May this year has seen an extrordinary number of new HDTV releases and amongst the most popular sellers are the Tulip ranges from Samsung. The new M86/M87 and N86/N87 series are set to rival the success of the Korean electronics gaint's Bordeaux range which has also seen new releases this month (R86/R87/R88). The cause of the excitment over the Tulip range is not hard to see. They offer Full HD resolution with 1080p input and exceptionally high contrast ratios of up to 15000:1.

Of the two versions of the series, the N8 sets have slightly inferior specifications when compared to the M8. Contrast ratios on the Ns "only" rate at 10000:1. They also have side mounted speakers where the M's have them neatly hidden away. It is good to see then that only the M series are being marketed actively in the UK. If you are wondering what is the difference between the M86 and M87 series the answer is cosmetic. The M87s have a chrome finish at the bottom of the screen whereas the M86s are all in black. The DSG retail group which includes Currys, Dixons and PC World are said to have an exclusive agreement with Samsung to sell the M86 series in the UK. Others are selling the M87s.

The Tulip range is available in five sizes; 32, 37, 40, 46 and 52 inches. The 32 inch versions are the odd ones out because instead of having Full HD resolution they have a 100 Hz frame rate. The higher frame rate is twice the norm for UK video and the extra alternate frames are not just repetitions of the previous ones. Samsung have introduced motion compnesated frame interpolation (MCFI) to generate the intermediate frames, so fast motion should be super clear. Similar technology is now available from all the major LCD HDTV makers but Samsung also use it to add interpolated frames when displaying movie video recorded at 24 fps. This "Movie Plus" feature is available on the 40, 46 and 52 inch Tulip sets.

Of course these features beg the question, when will we see 100 Hz and Full HD together? None of the other makers have reached that standard yet either but they can't be too far off.

Meanwhile the Tulips have some other nice features to entice you now. The Super Clear Panel is a front screen which allows the light out but prevents ambient light coming in and reflecting off the LCDs. This makes the contrast levels much better when viewed in a well lit room. You will also be getting Wide Colour Enhancement to increase the range of colours.

The table below clarifies the differences between the Tulip models. To see the full fetaure lists and compare prices, click on the model numbers.

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Posted by ZettaVolt on 23 May 2007 20:11:00 BST #