 Incredible picture quality but with very clunky extra features. |
| Review Date: November 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Terrance McCartney, Pittsburgh, PA USA |
PICTURE
In terms of video quality, this TV is awesome. I can't imagine how the picture could be much better.
There are some minor picture quality issues with off-angle viewing (as the CNET review states), but I think CNET exaggerates the severity -- it's only noticeable to me if I'm far off center.
I haven't yet noticed any blooming effects.
Setting the "judder reduction" to 10 introduces some distortion at times, but a setting of 6 smoothes out motion well without noticeable distortion. However, this varies a bit with different source material. When viewing video files via DLNA that have a lower frame rate, the judder reduction setting can sometimes make things worse. But this is easy to turn off/on by source.
The color level seemed slightly off initially, even with CNET's recommended settings. For example, sometimes a blue sky would look slightly purple (i.e., too much red). But this was easily adjusted in the picture settings.
AUDIO
I don't use the TV's audio, since I have an external speaker setup. However, the TV's audio seemed a bit bland when I tried it.
Unfortunately, digital audio output from the TV does not pass through multi-channel audio from HDMI inputs. You need to run extra digital audio cables from your DVD player and other components to your AV receiver if you'd like Dolby Digital or DTS sound.
ENERGY
I measured the electricity usage at 110-115 watts (energy saving mode at "auto", volume off, picture adjusted per CNET recommendation). Setting energy saving mode to auto doesn't seem to hurt the picture quality at all.
This is very energy efficient -- it uses less power than my old 32" CRT TV. I'm amazed at how little heat I can feel coming from the back of the set.
REMOTE
If you have a universal learning remote, it will not be able to learn from the RF remote that comes with this TV (i.e., since standard remotes are IR rather than RF). However, I called Samsung and they sent me a compatible IR remote, free of charge. With that remote, I was able to program my universal learning remote. Ask for remote BN59-00851A.
BUILD QUALITY
One small build quality issue that I encountered: the plastic at the base of my TV extended a bit too far, making it impossible to fit it into the stand. I had to carve away some of the plastic in the slots of the stand just to get it to fit, which made me a bit uneasy. But other than that, the build quality is fine.
MEDIA FEATURES
Viewing video files via DLNA works well, for the file types that are supported. Although I've encountered many files that the TV doesn't play for one reason or another, the ones that it does play work well. I regularly stream 1080p video files from my PC, and the picture looks perfect (with wired Ethernet).
The TV has a variety of Internet and media features. But unfortunately there are lots of quality issues such as:
1. When playing video files through USB, DLNA, or Internet features, most TV controls are disabled. While you can adjust basic picture settings, you can't choose 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios. In playing NTSC video (i.e., any video that came from standard def TV, home movies, etc) from USB or DLNA, the aspect ratio is *always wrong*: 16:9 video is always squeezed too thin and 4:3 video is always stretched too fat.
2. There is no fast forward, rewind, or chapter advance when playing video clips or movies. This is true of playing YouTube videos as well. Although there is a "skip" feature where you can jump in increments (e.g., 10 seconds), this is only available for some video files (most don't support this, in my experience).
3. As the CNET review stated, the Yahoo widgets are extremely slow to start. Note that this has nothing to do with your Internet speed, since I have a 25 Mbit Internet service with wired Ethernet to the TV and it's still painfully slow. I have an HD TiVo with a lot of the same features as the Yahoo widgets, and that is far more enjoyable to use. But the one area where the Yahoo widgets outperformed TiVo was YouTube -- the Yahoo YouTube widget can play HD video clips as HD but TiVo plays them as SD.
4. If a media file played through DLNA (and I assume USB) has multiple audio channels, there is no way to choose which audio to play along with the video.
5. Does not support DTS audio.
I assume that these problems exist with all Samsung TVs with the Media 2.0 feature. Perhaps these problems will be fixed in a future software update. If so, I'll post an update (*** still no fixes to these issues as of 5/9/10 ***). |
Awesome display
|
| Review Date: January 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: BCS, Chattanooga, TN USA |
I have had this TV set up for 3 weeks now. Opinion:
Setup
Very simple, the packing box has removable plastic clips that allow you to slide the whole cover off. No annoying heavy staples. You can save the whole box with the reusable clips for moving the TV in the future. Took 2 people to safely lift the TV out of the styrofoam and lay it on the bed. About 15 screws later and the base is on. Pretty simple. The TV with base installed is about half the weight of my 32 inch Trinitron CRT.
Style
The black bevel with clear glass-like edging and brushed metal base is very attractive. When the TV is on there is a subtle blue glow on the bottom of the TV which is pleasant, but you can turn it off if you want. The base allows you to rotate the TV about 30 degrees each way which is a nice feature. The 1.6" thickness is a big wow factor.
Features
Extensive menu features for tweaking the picture. You can tweak the Auto Motion Plus (AMP) very precisely to your liking. You can change the colorspace settings extensively: you can modify each of the RGBCMY colors. For each input the TV remembers each of your calibrations. This is a nice feature. There is a "game mode" which minimizes input lag.
Picture quality
Totally depends on the source material. 1080i video from my comcast DVR looks amazing for certain programing. Vibrant colors, deep blacks. My favorite show to watch now is Glee because it really shows what the TV is capable of (my wife got me watching this...). I do not yet have a blue ray player, so I cannot comment on how this might look. I was impressed with the blue ray quality in the store.
One thing about movies on an LCD screen: all movies are filmed in 24 fps. First generation LCD screens that display at 60 fps always had difficulty with movies because they had to get 24 frames to fit onto a 60 Hz display. This results in judder, most noticeable during pans or smooth motion on the screen. This TV has the AMP capability to interpolate the extra frames to show smooth motion. But the problem is that if you crank the AMP settings all the way up you get a strange looking picture: movies start to look like amateur filmed video. You really have to see it to know what I'm talking about, but it is really annoying. There are 2 parts of the AMP setting: blur reduction and judder reduction. The JR is what gives the soap opera effect. So, for movies I leave the blur reduction all the way up, but put the JR at 0. There is still judder in the movie, but it is far less annoying than the soap opera effect. Oh - and regarding the AMP: it is a very useful feature you are watching a reality TV show or live action sports. I crank it all the way up and the picture looks awesome. For almost all other sources I use BR/JR of 10/0.
I am very pleased with how DVDs look upscaled. Pretty amazing that such a good picture can be made from a 480i source. Regular def video from the cable box looks pretty good. The TV has such high clarity that all the digital artifacts that come through the cable box are clearly visible. Playing the XBox on the 46B8500 is awesome. No noticeable input lag here. Very engaging experience.
Color
On this TV seem to be very accurate, although I am no spectrophotometer-wielding color expert. I like my white point a little bluer than most, so I started with the "Standard" setting and put the colorspace to "Native." I backed off on he green a smidge because the bowl game grass looked too green. Skin tones look very good, awesome on some sources. If you like warmer whites you can change your colorspace to warm1 or warm2. I briefly considered professional calibration, but I am satisfied with the colors as they are set now.
Regarding the blacks
They are so deep that when watching a letterboxed video or a 4:3 video with black sidebars, the bevel is the exact same level of black. Depending on how you have your settings, the LEDs on the black part of the screen are totally off. I cannot see how the blacks could possibly be any deeper.
The factory default settings for contrast are too high - 95/100 on standard. This results in occasionally noted blooming on the TV - really only noticed with one or two bright objects on a completely black background. Turning the contrast down to 80-85 minimized the blooming.
Viewing Angle
At first I thought cnet's description of the poor off angle viewing experience was overstated, but I somewhat concede the point. Once you get out of the sweet spot - about 5 people wide at 6 feet, the picture quality suffers. The picture gets washed out and blacks lighten up to the level of some of a traditional CCFL LCD or worse. Blooming becomes much more noticeable. While you still can technically view the image, the experience is not nearly as rich. This means you can't have like 12 guys over to watch the big game if you are gonna sit close to the TV.
