Meet the Samsung ES8000 Smart LED TV

The Samsung ES8000 Smart LED TV is probably one of the most sleekest, sexiest, powerful, and interactive LED TVs in the market today. Unveiled earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012, the ES8000 is now available locally here in the Philippines. We were able to spend a night with it and we were totally and completely blown away! The ES8000 represents a huge leap in TV technology because of the Smart Interaction feature (gesture and voice control), the amazing hardware design, and the Samsung Hub which brings a bunch of useful and innovative applications to your TV.

The insanely sezzy design

The most obvious thing you’ll notice about the Samsung ES8000 is the breakthrough elegant design. It literally had me drooling the moment I stepped into the room and saw it for the first time! The ridiculously thin bezel, silver metallic finish, and the beautiful crisp and vivid screen is nothing short of tantalizing. I’ve never seen a TV as gorgeous as the ES8000. This is a guaranteed jaw dropper folks.

Here’s a short video we made which shows it in different angles:

So do you guys believe me now when I say that this thing is sezzy? Crazy right?! Okay now wipe the drool off your face and let’s move on, hehe.

At the top part of the bezel you’ll find a camera. This is a multi-purpose device since not only can it takes pictures but it also is the main component enabling gesture controls. Of course this camera can be used for Skype (video conferencing).

Even the remote control looks dope! There are only a few buttons on it because there’s a touchpad there at the top which functions as some sort of trackpad. It’s actually quite easy and intuitive to use making it one of the best remote controls ever made for a TV. Note that this TV also has a mic at the top for voice commands (will discuss that later).

Smart Interaction: Control your TV using your voice or gestures

Samsung also tried their best to “level-up” their TV technology by adding several interactive and smart features. At the very center though is the dashboard or menu interface of the ES8000. At this page there’s a small window which shows what’s being shown on the channel you’re watching (effectively making this a multi-tasking TV). You can also find different kinds of apps that you can click and use.

How do you navigate this dashboard? There are three ways you can control the ES8000: voice, motion, and remote control.

For motion you can basically use your hands as some sort of mouse. A cursor will appear and you can just wave your hands in the air and the cursor will follow. Closing your open hand into a fist will trigger a click. This will only effectively work though if you have good lighting and you’re a few feet away from the TV.

The one I like the most though is voice. You can actually turn on the TV by just saying “Hi TV”, which is kinda funky, hehe. YOu can also use it to pump up or lower volume, change channels, universal search, type in words/phrases, and a bunch of other stuff. So you don’t have to shout you can just speak to the remote control which has a built-in microphone.

Lastly they also integrated Facial Recognition into the ES8000. When the TV detects who you are it will load your saved profile (TV settings, favorite channels, apps, etc). I don’t think a lot of people will use this but hey at least Samsung put it in.

Samsung Hub: TV Apps?

I’m sure the Smart Interaction features got you guys excited but wait… there’s more! Samsung also built-in the Samsung Hub which is like an app store and showcase exclusively for the Samsung Smart TV (it’s not Android).

We were able to try a few applications including the different social networking and Fitness applications. The Fitness app we tried out basically had a bunch of exclusive video-on-demands showing exercise and training routines.

Hopefully we get to see more quality applications in the Samsung Hub in the next few weeks.

There’s also a built-in browser which you can use to surf the internet. It will be a huge pain trying to type-in URLs using the remote control or gesture motions so if you plan on doing this often you might want to invest in a bood bluetooth keyboard.

Here’s a short video during CES 2012 showing someone from Samsung explain all the cool features of the ES8000 for your viewing pleasure.

Samsung Smart LED TV (ES8000) Trade Show Demo

Samsung Evolution Kits

Unlike phones you don’t actually need to buy a TV every now and then. That’s why I applaud Samsung for putting in the Evolution Kits. Basically you can get upgrades and updates for your Samsung ES8000 by just sticking the upgrade modules at the back. This significantly extends the lifestyle of your TV making it a worthwhile investment.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Smart TV ES8000 55-inch model sells for Php279,000 while the 65-inch model will set you back a whopping Php359,000. The 55-inch model is already available in Samsung stores. If you want the 65-inch you’ll have to place a special order.

Verdict

The Samsung ES8000 Smart TV is definitely a cut above the rest when it comes to features and design. It’s the perfect centerpiece for your living room and I’m pretty sure that it will get tons of positive comments from your guests. I guess the only real downside is the price. Not everyone can afford this but those who can will definitely enjoy and make the most of it.

Time to save up! Hehe. 🙂

To end let me just share the announcement video of the Samsung ES8000.

Samsung Smart LED TV (ES8000) Announcement Video