms. On paper, it may be 50% lower, but in reality, the screen lag is just a small part of the overall controller input to photon lag in a game. Most games, even 60fps games, have between 90 and 120ms of processing lag, and 30fps games even have 150ms and above. See for yourself: http://www.displaylag.com/video-game-input-lag-database/
Thus, the 13ms advantage goes from close to 50% better to merely 8-10% better. Not worth it compared to the huge advantage of image quality on OLED, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Agree. You also have to realize that 10-15 ms is about 1/100s!
 
I

iMax

Member
Original Man said:
For those who have this tv. How do you put on HDR? I was watching Luke Cage last night and couldn't tell if it was on.
Click to expand...

Luke Cage isn't an HDR title.

kromeo said:
I think you just need to make sure colour space is set to native
Click to expand...

No, that's something separate. You'll either get a notification on your TV when it detects an HDR signal, or you can hit the 'i' button and see if it's getting HDR through that.
 
sobaka770

sobaka770

Banned
Original Man said:
For those who have this tv. How do you put on HDR? I was watching Luke Cage last night and couldn't tell if it was on.
Click to expand...

If you're watching from external device, then there is going to be a pop-up saying that HDR content is playing in the top-left corner.

If you use the build-in TV Netflix, there is not many ways to check since there is no pop-up. One way to do it is to lower the normal TV brightness (make sure that the content playing is not HDR). When HDR content is playing the TV adopts a different set of settings (20 brightness, Medium dynamic contrast) which you can then check..

Luke Cage is not available in HDR at this moment. You can however check your TV Hdr settings by switching between Daredevil S1 and S2. Season 1 is in HDR while Season 2 is not.
 
Kremzeek

Kremzeek

Member
FYI I just got mine on Tuesday (love it!) but already had the issue where all the source input bar on the menu is completely BLANK.

It was working fine before this.

I managed to fix it by doing the soft reset with the remote (hold power button on remote until tv reboots).

I'm on 1133.
 
M

Morts

Member
I got this TV a week ago, the 65" model.

I haven't had a chance to put anything 4k or HDR on it yet, but 1080p content looks great. Strong colors, bright as fuck.
 
Kelegacy

Kelegacy

XBOX - RECORD ME LOVING DOWN MY WOMAN GOOD
tokkun said:
Personally, I would not buy an OLED for gaming due to image retention / burn-in issues. That is not something I want to have to think about when using a TV.
Click to expand...
False. I have never even seen retention or anything like it on my set. Not even an inkling. And i game on it constantly, with huds and everything for hours at a time. Hell, my kid leaves it paused for hours and nothing. You do not have to babysit these tvs like they are old school plasmas.

Now that i have owned one: i will never go back to LED/LCD. The picture quality is thay much better.
 
Z

Zhutchka

Member
FelixFFM said:
I'd like to point out that many people in this thread overstate the importance of input lag, especially with 22ms vs 35ms. On paper, it may be 50% lower, but in reality, the screen lag is just a small part of the overall controller input to photon lag in a game. Most games, even 60fps games, have between 90 and 120ms of processing lag, and 30fps games even have 150ms and above. See for yourself: http://www.displaylag.com/video-game-input-lag-database/
Thus, the 13ms advantage goes from close to 50% better to merely 8-10% better. Not worth it compared to the huge advantage of image quality on OLED, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I strongly disagree. Switching between different modes on UHD TVs is what's made me realise the importance of input lag. The difference between low 20s and high 30s for things like camera control, consecutive button presses, or mouse tracking is really noticable. Before I'd never have thought such small numbers could be felt that clearly. Might not alone be worth the IQ sacrifice in comparison to OLED - certainly not to everyone - but then again these models are also half the price of OLEDs.
 
T

Trojan

Member
I've had my KS8000 for probably 2 months now, and I can say hands-down it's the happiest I've ever been with a TV purchase.