There is a reflective screen. If you have windows behind you, you may notice them during dark scenes. I have no windows behind the couch, but do have a ton of light in the room. I see no reflections at all sitting in front of the TV during the day.
Sound
Abysmal. Immediately turned it off. If you are buying a TV this expensive, you will almost certainly have external speakers. The 18 year old $100 Sony floor speakers I have with an old receiver fit the bill. Don't buy this TV for the sound. The speakers face backwards and sound tinny and hollow, no bass. With a 1.6 inch thick TV you cant really expect too much.
Extra Features
Just as mentioned on previous posts, the yahoo widgets are really too slow to be useful. If you want to know the weather, watch youtube, or browse stocks, go to your computer. If you absolutely have to watch youtube on the big screen, it technically does the job - but very slowly.
Overall
I still feel like this is the best LCD that you can buy right now. With the right source, PQ is amazing. I researched for months and visited numerous stores to narrow down my choices. If your TV is going in a bright room, this TV is likely the one for you. If you are looking for a mancave TV for tons of darkroom movies, then a high end plasma might be better and cheaper.
B |
Review: Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV
|
| Review Date: November 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Cardenas, Texas |
~*~Updated - 01/20/10~*~
- Samsung has decided to discontinue the 8 Series (Website has completely wiped them out). Couple of reasons for this is due to the fact that since not many people knew about the 8 series (more importantly this 8500 set), they were losing money off of something no one was buying. Another reason, is because they are now putting the majority of their 'eggs in 1 basket'. That 'Basket' being the new 3D Technology. Which leads me to believe that the next line of Samsungs are NOT going to have as much focus & emphasis on picture quality such as this 8500 HDTV, but more focus & emphasis on the 3D Technology. One supporting fact: Samsung has yet to deny the possibility that NONE of the 2010 models will have Local Dimming - which is one of the reasons why this 8500 set is (and still is) the best LED/LCD on the market today. Instead all of the new 2010 models will go back to Edge-Lit LED backlighting, which is a step backwards.
- My advice? We all know this new 3D Technology is not going to be the best the 1st time around and within a year or 2 years that 'new' 3D HDTV will then become outdated. This 8500 set is the Best LCD/LED HDTV out there and through the trail and errors of the new 3D technology, this 8500 will still be an HDTV to reckon with. If you see it at a good price, buy it before there's no more.
~*~
For the past decade, there has always been one thing that Plasmas could do that LCD just couldn't even touch = Contrast Ratio & Black Levels. Up until now LCDs always had a hard time producing deep-dark black levels and the consumers are left with pixilated 'inky' 'blochy' black marks across the screen during a dark or night scene. But not anymore...
The Samsung UN46B8500 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV is the BEST LED-based LCD HDTV out on the Market today, period. And what makes this HDTV stand out from the rest?
The use of LED Local Dimming Backlight Technology - Before, the Samsung LED HDTV used 'Edge-Lit' technology where the backlights were located on the Edge of the Screen which is why some HDTVs had a distracting light effect on the edges of the HDTV (aka Halo Effect). And also had trouble producing deep black levels because the backlights were naturally too far from the source (located on the edges of the screen).
With the use of LED local dimming backlight technology, the backlight is actually throughout the screen (not just at the Edges) and can turn off independently from one another during black scenes; making it the best LED-based LCD to produce the deepest black levels ever. Yes, even compared to the Plasma powerhouse Kuro by Pioneer. Never before has an LED-based LCD HDTV even come close to a Kuro plasma HDTV.
Pros
- Local Dimming Backlight Technology = Deeper black levels than any HDTV available
- 120hz/240hz + Adjustable dejudder Feature (Not seen in a majority of 120hz/240hz HDTVs)
- Reduced "Blooming Effect" compared with other local dimming LED-based LCDs
- Internet Widgets (Including Yahoo, Youtube, Weather, etc.)
- Extremely energy efficient compared to any other HDTV
- The style is very Neutral and extremely thin = 1.6-inch deep panel
- Intense Adjustable Picture Controls
Cons
- Price is a little discouraging (But when you think about it, this HDTV is about 5 - 6yrs Future Proof)
- Poor off-angle viewing (This has always plagued both Plasmas and LCDs)
I've waiting for a long time to get another HDTV and I can honestly say the wait is now over. It maybe a little pricey but for what you're getting this HDTV offers a lot and has features that not many LED-Based LCDs have right now. To put it in short (& [...] agrees with me): This is the BEST LED-based LCD HDTV out on the Market (right now)
No question, Invest and Buy it!
V_O_R |
THE REMOTE
|
| Review Date: December 10, 2009 |
| Reviewer: J. Matarese, NY |
Some have suggested that the RF remote makes using a universal remote impossible, not true. This TV comes with two remotes, the main remote is RF, the mini remote is IR. My IR STB cable remote instantly recognized and operated the TV since it was already programmed for my older model Samsung TV. As long as your universal remote accepts company codes to work you will be fine (it is only the universal remotes that require you pointing one remote at the other to program, that will require you to get your hands on a 7 series remote).
As for the TV, like the other reviews, the picture quality is stunning. The off angle viewing is not bad by any means, sure there is a sweet spot, but I assure you that unless you are replacing a top of the line TV with the purchase of this TV, the off angle image of your new UN46B8500 will most likely be better than any sweet spot DLP or older model HDTV image that you may be replacing. The only thing that makes the off viewing drop in contrast noticeable is that the TVs picture is so incredible that you tend to notice going from awesome to good. But this does not happen one seat cushion to the next, I only see it when I stand significantly to the side (but the TV stand has a swivel, so if you have a Super Bowl Party and people are strewn across your room, you can easily find the best angle to place the TV).
The sound is on par with my old Samsung DLP, the only problem is that the speakers are back facing, so I feel like I am blasting sound at my neighbors (I live in an apartment).
The one drawback for me is the reflective nature of the TV, however, I am sure I will get used to it (as I did with my laptop), and reflections are only noticeable when the scene you are watching is really dark, and the room is light. However, as many will contend, there is no way to block reflections only defuse them, so matte style TVs actually wash out the reflection and in turn the picture quality (+1 point reflective screen).
Bottom line this TV will not disappoint. But get the best price for it you can, trust me.
|
WOW
|
| Review Date: December 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: alabama1234, Birmingham, AL |
My UN46B8500 arrived on schedule on 12/3/2009 via Pilot and was set-up immediately. Great people, by the way. It replaced a Samsung LN-T4061F.
I purchased the Samsung Wireless LAN Adapter (WIS09ABGN) at the same time.
Location: It is located in a sunroom with 14 windows so there is a lot of light during the day. Since it did not have a matte screen like the LN-T4061F I was worried that the UN46 would have real problems with ambient light and reflections. Yes, there are significant reflections when the TV is off. When it is on, the reflections are pretty much unnoticeable, at least to me.
Calibration: I calibrated it using the CNET recommendations and then modified the following ones based on my preferences:
Mode: Standard
Sharpness: 46
Color: 45
Color Tone: Normal
Automotion Pro240Hz: Custom
Judder Reduction: 2
I am basically pleased with these settings.
Picture: Excellent. Much better than the LN-T4061F which I thought was very good. Blacks are really black and I see no issues with action scenes. I will say that some network shows (CSI & Criminal Minds, as examples) appear a bit dark overall. Football games, golf and other shows, like local news, appear to be correctly lit, however. I'd love some suggestions as to why the variation and what I might do to correct it!
Sound: Yes, it is lousy but I don't use it except when I am watching something using the Wireless LAN.
Samsung Wireless LAN Adapter (WIS09ABGN): The instructions are lousy, really lousy. But, it works. I installed the updated version of Samsung PC Share Manager on my laptop and then plugged in the adaptor. Using "Source" the TV found the LAN adaptor and my network automatically. I had to manually connect to my WEP encrypted "g" wireless network which involved typing in the key. No problems. It worked perfectly.
Internet@: So far I rate it pretty much useless but I haven't tried Netflex or any other download. Widgets are s- l- o- w.
