Samsung C9000 LED TV - Product Evaluation Samsung Flagship Series

The 240Hz 3D Samsung C9000 LED TV series is possibly the series that comes with the most technologically advanced feature set - apart from 3D - among major TV brands. This is also the series that won the 2010 CES Best of Innovations award.

As expected, these Samsung LED TVs are among the most expensive irrespective of TV brand, with an MSRP that is twice that of the C8000 - the series that comes next in line in to the C9000 LED HDTVs.

In fact, the two models in this series, the 55-inch UN55C9000, and the 46-inch UN46C9000 have an MSRP of $6,999.99 and $5,999.99 respectively. Mind you, this does not mean that the Samsung C9000 LED TV sets deliver the best picture. But definitely, these are the TVs with a WOW factor that is hard to match. It is no surprise therefore that according to customer reviews posted online, the few lucky owners of C9000 Samsung LED TVs are absolutely amazed with their TVs.

However, it is significant to note that the Samsung C9000 LED TV series miss on one very important picture-quality feature that the C8000 has - precision dimming. Instead, these ultra-expensive 3D LED HDTVs use the same standard edge-lit LED backlight technology found on the significantly cheaper C7000 Series 3D TVs.

We assume the ultra-slim package of the Samsung C9000 did not allow for the use of a precision dimming LED backlight. It is this precision dimming technology that is the reason behind the much-improved picture quality of the C8000 over standard edge-lit LED backlight TVs, and including Samsung's 2010 C7000 LED HDTVs.

So... What is the reason behind the Samsung C9000 LED TV series exorbitant price tag?

	An Ultra-slim design We have already highlighted in our introduction that the Samsung C9000 LED TV series is the one that comes with a premium feature pack. Top in the list is the ultra thin panel - just 0.3 inches thin - less than a standard picture frame! And this even at 55-inch. This is definitely a major technological feat in display technology that required more than just an ordinary design challenge.
Samsung managed to get this slim design by placing all the electronics, including the tuner and connectivity bay in the base of the TV pedestal stand. This is a truly unique and innovative approach.
	And an equally slim wall-mount But what is even more unique is the approach adopted by the Samsung designers to slim the TV still allow for Samsung C9000 LED TV set to be wall mounted through a specially designed and equally slim TV wall-mount.
The C9000 premium package do include this Samsung ultra-slim wall mount - which at 0.6 inches thin complements the thinness of these LED HDTVs.

And there is more to justify the high price... Included as standard with the Samsung C9000 LED TVs are the 2010 LinkStick and the new touch screen TV remote control.

The 2010 LinkStick is Samsung's wireless LAN adaptor to access your PC and other networked devices - including your broadband internet connection. The latter is required both to power Samsung Apps and for firmware updates.

Samsung C9000 LED TV - Smart Remote Control However, what really makes the Samsung C9000 LED TV accessory pack a premium pack is the new smart remote control; this comes with touch-screen and Wi-Fi support. We have already referred to this unique remote control in our introduction; this definitely has contributed to the 2010 CES award for innovations won by Samsung with the C9000 series LED HDTVs. Samsung says that with the C9000 remote, it is re-define the role of the TV remote - by coming up with a remote which in itself can also serve as a 3-inch color mini-TV. For this purpose, it also comes with a mini audio jack. This mini-TV function enables you not only to browse TV channels while say viewing a Blu-ray movie, but to continue with your viewing while moving around the house since the remote communicates with the TV through its Wi-Fi 802.11n link. It also comes with an IR link which enables this RC to serve as a universal remote to control all your other devices in the room.

In addition, the remote touch-screen will transform itself into a full QWERTY keyboard to make navigation easy when using the Samsung Apps.

And if this is not enough, this unique remote will also sync up with all your media on your PC thanks to the provided AllShare wireless DLNA functionality.

Does this premium feature pack justify the Samsung C9000 LED TV extremely expensive price?

No professional review of the Samsung C9000 LED TV series has been published so far but... still, our short straightforward answer is a definite NO.

These are there to help justify the ultra-expensive price but do not add anything to the picture.

In other words, what one is actually paying for is innovation and thin design but the Samsung C9000 LED TV series does not offer a picture videophiles would expect. If what you want is a 3D LED TV with the best picture, the less expensive Samsung  46-inch UN46C8000, and the 55-inch UN55C8000 surely deliver better black level performance - a most important picture quality parameter. As we have stated, despite being a flagship series, Samsung C9000 LED TVs come with the same edge-lit LED backlight technology found on the much cheaper C7000 series.

And if 3D is still not for you, well... we do not blame you. But in that case, Samsung UNB8500 series we reviewed last year delivers better picture quality. OK, the Internet@TV application as implemented on the 2009 series is a far cry from what you find on 2010 sets; but picture quality wise, the UNB8500 is still the king of LCDs.

Why? The use of standard edge-lit LED backlight on Samsung's 2010 flagship LED series means that the Samsung C9000 LED TVs suffer from the same poor off-angle viewing and screen uniformity issues so much common with edge-lit LED TVs. As one customer on the Best Buy site noted... "In terms of picture quality, the C9000 LED HDTVs suffer" for the price.

This is expected; as we have stated in our introduction to this 2010 Samsung LED TV product guide, standard edge-lit LED backlight technology does not really add anything to the picture quality of an LCD TV.

Equally important, despite the very expensive price of Samsung C9000 LED TV sets, customers have also complained of a glitch in the dejudder processing similar to the problems referred to in our evaluation of the Samsung C7000 and C8000 LED TV series. In other words, the C9000 very expensive price is in itself no guarantee of a glitch-free operation.

So... Why is it that Samsung is coming up with such expensive HDTVs, and when the economy is still in a bad state?

It is a fact that the economy has far from recovered despite the much talking by governments that we are out of the recession. Rather, I would add that we are under the threat of a double-peak recession thanks to the many austerity measures being taken by governments to correct their finances.

We all know that austerity - though may be necessary, does not generate wealth to consumers. And when consumers do not have money to spend, sales of expensive non-essential products are the first to suffer.

In simple terms, we think that Samsung cannot expect to sell the thousands of C9000 LED TVs necessary to justify its development costs at a time when the economy is still so fragile.

But we still see a very valid reason for Samsung to come up with possibly the most innovative and yes expensive HDTVs on the market. The Samsung C9000 LED TV sets are surely a showcase of the most technological advancements in TV display technology, advancements which surely Samsung prides about.

Though in most cases, these are advancements that do not add anything to the end picture quality, for this giant TV maker, these are advancements which continue to build and strengthen its image as one of the big - if not the biggest TV maker in the world. It is possibly the best self-made promotion for Samsung in the eyes of the many who do not understand picture quality.

Conclusion

The Samsung C9000 LED TV series is not the one that delivers the best picture among Samsung 2010 LED TV line-up. But these 240Hz 3D Samsung LED TVs are surely the ones that deliver the best 'WOW' factor thanks to their amazing thinness and impressive feature set. It is no surprise therefore that the 55-inch Samsung UN55C9000 LED TV did earn 4.3 stars out of 5 in eleven customer reviews on the Best Buy site at the time of this write-up.