Samsung UN60D8000

Internet Features (11.50)

This year, Samsung has introduced a new concept called the Smart Hub (see first photo below). This is what you see every time you hit the dedicated button on the remote. No longer is the TV simply a receptacle for one one input at a time. This is the future – all things at once. The Smart Hub is a mission control, of sorts. In the upper-right corner you see a live feed of the primary AV input (cable, DVD, etc.). Notice how small, how minimized that has become in the face of a “smart” TV that offers an apps store, an internet browser, streaming content, and local hard drive support. More than anyone else, Samsung has assessed and correctly interpreted the new role of a television in the modern living room.

The streaming content selection is impressive, though in this capacity the playing field has been leveled, for the most part. Nearly all “smart” TVs have Netflix, Pandora, Facebook, Skype, etc. They’re the obvious choices for partnership (though their inclusion is no less important). What separates Samsung is their integration into the whole. The Smart Hub page features a search box that scours multiple content partners for matches. That is smart.

Samsung also offers its burgeoning apps store. By and large, the apps are limited to games, news aggregators, and only a few truly useful apps. Don’t expect things like LogMeIn for a bit longer.

The Samsung UN60D8000 and the rest of the D8000 series (both plasma and LCD) ship with an advanced remote control that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. We had a hell of a time trying to get our text inputted – something that should have been brainlessly easy – so Samsung probably needs a little more development time with this particular aspect. The rest of the browser experience is likewise lackluster. We haven’t seen a good implementation of a browser on a TV yet because the navigation process is infinitely slower than on on your computer, tablet, or phone. Still, it’s there in a pinch.

To connect to all of this, the Samsung UN60D8000 has a LAN port and built-in WiFi.

Local Media Playback (22.00)

The Samsung UN60D8000 has a three (yes, THREE) USB ports. All three connect to USB mass storage devices like thumb drives. One of them supports full-fledged hard drives, which means you can watch stacks of downloaded movies (where you got them is not our business) on a huge screen and skip Comcast cable altogether.

All three USB ports support video, music, and photo playback. For a complete list of compatible formats, consult the instruction manual .

Other Models in the UNxxD8000 Series
For more information on other models in this series, check our Series Comparison Page.
Samsung UN46D8000 46 in.	Samsung UN55D8000 55 in.	Samsung UN65D8000 65 in.