Samsung PC Share Manager: Really poor instructions. I worked a long time before I figured out you had to share "Folders" and not individual files. After that it worked like a charm. I could view pictures, home-shot videos and downloaded TV shows. I have not done any music and have not figured out whether it is possible to transmit something playing on my computer screen to the TV without "playing the file" using PC Share Manager. So far, every file I have tried to play has worked flawlessly as long as it is in an approved format (i.e., jpg) and is in a folder. Pause will work but, so far, skip ahead/back has not. Apparently you can transfer files to the TV's memory but I haven't figured that out and there are no instructions that I have found.
Remote: After about 4 days my remote stopped working. Trouble shooting instructions in the manual didn't help but I did find the answer at the Samsung website but it wasn't easy. I use the remote only to operate the widgets, the LAN Adaptor and to change Menu and Tools settings.
Signal source: I have Dish Network HDDVR with an external antenna attached for added flexibility. The Dish remote worked the TV with no changes from the setting used to operate the LN-T4061F which was nice.
All-in-all, I love it!
|
Discontinued - caution is called for - but wow the picture.
|
| Review Date: January 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: SharkAttack, The Great USA |
While searching for information on the programming of a cable remote I learned that this TV has been discontinued. I had purchased mine earlier in the day. Do your homework and get a good price - else don't buy.
The picture is stunning - read the reviews - it is not perfect - but it may be the best. It kills all my other flat screens.
Sound is fine for regular TV viewing - I will likely get a small HT system to enhance movies.
The remote is not IR but the set does respond to my old (newer) Samsung HD remote - I have not figured out how to program my cable remote to manage the basics on this set - but there is hope.
Discounts appear to be coming - I got a great price though I did not understand exactly why at the time.
Update: After a few days of use - I have programmed my cable remote to control the general everyday features. The sound is all I need for every day TV viewing. The picture is almost too good - I will try the CNET recommendations this weekend. |
Everything I thought it would be and MORE!!!!
|
| Review Date: February 20, 2010 |
| Reviewer: T. Siu, DALY CITY, CA, US |
What can I say...
When I first started looking for televisions, I started in the $1200 range. I purchased a PN50B860 from vanns for $1200 and was amazed by the picture quality of the plasma but what was happiness soon turned for the worse when I heard the buzzing of the plasma and saw image retention on the tv just after 15 mins of viewing a news station. This was unacceptable so I returned the set and continued my search. Now I've got my eyes set on the 46B750 or the 46XBR9. Both have gotten great reviews and recieve lots of praise for accurate color and great black levels, I was about to purchase the xbr9 at $1500 after tax and shipping when I saw the massive price drop for the new Samsung 46B8500. It hit the price point that I wanted and was the best LCD-LED TV you can buy. Yes, I realize that 3D tv's are coming and this TV does NOT support it, but I will be purchasing another TV in the next 4-5 years and by then, the 3D format will either have died out, or will have matured into a beautiful new medium that everyone has accepted. Either way, at that time I will upgrade, for now, I want the best 2D lcd-led television that my $2100 can buy.
Pilot delivery was great, they called to confirm the appt 15 mins before hand and arrived promptly at my door. Two guys carried it into my home, took it out of the box and asked me where I wanted it to be set up. I told them that I could handle all of that and I just wanted to check for damage. There was none so they were off on their way and I was moving my TV into my living room. I turned the TV on, put a blu-ray on and my jaw dropped to the floor... I've had a local dimming LED-LCD from VIZIO and I had a PN50B860 to reference picture quality to and believe me, this TV is EVERYTHING EVERYONE has raved about. I now understand why it's so damn expensive... Everything about this TV just screams high end quality. Believe me, when I say that I thought all the reviews for this tv were biased and maybe even faked by other people. Now I know why they call this TV the King of LCD's (as quoted by Cnet).
The black levels... I have to start with that! When there is media that shows black on this TV, it plunges you in the dark abyss of the darkest dark that you have absolutely ever seen in your life on an LCD. And unlike other local dimming TVs, you DON'T NOTICE WHEN THE LED'S TURN OFF! It's incredible, the blacks can plunge a whole room into complete utter darkness. I have a room that has light completely blocked from it and I can't see the tv when the screen goes black. I have noticed some blooming on the standard video setting but after tweaking the settings the blooming is considerably less noticable (almost non-existant except for the most insane white against black contrast such as white text against black background, but even then it is not noticable until you look for it.)
The remote is just beautiful, there is a light sensor so the backlight does not waste battery life during the day and a motion sensor to turn the backlight on when you are looking for the remote, there was a reviewer that said the motion sensor is too sensitive, but I like that! If the remote is on the couch and my room is dark, I dont have to go looking for it, all I have to do is hit the cushion or surface a little bit and the remote will light up so that I can easily find it. Also the scroll wheel is GREAT, you just have to know how it works. The remote turns the scroll wheel off so that you don't accidentily scroll with it all the time, the scroll wheel turns on after ANY input button besides the scroll wheel is used, this is great when I hit "menu" and then use the scroll wheel. The people that say it is sluggish to respond are probably trying to scroll without any input, in which case it can take a turn or two to get the remote to accept input. All these "CONS" that people have been pointing out are actually PROS for me! I love these features!
The color is great, spot on and lots of POP! Yes there is glare from this TV, that is a non issue because when I am seriously watching the TV at night, my whole room is set in darkness and I see no glare at all. During the day, I set the brightness up and the glare is a non-issue. There are plenty of settings and for a videophile like me, it is a must. The AMP settings are great, I've noticed a lil bit of judder here and there but nothing my g/f can pick out. I am extremely sensitive to the slightest of artifacts or judder and there was not enough of it to be found here for me to be picky.
I will not list my settings because a quick google of that topic will yield you plenty of that information.
You have to see this TV in a dark room to really appreciate this television... When it goes black, you'll be amazed at how beautiful darkness can be. Don't be fooled by other televisions that lose black detail when they dim the backlights. There are a lot of sets that dim the backlights to achieve a "higher" black level. This TV DOES NOT DO THAT! You wont even notice the LED's turning off or on. It's incredible, you have to see it to believe it.
If you are on the fence and can afford this tv, BUY IT! Why get a mediocre 3D tv when you can get the BEST LCD-LED television of today?!
I think that is all there is to be said, if I have left anything out or if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment and I will make sure to reply to other potential owners of this product. So please feel free to ask away!
btw... I never write reviews as you can tell if you try to find other reviews on products I have purchased, but this TV just blew my mind and it would be a dis-honor, not to write about a technology that makes my heart tingle. |
Nice TV
|
| Review Date: January 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Nigel, Los Gatos, CA USA |
I think this is an amazing TV as far as picture quality. When I first bought it I thought it was horrible, then I discovered the "soap opera" effect. This judder feature is supposed to fill in with additional frames. What actually happens is that I was watching a movie and it looked like an old episode of the Australian soap called neighbors. Once you remove this judder feature, set it well down (on each input) the picture quality improves dramatically. Now I am thrilled with TV.
For all those out there worried about Harmony remotes, this TV although having an RF remote supports infrared. My Logitech 880 works well with this new TV. I didn't have to do any learning mode, just put the TV number into the Harmony device, add and away it went. I did have to change the latency of the TV. I told the remote it takes 12s to power on, it does seem to take a while. This allows the input switching to work.
I won't go into other features since many of the reviews have them.
I would have liked more component inputs since my old DVD players are component so I am playing my US DVDs through my PS3, I also miss the SVHS. My Harmon Kardon has on screen display through SVHS so I'm a bit perplexed at how I will be able to configure it.
