Samsung F8500 LED TV review - Hands on

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Posted on 5 Feb 2013 at 20:25, by Seth Barton

The Samsung F8000 LED TV enjoyed only a very short reign as the company's flagship model (excluding still niche 4K and OLED models). Having been announced at CES back in January, it has now been superseded in the pecking order by the new Samsung F8500 LED TV.

The new model is a sort-of hybrid of two already announced TVs. The internal components and panel are identical to the F8000 that Samsung launched with some fanfare at its Las Vegas press conference – so you get the new quad-core processor, some pretty stunning-looking image quality from the LED-lit panel and the new Samsung Smart Hub 2013 interface.

The exterior though has been entirely changed, with the same design cues as the fabulous-looking F8500PS plasma – what Samsung refers to as its 'Magnum' design. The all-metal bezel flows neatly into the integrated stand, which extends in a pleasing curve from both the front and back of the set. The frame and stand are constructed from a single piece of aluminium, while the back piece is separate but also made from the same aluminium. We prefer its more muted, darker metallic finish to the almost mirror-shine of the standard F8000.

It’ll be available in the same sizes as the F8000 - that being 46in, 55in, 60in, 65in and 75in - by April at the latest. There’s no pricing available yet, but this will be the top-end model in the main range, and a step up from anything available last year, so we can expect it to be the most expensive Full HD set Samsung has launched in recent years.