When someone says 'flagship' and 'review' I don't tend to hear many other words. I simply nod my head and sign any documentation necessary.
This one was more bittersweet, however, as I realised that this would almost certainly be my final review for Newshub and that left me a little downhearted.
But then I realised I was getting a new Samsung television to watch and game on for a month and instantly cheered up. There's nothing better than trying out new tech - just as there's no doubting the quality of the company's range.
Last year's iteration was amazing while this year's cheaper 4K version was definitely worth buying.
But do you need an 8K television right now and could the flagship of Samsung's new releases deliver a performance worthy of the hefty price?
I've been using Samsung's 65-inch QN900B for a few weeks now and here are my thoughts.
The good
Where do you start with near perfection?
Let me mention once again just how impressive the opportunity to stream games to play via the Xbox App on Samsung's latest televisions are.
Yes, the app will eventually roll out to other manufacturers but for the moment it's only an option with the 2022 range and it's something I've absolutely loved.
The combination of Xbox's Cloud Gaming brilliant offering and the quality of the picture make this a joy to spend time on.
Download and Installation of games is my single biggest bugbear with consoles so being able to play new games within seconds is a revolutionary step forward.
Of course the performance is even more impressive if you have an actual console to plug in.
My trusty PlayStation 5's output looked as good as it ever did on the 65-inch screen, with the likes of Ghosts of Tsushima and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart showing amazing depth of colour and immense detail.
I still have to pinch myself at just how far gaming has come in the four decades since I first picked up a joystick.
The quality isn't limited to what's on the television, however. The whole package is a thing of beauty.
The infinity screen means no horrible looking bezels to cut down on viewing space, while the entire unit is so thin that when you turn it sideways it practically disappears.
If I didn't have to give this back, I'd have mounted it to the wall and created a shrine that I could pray to daily to the gods of technology. Sorry, where was I...
The remote is the same as the one that came with the QN90B, which charges via solar panel and radio frequencies to ensure no more AAA batteries. It's simple, effective and doesn't take up a lot of room on your couch.
The image quality is equally as good when you're watching movies and television. The 8K picture, with a 7680 x 4320px resolution, is driven by quantum matrix technology and neural quantum processors, some of which I understand, but mostly I don't.
I can tell you, though, that it doesn't get any better when watching high-quality content on the screen. There's no muddyness in the slightest here. The QLED delivers blacks that are deep, colours that are vibrant and the upscaling of lower quality content is as good as it gets.
The sound system is also pretty damn fine for a television. But honestly, I think most people considering an 8K television are probably serious enough about their setup that they already have a soundbar or surround sound system.
But if you haven't ventured into those realms just yet, you get a very decent performance out of the onboard speakers.
The 90W output includes Dolby Atmos and delivers a depth that will deliver clear audio in any room. The bass is at a decent level too, as my neighbours surely can attest to after I blasted out some heavy metal YouTube videos.
The television is a bit harder to set-up than the QN90B, with a One Connect box that sits on the stand behind the screen acting as a hub for all your HDMI cables.
But it's worth the effort as it gave me much freedom over where I was able to locate my devices.
It also let me plug in my old USB hard drive and play some old videos directly rather than via a computer plugged into the television. So much quicker and easier. I've had problems with this on my older televisions.
There's no question this is as good an overall experience as I've had with a television and I'm gutted I had to put my old one back in my living room.
The bad
It won't take the geniuses amongst you to realise the single biggest issue facing the QN900B. It's the price.
If you fancy the latest flagship television from the Korean tech giant you're going to have to fork out NZ$8999 for the 65-inch model or $12,499 for the 75-inch.
That's going to put it out of reach for many Kiwis which, to be fair, is pretty much the point of a top of the range television.
The only other annoyance was my continued battle with the new Smart Hub software.
The lag I saw with the QN90B model is still there, meaning sometimes it can take a while to register a press on the remote.
Thankfully one of the other flaws with the cheaper model - the loud hiss from my wireless surround system - wasn't replicated here.
It's also worth shouting out Samsung TV Plus again, the new streaming service that warrants an entire button on the otherwise-superb remote.
Last time I wrote:
"For now it's filled with YouTube-quality shows, movies you've never heard of and - most likely - stuff you're never going to watch."
I had hoped it would be quickly improved. So imagine my surprise when a new channel popped up showing nothing but remastered Baywatch episodes...
I'll leave it for you to decide whether that's an improvement or not!
The verdict
As I sign off as Newshub as Technology Editor it seems fitting my final review is an aspirational piece of tech that's outside my budget.
I first got into tech because I loved being at the cutting edge, particularly the glimpses into the future which aspiration tech can offer.
It doesn't seem too long ago that I was walking around electronic shops in the United Kingdom dreaming of plasma televisions that cost more than this and are now obsolete.
Yes, $9k isn't particularly affordable right now, but what is delivered in this beast will probably be coming to all televisions in the coming years. And that's going to mean watching your favourite shows and movies and gaming at home is destined to become an experience this brilliant .
There's no question if I had the cash, I'd be forking out for the biggest QN900B model and loving every second with it. From the infinity screen, to the amazing upscaling, it screams quality.
The good news is that the QN90B, which is half the price of its bigger sibling, is also a tremendous television.
In fact, I'd go as far as suggesting most people probably won't notice much of a difference in performance between the two. 4K versus 8K? Could you actually tell the difference when you're streaming Newshub Late or the latest Netflix binge-watch?
However, if you happen to win on Lotto this weekend then make the QN900B a priority purchase.
Me? I'm off to buy a ticket and keep my fingers crossed.
Newshub was supplied with a Samsung QN900B 65-inch television for this review.