I do have one current issue with voice sync which seemed to improve when I put the PS3 on HDMI-1, hopefully I will figure out who is to blame. |
BUY IT ! This is the best TV on the market as of April 2010 !
|
| Review Date: March 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Hans Blix, USA |
UPDATE on DLNA:
DLNA function works perfectly on this TV set. Naturally, you need to install a DLNA server application on your computer in order to establish the connection to your media on the computer. I found "Twonky media server" application for my Mac for about $20 which works flawlessly with this TV. I am able to stream out most of the videos (depending on format) and MP3s and JPEG photos via the Wi-Fi network out of the computer, into the TV (TV does need Ethernet connection if you do not have the Wi-Fi adapter). I built an Ethernet outlet on to the wall behind the TV, works great. Also, I am sure there are free DLNS servers out there for PC. Just Google it You don't want to miss DLNA, if you have bunch of AVI videos on your computer.
REVIEW:
I have spent one month with two brand new TVs from BestBuy in order to make the following review here.
This is the best TV you can buy below $7K. Yes, in fact, one of Pioneer's Kuro models is probably a better TV which cost about $7K if you want to spend that much and if you can find it. If you don't, then the only option is this TV, and it is not a bad option.
it has Ugly remote
it has Un-stylish Glossy Bezel
it has A Bit lengthy installation of of the stand
it has a non-innovative menu
It was delivered a bit late.
YET, this TV has the best picture available in any LCD/Plasma/LED HDTV out there.
POSITIVES:
BLACK LEVELS--------Black levels with this unit are second to none. I doubt that any other TV can reach the black level perfection as 8500. Perhaps the fact that this TV has back-lit, not edge-lit unlike most of the other LED TVs on the market is the reason for the difference. OR, the reason might be that Samsung is the NEW SONY of 2010s.
Experience: I tested and returned two Sony TVs before getting this from Amazon: Sony BRAVIA XBR Series KDL-46XBR9 46-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV, Black and Sony Bravia EX700 Series 46-Inch LED HDTV, Black. XBR9 was very good in picture quality (and design) but failed miserably in black levels. EX700 was horrible in simple terms; both in black levels and picture quality. Eventually, I have decided to get the TV with best reviews on Amazon, which was the 8500. In fact, if you look at it, all the reviews are 4 star and above, except few which was not the reviews of the TV but the delivery service. BestBuy did not have the 8500 but 8000 series for some reason. Lucky, this forced me to buy it from Amazon which had one of the lowest prices on the Internet.
TIPS:
-There are optical, 3.5, RCA, and USB connections. I will mostly use the HDMI for signal transfer however.
-Stand is heavier than the TV, so, TV stands well on the surface.
-It has manual motion flow option; you can use the "clear" motion flow to decrease the artificial day-time-soap effect if you insist on using the motion flow option. I opt it out totally.
-yes, there are websites suggesting specific calibration for this TV, but, honestly, the best calibration is the one that is customized for your eyes. So, just play with the options until you reach to the configuration best for you.
-If you have cable box, program it for Samsung TV (not the first two keys but the third key). You will be able to control the sound and power without needing the TV remote, which is huge but very functional.
-TV's RF Remote has a motion sensor which turns the key lights on in the dark, if it senses you closing in. I guess it helps to locate in the dark.
-I don't even dare to calibrate it much. Out of box, the picture is perfect (except the 240 Hz needs to be turned off to get rid of the artificial effect of daytime soap operas).
NEGATIVES:
(if I must to list some negatives, however, picture quality nullifies any negatives about this TV)
-Not unique to Samsung, but thick bezels are very unappealing. Sony seem to be one who paid attention design aspects of TVs (but not the picture quality).
-If you move few feet from the center, picture quality gets grayish; concern for some but not me.
-Ugly remote, but most use the remote coming with cable provider anyways, not a big deal.
-No Netflix or Blockbuster. I tested Netflix with XBR9, 720p online content was very appealing. perhaps Samsung will have a firmware update for it, or I might get a Blu-Ray player with Netflix.
CONCLUSION:
Yes. Yes. Yes... BUY this TV. I heard that none of the 2010 Samsung TVs will have full back-lit LED. So, this remains to be the only model with full back-lit.
This has been an excellent transaction. Thanks Amazon.. |
Phenomenal TV
|
| Review Date: January 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Aaron, Northglenn, Colombia |
| I have owned this TV for about 11 days, and the picture is simply one word "incredible". I calibrated the set to what CNET's review configuration for the best picture. If you are sitting straight on with the TV the blacks are inky black(yes they do fade a bit when you move to the sides but not bad by any means). I was using a 46 inch Samsung DLP before this set and the picture is night and day between the two sets. The one thing though I didn't quite anticipate was reflections on the screen, coming from a matte display, but if you have any bright windows behind your viewing area, you will see it in the picture which required me to upgrade the curtains for that window but the glossy display does make the picture shine that much more. Also you can use any of the harmony remote with this TV without any problems(Choose the **B8500 model), being the remote that comes with the TV is a RF remote. And as people have stated in other reivews, The yahoo widgets are slow, but to me that is more of a gimmick to be able to add more features to the set and truthfully I will probably not use them at all. But for the best TV with the best picture the B8500 model is hands down at the moment the best you can buy(but it looks like Samsung has discontinued all the 8 Series LED TV's since they are no longer on their site, and next year all the sets will be edge lit LED's not local dimming from the announcements at CES). |
Samsung 8500 led tv
|
| Review Date: March 2, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Skip Elander, Newtown, CT USA |
| This set has a phenomenal picture. While watching water scenes on a recorded show I felt as though I could reaceh through the screen and touch it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants the best pictue possible. |
Absolutely incredible picture!
|
| Review Date: March 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Grandon Gray, Boston, MA USA |
| I'm not a techie. So, I can't tell you why the picture is so amazing, but you'll feel like you're looking through a window at real life. I just spent way too many hours watching the Winter Olympics, and this set blew me away--and my expectations were ridiculously high. If you've been on the fence, don't waste months like I did. Buy this tv and start enjoying it! |
Wow
|
| Review Date: March 16, 2010 |
| Reviewer: B. Schmickle, |
So, I'm sure I'm like about 95% of the people that shop on Amazon. You read review after review...maybe do some non-Amazon research... And you wonder in the back of your mind whether the reviewers are people that work for the product manufacturer...or whether they're working for the competition. So, I always take everything with a grain of salt...and so should you as you read my review. And fair warning, I am not a techno-type guy, so I don't know all of the terms...de-judder, etc.
After many weeks of agonizing, painstaking research, I finally decided to jump in feet first on what I would consider a top-of-the-line TV. I looked at tons of reviews. I thought about everything from an LG LED TV (I think it's like the LH90 or something) to the Samsung LN46B650, LN46B750 to the Pioneer Kuro to the Sony's to the...well, you get the point. I flip-flopped back and forth over the value of ordering on-line versus buying local. I worried about shipping issues. And of course, generally speaking, if you ever have to deal with product returns/repairs, it seems there are very few words of praise that get doled out about customer service.
Well, my praise will be short and sweet. I love this TV. I have had it for about 3 weeks now. I've used it with and without external speakers. I have not hooked up all of the internet capability of the TV yet, but plan on doing so shortly.
As far as plug and play...it was a cinch. I haven't tweaked/calibrated anything (and frankly don't know if I will) because the picture is absolutely stunning. Despite all of the comments otherwise about TV's these days, the sound is decent. I know I paid a premium for this TV, but as far as I could tell, it was the only truly back-lit LED Samsung TV. And with their 2010 line-up going with the edge-lit, I decided to pull the trigger. I'd do it again. Everything is so lifelike. I put in the BBC "Planet Earth" blu-ray and it was magical. The colors explode from the TV...and while it's not 3D, it's pretty much the deepest picture I could imagine without wearing 3D glasses. It feels like you're in the scenes of "Lost"...sweating on the island, feeling the rustle of the palm fronds. I am quite convinced that this is the best TV on the market right now.
