In September 2015 we were surprised by the announcement of Samsung to launch a new line of smart TVs that would break completely with the current trend of increasingly close flat screens with little frame and nondescript appearance.
It was the Serif TV, some models that do not incorporate the latest technology panels, 3D images or features smart, but would focus on the design and external appearance of the apparatus, construing the TV as a decorative piece of the modern home.
They have been the personal commitment of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, and after putting on sale the first units in the Asian market in the form of three different models with similar features but with different sizes and resolutions. Thus, we find screens 24, 32 and 40 inch HD resolutions, Full HD and UHD respectively.
We have had the opportunity to try for a few days the version of 40 inches, the characteristics, performance and behavior had to relate below.
Design and technical features
The Serif TV are well suited devices to visually impress who contemplates them for the first time since fleeing the conventional design of today ‘s flat screens and instead opt for a broad framework inspired by the font “Serif” that gives them name and resembling the letter ‘I’ capital profile view.
His body is thin in the center but widens at the ends forming a sort of ledge on which we can return to fashion of placing small decorative objects, leave the phone or a book, something we had forgotten since the days of the screens tube.
The Bouroullec brothers have devised two ways to place the TV allowing both place it in a conventional way directly cabinet on the floor using tubular legs that allow you to place the TV stand anywhere in the room and move with ease, taking care with cables, of course.
Precisely to hide these cables and connections, the TV has on its back with a removable panel that comes with a color cover to match the frame of the TV and to give it a minimalist look away from the typical format of the Smart TV current.
In addition, it is worth mentioning the new remote control included with the TV. We have a piece of minimalist design also in a sober white tone and showing only the precise buttons to control basic functions on top, leaving the rest to be accessed through the revamped user interface which will be discussed later.
In terms of technical features, we have a screen of 40 inches (101 cm) with panel LED Ultra Clear UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) PureColor and Auto Motion Plus technology governed by a quad-core of that processor does not occur more details on the product page.
Have a DVB-T2 / C / S2 with HbbTV for DTT channels and stereo sound system 20 watts (10 + 10) compatible with Dolby Digital Plus and DTS. It has 3 HDMI ports that support input signals to UHD 50P / 60P 4: 4: 4 and 4: 2: 2, 2 USB 2.0 connectors to feed content to your media player, an output optical digital audio and connectivity WiFi 802.11ac.
| SERIF TV | CHARACTERISTICS |
| Panel | LED 40 inch UHD (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) |
| Tuner | DVB-T2 / C / S2 with HbbTV |
| Sound system | Stereo 20W (I: 10W, D: 10W) |
| Connectivity | 3 HDMI ports, 2 USB 2.0, optical digital audio output and AC WiFi |
| Dimensions | 928.5 × 561.5 × 174.5 mm |
| Weight with stand | 13.1 kg |
| Power consumption | 130 watts |
To test the quality of picture and sound on the TV, in addition to the poor DTT channels we have and that nothing can indicate the true potential of a modern TV, I turned to my usual test several film clips well known learned directly from their DVD and Blu-ray to the highest possible quality, uncompressed or modify in any way the audio tracks and video.
Moreover, as a model with resolution UHD I also used different trailers and demos typical commercial brands preparing to display in stores and attract the attention of consumers when they go to buy your new TV.
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We started with the sequences of “low” resolution, i.e. DVD, showing a correct quality, both in scale and in color reproduction, though of course if we bought a TV of these features we start thinking, if not we have already done in move us to a more modern as Blu-ray format.
With the files to 1080p (Full HD) and especially with the 4K (if we sit close to the screen to appreciate better) thing substantially improved especially in terms of sharpness is concerned.
Despite having the configuration of this parameter roughly in half (as it came just open the box), the videos show a great level of detail in textures without exhibiting strange artifacts provided they do not let us go sharpness to the full, clear.
Colors also take on new life and perfectly fit our tastes through the setup menu, you can choose between different preset modes depending on the lighting conditions of the room. The contrast is also very good with black levels and details in dark at the height of the high-end LED panels areas, although far from the desired OLED.
As for the sound, it’s all good we can expect a flat screen TV. That is enough to see the TDT and daily use with conventional series and programming but falls short in terms of power if we want to enjoy a more demanding cinephile session.
The different modes of equalization is not help much to improve the perception of quality, but can get us out of trouble with some Internet videos with sound too low or muted voices. Yes, it is noteworthy that offers a good separation of the stereo channels, which is a point in its favor.
Interface and features SmartTV
We are accustomed to the new generation TVs come riddled with features of so -called “smart” filling the control menu with multiple apps often useless ever use.
The Serif TV is not, as its interface has been redesigned to prevail minimalism. Simply turn it on for the first time to realize that the gateway user to the TV is a clean interface, with just a few initial menus where you will find the configuration options.
Either using the remote control or traditional distance including a motion sensor, we can move through the different screens comfortably, receiving feedback from our actions through a soft sound as click.
Within the “Applications” section we find, after setting a simple wizard to connect to the local network and a couple of additional options, with the ability to install apps that we like within the universe of Samsung allows.
In the case of model I tested, it came standard with only about 5 applications installed, so we have to be us who decide what we want to present on your television.
They are classified by theme (games, videos, information, etc.) and the installation is very simple, you just have to enter that interests us, read the description, give install and already be inserted in the main menu of applications to we use it when we want.
What about work? Well, I tried several videos like YouTube or Vimeo and loaded pretty quickly, both the application itself and the time to move through the different screens and play videos and it is recommended to use the controller with motion sensor to move more comfortably internal options.
