Request a product

Panasonic VIERA AX902 vs Samsung LED H8000

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

PanasonicVIERA AX902SamsungLED H8000
Overview
Released20142014
Display
PanelLED LCDLED LCD
Panel detailPanasonic specifies an LED LCD panel with Local Dimming Ultra. AVForums identifies the reviewed 55-inch panel as IPS with full-array direct backlighting and 128 zones; that zone count is not claimed for the 65-inch size. Panasonic's 3000 Hz Backlight Scanning claim is not a native refresh rate.Curved edge-lit LCD with 4200R curvature and active-shutter 3D. Samsung's 1000 Clear Motion Rate is a processing label, not the native panel refresh rate; the UK specification does not publish native Hz.
Resolution3840 × 2160 (4K)1920 × 1080 (Full HD)
HDR formatsNoneNone
Picture processingStudio Master Drive, Local Dimming Ultra, Studio Master Colour, 4K Pure Direct and Intelligent Frame Creation Pro. The 55-inch zone count is reported by AVForums, not the UK manual.The UK 55-inch specification lists Micro Dimming Ultimate, Auto Depth Enhancer and 1000 Clear Motion Rate but says Precision Black local dimming is absent. HDTVTest found that Cinema Black darkens letterbox bars, though some settings shifted the whole picture's brightness.
Picture modesDynamic, Normal, Cinema, THX Cinema, THX Bright Room, True Cinema, Monitor, Custom, Professional 1 and Professional 2; BT.1886 gamma is available.Movie mode and ten-point white balance controls allowed very accurate greyscale on the HDTVTest and AVForums 55-inch test sets. Samsung's UK table confirms 2D-to-3D conversion and two included active glasses.
Motion handlingHDTVTest found clear motion with Intelligent Frame Creation enabled but mild 24p judder; AVForums preferred turning interpolation off for films.HDTVTest measured 1080 lines of motion resolution with Motion Plus engaged versus 300 without it on its 55-inch unit; these are reviewer measurements, not panel Hz. It also saw occasional motion hiccups after scene cuts and mild 3D film judder.
Viewing angleThe reviewed 55-inch IPS panel retained contrast and colour better off-axis than many contemporary VA LCDs according to HDTVTest.HDTVTest found blacks and colours washed out beyond about 40 degrees off-axis on its 55-inch review unit. The curve did not materially improve its viewing angle.
Sizes
Sizes55, 65″48, 55, 65″
Largest size65″65″
Gaming
HDMI ports4 (0 HDMI 2.1 at 4K 120 Hz+)4 (0 HDMI 2.1 at 4K 120 Hz+)
Variable refresh rateNoneNone
Auto low latency mode–No
HDMI detailFour HDMI inputs support 4K and 3D; HDMI2 supports ordinary Audio Return Channel. The UK manual also lists DisplayPort for 4K, one SCART, component and composite inputs, CI+ and an SD card slot. HDTVTest confirmed full HDMI 2.0 bandwidth and HDCP 2.2 on the reviewed 55-inch unit.Four HDMI inputs with HDMI 1.4 3D and ARC according to Samsung's UK 55-inch table. The same table lists one SCART, component and composite inputs, a headphone output and optical audio. No 4K or HDMI 2.1 input is stated.
Input lagAVForums measured 90 ms in Game mode on the 55-inch set; HDTVTest measured 87 ms on its separate 55-inch sample.34 ms in Game Mode on the 55-inch HDTVTest unit, measured with a Leo Bodnar tester; AVForums reports the same figure on its sample. This is a reviewer measurement.
Game features–Manual Game Mode in Samsung's UK specification. No maker-confirmed variable refresh or automatic low-latency switching.
Smart TV and sound
Smart TV platformmy Home ScreenSamsung Smart TV
ProcessorQuad Core Pro5Quad Core+; 3D HyperReal Engine picture processing
Speakers18 W40 W, 2.1 channels
eARC–No
Wi-FiBuilt-in dual-band IEEE 802.11a/b/g/nBuilt-in Wi-Fi
BluetoothBluetooth 3.0 for accessories–
Speaker detailPanasonic specifies 4 W + 4 W stereo drivers and a 10 W woofer.Samsung's UK tables give 40 W total for each size, with two 10 W drivers and a 20 W woofer. AVForums rated sound good for a thin TV, while HDTVTest concentrated on picture performance.
Audio features3.5 mm headphone socket and Bluetooth accessory support.Dolby MS11, DTS Premium Sound 5.1, TV SoundConnect, optical output and HDMI ARC on Samsung's 55-inch UK table.
Voice assistants–Samsung's 2014 voice control is listed for the UK; an optional camera was needed for gesture and face features. Original online voice services may no longer work.
CastingPanasonic's my Home Screen platform supports network media, TV Anywhere, screen mirroring and streaming apps; service availability varies over time.Samsung Smart View, Screen Mirroring, Wi-Fi Direct and local content streaming appear in the UK 55-inch table. Current app and service availability is not guaranteed.
TV tunersUK DVB-S/S2 Freesat, DVB-T/T2 Freeview HD and PAL I analogue tuners; two satellite dish inputs.Samsung's UK 55-inch table lists analogue, DVB-T/C/S2 and twin tuners, plus USB recording and time shift. It does not explicitly list DVB-T2 in that table, so Freeview HD support is not inferred from a different regional variant.
USBTwo USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port support media and recording to a registered drive; SD card slot.Three USB ports and USB recording in Samsung's UK 55-inch table.
EthernetRJ45 10/100/1000 Ethernet for network services and local sharing.One Ethernet connection in Samsung's UK 55-inch table.
Optical audio outFibre-optic PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS output.One optical digital audio output in Samsung's UK 55-inch table.
Design and power
SizeTV only: 55-inch 1238 × 741 × 59 mm and 26 kg; 65-inch 1457 × 864 × 60 mm and 35 kg. With pedestal: 55-inch 1238 × 740 × 283 mm and 40 kg; 65-inch 1457 × 863 × 356 mm and 52 kg.Without stand, width × height × depth from Samsung's UK size-specific tables: 48-inch 1078.6 × 625.9 × 79.2 mm; 55-inch 1232.8 × 713.3 × 89.8 mm; 65-inch 1451 × 838.4 × 107.3 mm. Configuration weights also exclude the stand.
StandSupplied rear-weighted pedestal. Panasonic lists 400 × 400 mm wall mounting holes.Fixed curved stand. With-stand depth / weight from Samsung's UK tables: 48-inch 236.8 mm / 14.7 kg; 55-inch 236.8 mm / 18.9 kg; 65-inch 307.8 mm / 27.2 kg.
Power usePanasonic product fiche on-mode average: 210 W for 55 inches and 229 W for 65 inches; 0.30 W standby and off mode for both.Samsung's UK 55-inch table lists 78 W typical, 158 W maximum and 0.3 W standby; the figures are not transferred to other sizes.
Energy classC for UK 55-inch and B for UK 65-inch under the historical Panasonic product fiche.A+ for the UK 55-inch model under the energy-label scale used at launch, not today's A–G scale.
ColoursBlack glass front with silver edge trim.–
In the boxStandard and touchpad remotes, two pairs of passive 3D glasses, pedestal, mains lead and instructions. Panasonic's 2014 UK model list and manual confirm 55- and 65-inch AX902B sets; the distinct 85-inch TX-85X942B is excluded. Exact first-sale month remains unconfirmed; contemporary UK coverage places availability in November 2014.Samsung's UK 55-inch table lists two SSG-5100GB active 3D glasses, standard and Smart Control remotes, batteries, IR extender, power lead and manual. The camera is optional.

More comparisons