I'd very highly recommend this TV to anyone that is willing to pay a little bit of a premium. I'm hoping that the picture will be as beautiful for years to come until the 3D technology is ironed-out and blowing peoples eyes out of their sockets. |
Samsung UNB8500 46" 1080P 240HZ LED HDTV
|
| Review Date: February 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Rainkntry, Alabama |
I will make this short and sweet. This is an "OLD FART" review ( can I say that??) By that I mean some one over 50 and not a "Techno Geek" and I write that in a kind way as I wish I knew more of the technical aspects. How ever, if you just want a TV because you just want to "WATCH TV" this is as good as TV watching gets. I can not not imagine how "TV" watching can improve. The picture is amazing. When people come to my house and see the picture they say it is like looking out the window and they can not believe it is just "TV". As a professional "TV" watcher I can not see what could be improved. The first program I watched was the "SUPER BOWL" and what a treat it was to see this on this "TV". I have been to many football games and I can not see making the trip, fighting the crowds and paying the prices when I can watch the game on this amazing "TV". I am now watching the "OLYMPICS" and I have to turn the heat up and put on a jacket while watching.
If you are interested in the technical aspects read the other very fine and informative reviews. I should add I have "DIRECT TV" not cable. I would like to add this about shopping at AMAZON. I currently live in Alabama and travel a lot. I looked at and priced this TV from California to Alabama. Not only was the lowest price at AMAZON, but,they flew my TV from Texas to ALABAMA, drove it 100 miles and installed it and made sure it was working properly for FREEEEEEE. I mean this when I say " I can not get the local stores to deliver to my house. How can you beat that for service??
|
Simply the best!
|
| Review Date: April 25, 2010 |
| Reviewer: AAAA, |
I have this TV for about 5 months and I wanted to watch as many different content as possible (including Avatar) for certain amount time before I submitted a review. So what is my conclusion then after 5 months of evaluation? I assure you this is the best local dimming LED HDTV out there. Picture quality, video processing, black levels, and color accuracy are top notch.
I got the Avatar blu-ray the other day and I refused to submit a review until I watched it since Avatar is almost like a separate category on its own. I wish I had more than words to describe how INCREDIBLE the picture was. The colors, contrast, blacks, etc. were astonishing. The picture was almost like 3D without the 3D package - (Especially the first scene with the floating water drop). No videophile would end up being dissatisfied with Avatar and B8500 combination. I am glad I waited until I got Avatar because it is the most beautiful and breath taking thing I have ever seen and seeing how beautifully B8500 handled it assured me my purchase was a great choice.
Now the detailed review...
My 5 month evaluation of this TV is based on wide variety of SD and HD content viewed in order to see how well it performs in different areas such as black levels, contrast, colors, motion lag, uniformity, day/night viewing, video processing, etc.
* In order to test its black levels and contrast I used many different Blu-Ray and DVD versions of movies including Watchmen, I am Legend, The Dark Knight for their dark scenes. I also watched all the 3 movies on HBO's HD and SD channels as well.
* In order to test the motion lag and blurring, I used different action Blu-Ray and DVD versions of movies including Speed Racer, Spider Man, Live Free or Die Hard. From HD cable, Palladia channel was my primary testing tool for concerts with light effects besides the sporting events on ESPN.
* To test the colors I watched movies like Avatar, Madagascar 1&2, UP, Kung Fu Panda, Apocalypto and documentaries like Planet Earth and Water Life. I also had the opportunity to see Madagascar 2, Kung Fu Panda on HBO HD and SD. I am currently watching LIFE on Discovery HD.
* In order to test SD performance on cable broadcasting in general, I watched few older and few newer movies and shows on different channels.
Black Level - B8500 sets a new standard in the TV industry for its superb black level. Regardless the lighting conditions, I have NEVER seen such deep, inky blacks on any HDTV. Before I bought the B8500, the black bars in most Blu-Ray movies were my biggest problem because they were quite visible and distracting on my previous LCD. At some point I was so sure I wasn't going to buy a new TV before they started making ultra wide TVs with 21:9 aspect ratio that will remove the black bar problems in anamorphic widescreen movies. However, non of the manufacturers were planning to make any TV that will change the 16:9 standard for at least another 5 years because it would require millions of dollars worth of investment to change the designs. Having said that, B8500's incredibly deep blacks solved everything for me. The TV absolutely disappears in a completely darkened room. You can't possibly tell where the black bars end and the bezel starts. Achieving blacks like that is seriously considered a revolution on a LCD based HDTV - What you get is a beautiful high definition picture with no visible bars in the dark. Not to mention how important the black level is to determine the contrast and picture quality. All the dark scenes from I am Legend, Watchmen and The Dark Knight were handled beautifully. I am sure you can tell I have no negative words to say about this. :))
Motion Blur - This TV performs extremely well on this subject. B8500 is one of the few TVs that allows you to have custom blur reduction and judder reduction settings instead of just giving you low,medium,high or no setting options at all like the majority of the models. 240 Hz refreshing rate dramatically improves overall smoothness of the picture without causing any motion lags. Custom setting for br&jr will also satisfy everyone who likes or dislikes the soap opera affect and allow them to set it according to their liking. I am the kind of person who likes the soap opera affect and for that reason, I keep the blur reduction at 10, and judder reduction at 6. Keeping judder reduction at 10 might cause occasional motion lag with fast moving objects but nothing too serious. I have seen other 240Hz models and they perform way worse in high settings. Keeping the jr at 6 will give you a smooth picture with no visible lags. I strongly suggest to keep the judder reduction at 2 even though you don't like the soap opera affect. You wouldn't be doing yourself a favor if you keep it 0. Anything higher than 0 and lower than 4-5 will enhance the overall performance without the soap opera affect. If you watch a concert with lots of light affects on Palladia channel on HD, you will notice how nicely this TV can handle even the most extreme scenes. The TV does not show any weakness even if the screen is filled with twitching bright lights or at scenes where the screen rapidly goes from complete dark to complete lit in split second. Since HD cable broadcasting is 1080i, you would expect some blurring in such extreme scenes. NOPE! not a chance. As for the 1080p/24fps source, Speed Racer is probably the best movie to test the motion blur of TVs and B8500 does not show any signs of blurring in any scene.
Picture Quality & Colors - OUTSTANDING! The picture is sharp, clear and very realistic. The colors are vibrant and accurate. If you have any other new HDTV next to it, B8500 will stand out as much brighter and live - thanks to its 7,000,000:1 contrast ratio, superb blacks, and wider range of colors. It really takes it many steps further than just being a 1080p HDTV. The result is almost like a 3D picture. Avatar is THE movie for anyone to test the color limits of their TV! As for the 1080i HD cable broadcasting, B8500 has a jaw dropping performance. Of course, not all the channels and shows have the same quality but channels like Palladia, ESPN HD, HBO HD, Disney HD and Disney XD are REALLY clear. Especially Disney channels seem to have even more vivid and saturated colors... too bad I don't have any kids yet :)
All the late night shows, American Idol, Lost, Marriage Ref, LIFE, Pacific, V are some of the shows I can think of with exceptional picture quality. -- (Keep in mind that I am talking about newer shows with 16:9 aspect ratio. All the other and older shows with 4:3 aspect ratio are excluded). Perfect colors, no visible noise and sharp images - very close to watching a blu-ray. I know! hard to believe, right?
Standard Definition - B8500 makes the standard definition content look so much better although you should avoid it as much as you can. If you don't have a Blu-Ray player and/or HD cable or HD satellite programming, you are missing a lot. This TV is too good for standard definition only. All the standard content definitely look sharper and colors are more vibrant and brighter but it doesn't feel normal after watching super nice HD content (normally).
Viewing Angle - Unless you are looking at the TV directly from the side, you won't have any problem with the viewing angle. I find CNET's verdict quite exaggerated on this subject. I haven't noticed any dramatic changes in any lighting condition until I was looking at the screen at an extreme angle. At what point in your life you will need to watch TV in extreme angle like that is questionable so I don't think this is a subject to worry about.
Blooming - I haven't noticed any visible blooming; either calibrated or not.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact - Being an environmental person myself, B8500's energy efficiency is one of the qualities I appreciate a lot. The TV is also mercury free... In addition, the packaging design (the box it comes in) is also very environmental friendly due to minimal use of recyclable cardboard, styrofoam and plastics. Samsung's effort to use less material in their packaging while still providing enough protection is quite noticeable. I don't know how much people care about this but I do so I find it necessary to mention.