I haven't even been able to play any games yet in "true HDR", but the color contrast and brightness of the TV even in non-native HDR is really impressive.
 
A

axb2013

Member
Zhutchka said:
I strongly disagree. Switching between different modes on UHD TVs is what's made me realise the importance of input lag. The difference between low 20s and high 30s for things like camera control, consecutive button presses, or mouse tracking is really noticable. Before I'd never have thought such small numbers could be felt that clearly. Might not alone be worth the IQ sacrifice in comparison to OLED - certainly not to everyone - but then again these models are also half the price of OLEDs.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree, while there is no universal number that determines the threshold since it will vary for different use cases and individuals, there is a point at which input lag becomes unbearable and so far the TV stayed below the threshold for me. It is quite possible that I could live with another 20ms of input lag but for the sake of my budget and multiplayer games, I just don't want to take the risk. I'm certain I speak for the majority when I say that if I pay $2k+ for a TV, I expect perfection, 1000+ nits, all HDR standards compliance and input lag values that compete with gaming monitors which no OLED does at this point.

As for IQ sacrifice... OLED offers superb image quality but I would advise to ignore LCD haters. Wannabe videophiles make it sound like non OLED's are all atrocious looking.

Like I mentioned in the previous post, it's difficult to quantify comparisons but my KS8000 pulls within 10% of OLED, the FALD model (KS9800?) within 5%. At roughly 55% of the cost. It will take at least another generation of OLED's for LCD's to be run out of town like the CRT's and RPTV's were.
 
D

digitalrelic

Banned
axb2013 said:
Absolutely agree, while there is no universal number that determines the threshold since it will vary for different use cases and individuals, there is a point at which input lag becomes unbearable and so far the TV stayed below the threshold for me. It is quite possible that I could live with another 20ms of input lag but for the sake of my budget and multiplayer games, I just don't want to take the risk. I'm certain I speak for the majority when I say that if I pay $2k+ for a TV, I expect perfection, 1000+ nits, all HDR standards compliance and input lag values that compete with gaming monitors which no OLED does at this point.

As for IQ sacrifice... OLED offers superb image quality but I would advise to ignore LCD haters. Wannabe videophiles make it sound like non OLED's are all atrocious looking.

Like I mentioned in the previous post, it's difficult to quantify comparisons but my KS8000 pulls within 10% of OLED, the FALD model (KS9800?) within 5%. At roughly 55% of the cost. It will take at least another generation of OLED's for LCD's to be run out of town like the CRT's and RPTV's were.
Click to expand...

I agree completely with this. OLED's obviously are the standard for PQ, especially in a pitch black room, but the KS8000 undoubtedly holds its own. OLED is in no way worth paying double for. In a few years, when the prices are more comparable, input lag is lower, and light output is better, OLED will be a no brainer. I just don't think that's the case just yet.
 
R

RoninChaos

Member
Hmm. My tv blew out last night. Thinking of getting this one. Mostly games and movies. People seem pretty happy in this thread.
 
H

harz-marz

Member
I have the UK KS8000. I have not been blown away by HDR 4K Blu-ray films (Life of Pi, Revenant). They do look great but not as big a change as I thought.

However I downloaded some HDR demo clips (omg the Chess one) and they look totally incredible when played on my Nvidia Shield TV.

Am I missing something here?
 
E

exmachina64

Banned
sobaka770 said:
Decided to splash out some money on the KS7000 here in Europe and got the Samsung 4k Blu ray player with it. All I have to say is:

WORTH EVERY CENT

Star Trek was amazing in 4K HDR, I was blown away by the immersion and colors. As expected HDR is probably more important than the resolution bump, the variation of colors and the range is astounding.

Since the technology is new, I'm also happy that I didn't go for the fancy OLED or higher-range TVs at theis point. Sure, maybe the picture quality was not perfect, but it's already SO much better than the usual that I can't wait to see the technology mature and in 2-3 years get a set which will blow my mind even more (and will not cost me an arm and a leg).

