Samsung UN46B8500

Input Ports (4.0)

The Samsung UN46B8500 has a surprisingly few number of ports, considering how large and expensive it is. There are two factors that may explain this. First, the UN46B8500 is very, very thin, which leaves less room for connection points. The second is more of a supposition, but we think it's possible that people in the target market have already converted their lives to digital, and do not have need for many analog ports.

All the ports on the Samsung UN46B8500 are arranged in an L-shape on the back of the unit. But rather than sticking straight into the back, the ports are aligned to sit flat against the surface. It's a little weird, and the cables end up poking out in the same way they would have on any other TV.

Input ports include: 4 HDMI and a VGA with an accompanying 1/8' audio jack. Then there's the component AV series of ports (for HD video), which doubles as the composite AV (for standard def). That's right, you don't even get a dedicated set of component and composite. Samsung assumes that most of the incoming signals are HDMI. You're either living at the state of the art, or you're out of luck.

The USB, LAN, and output ports are discussed below and in the Streaming Playback section.
 

Output Ports (2.0)

The Samsung UN46B8500 has two output ports, an analog audio out and a digital audio out. Both are located along with all the other ports on the back. 

Other Connections (4.0)

In addition to the standard AV-type of ports, the Samsung UN46B8500 has a LAN port for internet connectivity. This opens up a whole new world of content acquisition, which we talk about in more detail in the Streaming Playback section of this review. It also offers the ability to connect to a home network through the DLNA support.

Media (2.0)

The Samsung UN46B8500 has not one, but two USB ports. Such a wealth of connectivity? Seriously, you may be asking why you need two USB ports. Well, it's simple. You can leave a hard drive plugged into one port, and plug thumb drive into the other. You cannot, however, connect iPods, iPhones, or Zunes.

Placement (6.5)

The placement of the ports is good, but not great. The Samsung UN46B8500 is on a swivel base, but not one that swivels too widely. Without too much work, you can see the ports that run along the vertical axis, but the ports that run along the horizontal axis on the bottom are tough to reach and the labels are harder to read. 

Other Models in the UNxxB8500 Series
This is a review of the Samsung UN46B8500. The other sizes of HDTVs in this series should be similar in terms of performance and usability. For details about any differences, click on the image to jump to the Series Comparison page.
Panasonic UN46B8500 46 inches	Panasonic UN55B8500 55 inches