The screen - I have no problems with its glossy screen whatsoever. I have read so many people complaining about this but I believe in adopting the environment accordingly because Samsung will not sit down to custom design every set for your home. They can only improve it so much so the rest is ou
Thursday, March 25th, 2010 at
4:00 am
Amazon.com Price: $190.00 (as of 2010-09-05 20:40:39 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
|
User Reviews
Send this to a friend
|
| Viore LC19VH54PB LCD HDTV Review |
| |
 |
|
| |
Product Description |
| The VIORE LC19VH54PB is a 19-Inch 720p HD LCD Television. The TV has 1336 x 768 native resolution and wide-screen (16:9 aspect ratio) for a complete home theater experience. The super high picture quality has been realized by VIORE engineering with high brightness for a vivid and brilliant picture and with high contrast for deeper blacks and brighter whites. The ATSC TV tuner is integrated for over-the-air HDTV broadcast reception. HDMI input is provided so that the digital signals for both video and audio will be transferred without any degradation from Blu-ray Disc Player, DVD Player, Game Player, or Cable/Satellite Box. A VGA port is also provided so that you can use the TV as a computer monitor. Component Video, Composite Video, and S-Video inputs are available. |
|
Product Details |
- 18.5" screen (measured diagonally) eith 16:9 aspect ratio
- Integrated ATSC TV tuner for HDTV broadcast reception
- 1366 x768 native resolution for HD performance
- Beautiful color depth with a contrast ratio of 1000:1
- HDMI input for true digital connection
|
Video Reviews |
 No video reviews found for this product.
|
Customer Reviews |
|
|
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 at
6:05 am
Amazon.com Price: $624.00 (as of 2010-09-05 20:40:46 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
|
User Reviews
Send this to a friend
|
| Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch LCD HDTV Review |
| |
 |
| Manufacturer: Samsung |
| Customer Rating: |
|
| List Price: $749.99 |
| Sale Price: $624.00 |
| Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours |
 Free Shipping Available |
| Buy Now |
|
| |
Product Description |
| Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung's LN40C530 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 40-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money. |
|
Product Details |
- 10Wx2 audio output
- Wide Color Enhancer
- ConnectShare Movie
- 3 HDMI (ver 1.3), HDMI-CEC
- 2 Components & PC input
|
Video Reviews |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
|
Customer Reviews |
|
|
Monday, March 22nd, 2010 at
8:18 am
Amazon.com Price: Too low to display (as of 2010-09-05 19:35:22 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
|
User Reviews
Send this to a friend
|
| Samsung UN46C6300 LED HDTV Review |
| |
 |
| Manufacturer: Samsung |
| Customer Rating: |
|
| List Price: $1,699.99 |
| Sale Price: Too low to display |
| Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours |
| Free Shipping Available |
| Buy Now |
|
| |
Product Description |
| Samsung LED HDTVs combine breakthrough picture quality and advanced connectivity options that will keep you entertained 24/7. This UN46C6300 LED HDTV also makes it easy to be green, and will save you some green, by being ENERGY STAR compliant. |
|
Product Details |
- 10Wx2 audio output
- Wide Color Enhancer Plus
- ConnectShare Movie
- 4 HDMI (ver 1.3), HDMI-CEC
|
Video Reviews |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
|
Customer Reviews |
Picture is crisp and crispier. Excuse me while I pick up my eyeballs off the floor.
|
| Review Date: April 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: hwoarang-goatman, california |
The Good:
*Vibrant colors--of which ancient, grunting, CRT-watching man could only dream.
*HD content is displayed so realistically I'll quit my job and live under a bridge to watch TV all day.
*Even standard-def shows look quite good on this set, like super models only five or ten years past their prime.
*Black levels are significantly deeper than I would have expected based on all the online whinging about edge-lit LED screens (e.g., "Give me local dimming, or give me death!").
*Supa-thin profile makes the compact fluorescent "flat" panels look McDonald's chubby.
The Tolerable:
*Crowded buttons on the remote, which I hardly use in favor of the cable company's universal (or maybe no more than planetary) remote. I'll only pick up the Samsung remote on occasion to adjust advanced settings, but when I do, I often push an unintended button.
*Very slight edge-lit brightness on black borders. Much of what's on TV will fill the screen, so you won't even have the opportunity to notice the effect. Really, it's not that bad--I've seen far worse light leakage while watching movies on my 2007 alum iMac.
The Tolerated:
*There's only one thing that bugs me a bit, and it's not a deal breaker. (Besides, I already bought the TV, so the deal has been, well. . . concluded, if you must.) When the screen is mostly black and only a small graphic is displayed somewhere, the LEDs go a bit dim--you can actually see, over a fraction of a second, the light levels drop. I'm assuming that the TV was set up this way so that the LEDs wouldn't be leaking ghostly light on a largely black screen. I've fussed with the settings, but I can't make this effect go away. I haven't yet fully explored all the setting menus, so I just might hit pay dirt soon, or maybe Samsung will nix that effect with a firmware update. At any rate, whatever text is dimmed is still very legible, and when the next screen-filling scene pops up, the LEDs power up without any detectable delay so that thereafter the screen's as bright as it should be. No biggie--it's not enough of a problem for me to scratch a star off the rating.
The Tweakable:
*Turning off motion smoothing is not difficult under most circumstances; indeed, some content begs to be smooved, e.g., sports and competitive cooking shows. But when I first plugged in a movie via the USB drive, I got motion smooving by default and wanted none of it. Whenever I pushed the remote's "Menu" button, I ended on a screen far, far away from the USB drive's content, and ended up adjusting the picture settings for the cable feed and not the target movie on the USB drive. I was bedeviled awhile, but a bit of snooping around the owner's manual led to this minor discovery: by pressing the "Tools" button on the Samsung remote, I could enter a submenu that let me turn off the smooving effect without leaving the movie. Cheap soap opera video effect, begone!
Conclusion:
The picture is what matters most, and this TV's output makes my jaw drop to the floor. Which is rather fortuitous, because I need something down there to catch my eyeballs. |
One fine television
|
| Review Date: March 20, 2010 |
| Reviewer: R. Lewis, Tempe, AZ |
| Amazing picture. Sound not so great as tiny speakers aim down from the bottom ridge of tv. I cant believe how thin the television is and how bright the picture is. It plays most everything I've thrown at it in perfect color and very little pixelation. No warm up time like Standard LED TVs and much easier to watch. I highly recommend this TV. If you're going to buy an LCD television...make sure it is backlit with LEDs. Samsungs out-perform all the other brands. |
Great picture, intuitive programming, good for gaming
|
| Review Date: April 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: daner, Florida |
We purchased the TV from Amazon. A few years ago I would never have ordered something this expensive and fragile from a mail order but after years of buying from Amazon I've come to believe there is nothing they can't sell online well. The first of our TVs did come damaged, but guess what- not only didn't Amazon wait to receive the return before shipping out a replacement, there had been a price drop since I ordered the TV and they gave me a refund for the difference! Now that is good service.
The second time the TV arrived pristine and the only assembly required is the stand and inserting the cables. The stand is very nice too. We have been very happy with the bright crisp picture, we play alot of XBox 360 first person shooters which require a fast refresh rate and this TV does very well especially in game mode. We watch SD TV, DVDs through the XBox360 and instantly stream movies from netflix all of which look good on the TV. The menu and programming is very intuitive. |
Not bad, Samsung
|
| Review Date: May 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: C. Rozier, Northwest Florida, USA |
I bought this TV because it was about 200 dollars cheaper on here that it was at Sams Club. I bought this with the free shipping from Amazon and it came actually just as fast as regular shipping. Sharp image, and it seems to make my plain DVD player(not blu-ray or up-converting DVD, just the old ones) seem better. Its got some engine that smooths out the picture. The TV is super thin too. Its definitely worth the price in my opinion.