My only beef is that the HDR shows on Netflix do not seem to be showing the same quality bump as the disks. After trying Marco Polo and Daredevil Season 1, it seems to me that the HDR effect is very subtle and I could probably achieve the same picture with normal format just by tweaking TV settings, which is dumb. I got a pretty fast internet Netflix, give me higher quality!!!

I can't wait to see games on PS4pro, consoles suddenly may have a huge advantage over PC games in terms of picture quality.
Click to expand...

Netflix's bitrate doesn't compare with UHD blu-ray.
 
I

iMax

Member
harz-marz said:
I have the UK KS8000. I have not been blown away by HDR 4K Blu-ray films (Life of Pi, Revenant). They do look great but not as big a change as I thought.

However I downloaded some HDR demo clips (omg the Chess one) and they look totally incredible when played on my Nvidia Shield TV.

Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

Probably not. Those demo clips are extreme examples and are specifically designed to hammer home the benefits of HDR.
 
J

Josh378

Member
Amazon selling 60 inch for $1499. Best Buy will price match. I have $500 GC from my birthday last year for BB. Should I wait for the 65 inch to drop to $1499 via black friday or buy the 60 inch now?
 
S

Slackbladder

Member
Yer, should have got this than the lower KS7000. It's okay but I feel the 8000 would have added a bit more quality. Well, I'll probably get another TV in a few years. Probably an Oled.
 
N

Nipo

Member
digitalrelic said:
I agree completely with this. OLED's obviously are the standard for PQ, especially in a pitch black room, but the KS8000 undoubtedly holds its own. OLED is in no way worth paying double for. In a few years, when the prices are more comparable, input lag is lower, and light output is better, OLED will be a no brainer. I just don't think that's the case just yet.
Click to expand...

I disagree. Once you get used to OLED going back to LED is like watching things through a window instead of directly at it. We have an OLED downstairs and an LED up and the extra money was totally worth it.
 
G

Geneijin

Member
Josh378 said:
Yea i saw that but their return policy is garbage. I'm afraid if there's a dead pixel on there then I'm screwed. I'm still aiming for that retail store or at least online for the TV.
Click to expand...
Ah, then I'd wait. If some stores are selling them for that much right now, I'd take the risk it'd happen sooner but that's me.
 
I

iMax

Member
Josh378 said:
Yea i saw that but their return policy is garbage. I'm afraid if there's a dead pixel on there then I'm screwed. I'm still aiming for that retail store or at least online for the TV.
Click to expand...

I think dead/stuck pixels are a lot less relevant on 4K TVs. I have a bunch that are stuck green on mine but they are invisible from more than three feet away.
 
D

DOT DASH DOT

Member
harz-marz said:
I have the UK KS8000. I have not been blown away by HDR 4K Blu-ray films (Life of Pi, Revenant). They do look great but not as big a change as I thought.

However I downloaded some HDR demo clips (omg the Chess one) and they look totally incredible when played on my Nvidia Shield TV.

Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

No, but I wish movies looked like the LG and Sony demos, wow!
 
M

michaelius

Banned
Slackbladder said:
Yer, should have got this than the lower KS7000. It's okay but I feel the 8000 would have added a bit more quality. Well, I'll probably get another TV in a few years. Probably an Oled.
Click to expand...

Nah KS7000 packs unbeatable value among KS series

From what I know 8000 is mostly - better case, better speakers, second tuner and minimally better back light for substantial increase in price.

If you want noticeable step up in Image quality it would need to be 9500 with FALD.

I'm super happy with my 7000
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
maximrace said:
I'm a bit conflicted about the dynamic contrast setting. How do you guys use it?
Click to expand...
I only use it for HDR content (set to medium). I've always been against using it but the difference is extremely apparent, especially in Gears and Forza. With it turned off, the picture just looks dim to me, and that's with backlight and contrast cranked up to begin with.
 
