Samsung PS64D8000 review

Sound

There's enough power and dynamic range in the speakers to produce a soundstage that's just about big enough to match the prodigious size of the 64-inch screen.

The mid-range doesn't sound cramped and overloaded, and trebles are presented with spirit, but without sounding harsh and tinkly. Bass is a bit processed and poppy rather than natural and deep, but improves significantly on previous Samsung TVs.

Value

While it's probably a stretch to describe any TV that costs three grand as a bargain, the PS64D8000 is around £1,000 cheaper than the equivalent Panasonic, a fact that, along with its superior internet service, could be enough to persuade many people to swallow its less spectacular contrast performance and slight 3D crosstalk issues.

Ease of use

The PS64D8000 is very easy to use for such a sophisticated set. Its remote control is simple and to the point (if a little flimsy and plasticky feeling for such a sumptuous TV) with one-button access to a surprising number of key features without feeling cluttered or fiddly.

The onscreen menus are attractive and well organised, with an excellent trick up their sleeve in the form of an interactive onscreen instructions manual. Whenever you move the cursor over an option, you get a brief, but usually perfectly intelligible, explanation on the right hand side of the screen of what the selected feature does.

The only things letting the side down in ease of use terms are a weird and seemingly pointless split of settings between two separate Advanced and Picture Option menus, and the even more bizarre 'hiding away' of the useful Game preset within a submenu of the set's System menu.