But the built-in-speaker kinda sucks in default mode. So you gonna have to go into sound options and adjust the equalizer and the sound mode to get a really good sound from the TV without a home theater.After that man its pretty good. Gots alot of HDMI ports.You can plug up almost anything to it to. Its got a lot of different connections. |
This TV has a great great picture, it makes my eyes bleed how great it is....
|
| Review Date: April 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Geoartz, NYC |
Samsung UN46C6300 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV (Black)
This TV has a great great picture, sound is ok - use a surround system to enjoy this properly, it has alot of tweaking capabilties, it is very thin and light weight LED TV, I was really upset it didn't have the internet feature but it made me happy knowing I can stream my MP4 Ipod movies to the TV from my computer, cable TV looks great, overall it is a major improvement over the un46b650 series but I have one issue with this unit,
Issue 1: soft white spots (bleeding) around the tv when watching dark scenes (I see it is a common problem with Samsung TV's)- this happens when you configure the TV Gamma higher than (0), brightness above (47), and ESPECIALLY the Shadow Detail above (-2) (this is what controls darkness of the TV but any type (credits) or space scenes (with stars will fade alot) will look very dark at (-2) setting - I leave it at (0) setting but thats when the spots accur - I guess I can live with that).
I do have to say that I watch my TV in bright setting environment, not in a darkroom, I can safely say that if you're going to watch it a a dark room (theater) then you will hardly notice the white spots since everything will mostly be at half contrast and brightness.
I say the TV overall is great for the price and I think Samsung can maybe fix with a quick Firmware upgrade, but I would have given it a 95 rating but I will give it a 85 instead... I hope Samsung comes out with a firmware soon....... I will review again when they do release the firmware upgrade..... |
I LOVE THIS TV!!!
|
| Review Date: May 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Michal D. Witek, Chicago, IL USA |
Amazing picture. LEDs are doing their job with the backlight... There are few complain about the sound - I don't agree.
Who the h... is trying to get home theater sound without receiver and 7.1 speakers system...?
The delivery is great (don't worry), they will even open the box and put the one in its place.
And remember - you don't have to pay tax and there is still 24-months free financing available by Amazon.
I highly recommend this TV. |
This is by far the best value on the market and
|
| Review Date: July 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Ann, |
I am not new to HDTV and have a critical eye when I look at the details. I am very confident in saying that you will not be disappointed if you purchase this LED. I'm so glad that I didn't settle for an LCD when it cost so little more to upgrade to this LED. The picture quality is TRULY incredible. If you're considering buying a 46" LCD, stop and take a look at this and look at it again after you consider other options. You, like me, can have LED quality now at a fraction of the price you would pay to upgrade within another manufacturer's line. I know four different households of friends and family with recently purchased LCD's and LED's (all of whom paid more than I did for this Samsung LED). The fact that all of these households (men and women) agree that my Samsung has better picture quality and sound than what they have. Note that some of them have added speakers as I intend to do, but I don't think this add-on will be pressing for me since I can hear it fine but want to hear it at its best at some point. It's probably important to note that my friends and family's purchases were all within the past three to six months and none of them were new to HDTV. I'm telling it to you accurately when I say that each of these households is sorry that they didn't see this set in a home before their purchases.
What we may believe to be superior picture quality in a store and how we see them in our homes can be quite different. Mine is better in my home than it was in the store. It is truly exceptional! I hope this is helpful to someone having difficulty making a decision.
Ann |
Perfect, as expected
|
| Review Date: July 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: A. PAULY, |
| Bought this a month ago. Have it hooked to my Wii on the AV, PC through VGA, Over-the-Air antenna in the Coax, and DVD through HDMI. I don't have cable and watch most of my TV through the computer. I have an old crappy desktop with an integrated video card serving the TV and it gives surprisingly decent picture even in this big of a TV. The over-the-air quality is amazing, and I'm only using a $10 antenna from Radio Shack (antenna comes with amplifier). Over all, the TV looks great, sounds great, and serves all that it was purchased for. DVD movies look amazing. Highly recommend it. Definitely making watching TV a much more enjoyable experience. |
Awesome TV
|
| Review Date: July 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dave, |
After doing lot of research I decided to buy this TV. The ordering process on Amazon was smooth. Soon after I paid for the TV the price went down and Amazon was kind enough to match the price.
Since this is my first HD TV, I am unable to compare the quality of this TV to other HDTV's. My friends who own many HDTVs were blown away by the quality of this TV. One of them has 2009 Samsung model and he said this TV is far better than his TV. The HD channels looks amazing on this TV. The SD channels look much better than I expected. I had two different cable/satellite providers for three weeks and I compared the same picture/channels and found that quality of SD channels depend very much on the service provider. HD channels from both providers looked amazing.
TV has 2 USB ports in addition to many other types of inputs. You can view pictures, movie clips taken using your digital camera on this TV without any special software. The TV has its own media player. Pictures taken using digital camera looked very sharp on the TV. I have connected a Flash drives, various memory cards using USB memory cards and USB external hard drives to the TV.
The TV is very easy to setup. I recommend that the minimum level of the eco sensor to be changed to a higher number. This completely solves the issue of TV being "too dark" at night time. Printed material included with the TV has a separate sheet on the possible dark pictures due to Eco sensor and how to fix it. You can either turn off the Eco sensor or increase the minimum brightness level. The TV has a small speaker. However, it produces good quality sound for day to day use. If you are looking for Movie Theater sound quality, a home theater systems is recommended. As an average user, I am more than happy with the quality of the sound.
|
Great and versatile TV
|
| Review Date: May 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. Davidson, Santa Cruz, CA United States |
I have been shopping for a new TV for over a year and this one hit all the right notes. I bought this from Amazon over a month ago and I have no complaints about the delivery or cost. The picture is great and I have plugged in a Blu-Ray player, computer and Apple TV. Picture quality is excellent. Watching Avatar was like looking through a window.
The only complaint I have is the lack of old style component/composite input ports - only one to share. This will be pretty irrelevant in a few years as HDMI becomes the dominant input - this TV has 4 of them.
The other issue is that the digital audio out will not support 5.1/6.1. They recommend that you plug the audio from your device directly into the receiver rather than go though the TV. I wanted to use this TV as a "hub" so that I can have HDMI in and one digital optical into the receiver.
The device was not perfect and I would rate it 4.5 stars if I could. Since I can't then I'll give it 5 rather than 4. All things considered, this TV an excellent value. The picture quality is top notch and the price (including delivery and setup) is very reasonable. |
An outstanding TV
|
| Review Date: August 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: G. Morefield, Alabamastan |
When it came time to part with our three year-old Toshiba 42" LCD due to excessive accumulation of burn-in zones, the choice of a replacement caused many hours of auditions in the stores. I kept coming back to the Samsung 46C6300 LED LCD because of its amazing picture and, due of our intent to wall-mount, the great accommodations for compact cable management. In a way, it was a shame that we abandoned using the supplied stand since cables are nicely handled and essentially invisible.
A note here about cables and this machine: forget using the really big Monster and AR HDMI cables. They simply can't be made to fit the routing detents on the back of the TV. I used CablesToGo HDMI's which are much cheaper, more flexible and totally adequate.
For wall mounting, we used a SolidMounts UT-600 (which provides 15 degrees of tilt we didn't require) and the resulting assembly is only about 3 inches screen-to-wall. This mount will hold 175 lb. of weight which is very adequate for the 35 lb. Samsung.
The TV has a great range of settings for tweaking picture characteristics but, so far, the factory settings are adequate for us. The fact that the screen is glass and our Toshiba was a non-glare material caused some worry about reflections of room lights but Samsung has worked some kind of magic with their glass which seems to eat reflections.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the TV, and the price and shipping from Amazon were outstanding. |
A Best Bet, Samsung and Amazon
|
| Review Date: August 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Art Kretzschmar, Brick, NJ, US |
I don't have any complaints... this TV is better than expected, and I expected a lot after reading the reviews... the first TV showed up with a smashed screen, Amazon initially said it would be a week or more to replace, but they actually had a new one set up in my house in 4 days, (probably would have been faster but there was a weekend in there)... great product and very courteous and attentive service.