B

Boy Wander

Member
vatstep said:
I love this TV but I really, really hope Samsung patches in the ability to have separate SDR and HDR settings in Game mode. The more hands-on time I have with HDR content, the more apparent it is that different settings are needed than with SDR. Switching back and forth manually when playing games is a nuisance.

They added HDR support to the Standard picture mode and then to Game mode, so I think they're on the right track.
Click to expand...

How do you activate HDR in game mode ? I see a HDR+ setting but you can't activate that in game mode.
 
S

Syrus

Banned
Josh378 said:
Amazon selling 60 inch for $1499. Best Buy will price match. I have $500 GC from my birthday last year for BB. Should I wait for the 65 inch to drop to $1499 via black friday or buy the 60 inch now?
Click to expand...

65 inch was 1779 weeks ago. 5 inches is worth it
 
L

Lakerchick4life

Member
Josh378 said:
Amazon selling 60 inch for $1499. Best Buy will price match. I have $500 GC from my birthday last year for BB. Should I wait for the 65 inch to drop to $1499 via black friday or buy the 60 inch now?
Click to expand...

Im waiting til BF because I really want to get the 49 inch(Cant go any larger in my bedroom) but right now its just too darn expensive..1099 is way too much to spend for a 49 inch TV so Im hoping it drops a few hundred bucks for BF, what are the odds of that happening?
 
D

DOT DASH DOT

Member
maximrace said:
I'm a bit conflicted about the dynamic contrast setting. How do you guys use it?
Click to expand...

It's the only way for HDR, I've spent most of my night calibrating for Gears, and I'll say this, a great balance for pop and not bleeding out the highlights is to set dynamic on high, smart led standard, gamma 0, but the new thing for me is brightness (not backlight) I could afford to go from 43 all the way down to 35 in HDR, which helps bring back darker detail in bright parts but with good details in low light areas, if I tried that in SDR it would be impossible to see anything! Really pleased with how it's looking, reigned in colour too, from 51 to 45, was just too garish.
 
madjackal

madjackal

Member
One question. Really want to pull the trigger on the KS8000 (US version), but I have an older receiver that has an optical port and only accepts bitstream. I'm wondering if I can have my PS4 hooked up via HDMI (bitstream Dolby Digital) to the KS8000 and then have the TV out via optical (bitstream) to my receiver for Dolby Digital. This is the setup I currently have on my 2014 Vizio and I'd like to be able to keep it if I decide to go with the KS8000. Thanks.
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
madjackal said:
One question. Really want to pull the trigger on the KS8000 (US version), but I have an older receiver that has an optical port and only accepts bitstream. I'm wondering if I can have my PS4 hooked up via HDMI (bitstream Dolby Digital) to the KS8000 and then have the TV out via optical (bitstream) to my receiver for Dolby Digital. This is the setup I currently have on my 2014 Vizio and I'd like to be able to keep it if I decide to go with the KS8000. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yup! This is exactly what I do.
 
R

Reaperssj

Member
Hi gaf I was thinking of pulling the trigger on the KS8000 55-inch and was wondering if the onkyo 646 receiver is future-proof enough to go along with it with regards to 4k HDR10 and input lag and if anyone else has this combo or atleast the onkyo 646 can you tell which is the best input to put the ps4 on becase in only has the first three inputs for HDCP 2.2
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The HD revolution was a bit of a scam for gamers
3 4 5 6 7
309
22K
Madserb2023 replied
Help buying a new HDTV for gaming?
2
60
3K
reconminicon replied
TV's Vs Monitors, and Why TV's Make Much More Sense for Next Gen Consoles
Opinion 18 19 20 21 22
1K
80K
rofif replied
The 2021 General TV Discussion Thread
|OT|
37
5K
Giallo Corsa replied
Samsung UE49KS7000 ( UK ) Review : Affordable HDR Hero
2 3
134
17K
Scottish Sin replied
Top Bottom