So far as the 120hz versus the 240hz issue, this 120hz leaves nothing to be desired. |
Great tv
|
| Review Date: August 20, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Kathleen L. Kidd, |
| This came from warehouse deals. Was in perfect condition. Everyone raves about the picture. This is beautiful. Read the reviews about lcds and decided to get an led. So pleased I did. Hope it lasts a long time. |
Awesome TV and a great price...
|
| Review Date: August 29, 2010 |
| Reviewer: D. Kenney, NH United States |
| Bought this as part of an Amazon promotion. Price was even better than other bargain stores we compared to before purchasing. I've used Samsung computer monitors for years with great results. This TV didn't disappoint. Picture is bright and clear. Was very easy to set up. Only caveat is the speakers are in the back, so sound is directed against the wall. For best sound, would suggest a hoe theater or soundbar to go with this. Only downside of the whole experience was the delivery. It came via third-party shipper and they were not very flexible on time of delivery. Had to have a neighbor come and accept the box while driving home as they wanted to drop it earlier than they has stated and weren't willing to come back an hour later so I could be there to accept shipment. Other than that - the TV is great, setup was easy, and Amazon shipped fulfilled the order as promised. |
absolutely fantastic!
|
| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: em03, |
| Our television arrived and we were ecstatic, even though I had to wait about two weeks for it to arrive, it was well worth it. Upon arrival the delivery man opened, inspected it and answered any questions we had (excellent service). We set up our new tv and as simple as that we were watching full HD. We were blown away with how crisp, clear, and excellent it was. Overall I recommend this tv. Well worth the money. |
Great Picture!!
|
| Review Date: September 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: FlyBoy28, |
| I opted to spend a little extra and splurge for the LED model Samsung was offerring. Plus Amazon had a great sale. The picture is simply amazing. My PS3 was reborn with this TV and my wife and I watched Avatar in blueray last night. Great product, no complaints so far. Make sure to do some online research for what settings to use for sports and movies, etc as the setup is not that straight forward for those of us coming from the standard def world. But after a couple hours of toying with menu's, I am enjoying crystal clear LED quality picture. |
Love it!
|
| Review Date: June 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Matt, Chaska, MN |
I have owned this TV for about 6 months now. When I bought it, I bought a Samsung Blue Ray player with it at the same time. The two products communicate well together, so I can use the TV remote primarily. Netflix streams in amazingly well through the Blue Ray player, so it has become my primary source of entertainment. The HD content on Netflix looks great on the TV. "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" streams in at HD quality and it looked incredible!
What I like:
-It is thin, and with the specific wall mount, it sits right against the wall.
-It doesn't use much energy. It has had little to no effect on my electric bill. I upgraded from a really small TV and was expecting an increased cost, but the bill has only gone down. You will need to play with the display setting in order to see the savings though.
-The picture is amazing. The color and black levels are great.
-Versatility: HDMI, Component RCA, VGA, and USB port all work great. The USB media player works well, but some videos formats don't work. Check the owner's manual to find out what formats work.
Dislikes:
-There is a lot of glare. It falls between a matte finished LCD and a glass finished Plasma TV.
-The premium cost.
-The "Anyconnect" technology between the two Samsung devices can be annoying. It is sometimes finicky and the Blue Ray player freezes occasionally because of it.
-The "Settings" interface can be confusing. It can be difficult to find specific settings, so make sure the owner's manual is readily available for referencing.
-You will need to develop a cable management system to keep the wall looking clean.
-Due to the slim nature of the TV, all my other equipment looks gigantic now.
Overall, I love the TV and would recommend it to anyone. My living room feels much larger now because it is not being taken up by a TV and cabinet anymore. Buy a regular LCD though if you don't need or care for the slim nature of the TV (you will save a few hundred dollars for equal quality equipment). |
Best Picture Out There!
|
| Review Date: June 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: RENEE NELSON, |
My husband's mouth was hanging open when he saw the picture quality - especially when the blu-ray is on.
The package was in pristine condition, the delivery guys opened the box for us and let us inspect the packge before leaving. I had been a little nervous ordering such a delicate item thru the internet, but I should have realized that Amazon always does things top quality.
The picture is super crisp, the colors amazing. My dad has one of the first generation Samsung LED's and until I got mine, it was the best picture I'd ever seen. But, this one is even better than my dad's.
I highly recommend this product...it has a much better picture than my father-in-law's Sony.
And I trust Amazon to deliver any item to me in fantastic condition. Thanks Amazon! |
Superb Television
|
| Review Date: August 5, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Bailey, East Coast, USA |
I bought this television yesterday. It is connected to a Playstation 3 using a Transparent Audio HDMI cable. The picture is bright, rock steady, crystal clear, and fast fast fast. There is no blur with motion, no dot crawl or artifacts, and the image is very convincing. The picture remains clear even when viewed from odd angles. It suffers none of the disadvantages I had previously associated with flat screen televisions. I have never seen a screen that looks better than this. It makes other flat screen sets, especially LCD sets, look bad. Fit and finish is stellar - the set reeks of quality, with high quality glass (or glass like stuff) forming the edge work and the stand, touch-sensor buttons, and clean lines. It fits nicely in my contemporary condo.
I paid more than the Amazon price and still consider it a great deal. Highly recommended.
|
Great LCD TV
|
| Review Date: June 6, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Xoted, CA |
The previous reviews were correct, so to save you time I'll give my experience. (Even the problems were echoed on other sites)
Order process was easy, the item was received quickly (under a week) and was in pristine condition. The courteous shipping crew unpacked and set up the unit (kinda missed opening my present) and it worked flawlessly out of the box.
The picture quality is great, the only con is there is some mild light bleed through on a black screen. (I haven't tried the recommendation above) Light bleeding through is common with LCDs, but it's not enough of an issue to spend more money for the sets with local dimming. The sound quality isn't so hot, even after adjusting the built in equalizer, but then again that's what my audio system is for.
The remote could be designed better, some buttons could be grouped together better, (it almost seems ultra-lazy to talk about button placement on a remote) but it is back-lit which is a nice feature.
My TV came through with set of component ports which work well with my old VCR, the TV works great with the output from the HDMI port from the video card on my computer, and the TV has another port should I choose to directly connect a (non-DVI) VGA connector from yet another computer (don't know why I'd do that yet . . .). It also has a port to connect it to my router (RJ-45 jack).
On a same class to class comparison, I think the Sony's produces a better picture, it's just that it's not worth, to me, to spend the significant extra money.
|
|
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at
7:16 am
Friday, March 19th, 2010 at
8:31 am
- 5Wx2 audio output
- Wide Color Enhancer
- ConnectShare Movie
- 3 HDMI (ver 1.3), HDMI-CEC
- 2 Components & PC input
Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung’s LN26C450 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 26-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color’s hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money.
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at
5:55 am
- 10Wx2 audio output
- Wide Color Enhancer Plus
- Component & PC input
- ConnectShare Movie
- 4 HDMI (ver 1.3), HDMI-CEC
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at
4:36 am
Features
- 42inch LCD HDTV with full 1080p HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
- Connect to the Internet via Wireless-N Wi-Fi or Ethernet to stream video, audio and news content from VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA)
- 50,000 contrast ratio; two 15-watt speakers give you the power to fill your room with sound via SRS Audio surround sound technologies
- Inputs: 4 HDMI, 1 component, 1 composite, 1 S-Video, 1 PC, 1 RF, 1 Ethernet, 1 optical digital audio output
- Includes removable stand; measures 39.41 x 27.12 x 9.5 inches with stand; Bluetooth remote with slide-out QWERTY keyboard
Learn More about VIZIO SV422XVT 42Inch Class XVT Series 240Hz sps LCD VIZIO Internet Apps HDTV Read the rest of this entry
Monday, March 15th, 2010 at
6:34 am
- 32-inch LCD HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution lets you take full advantage of HD sources like a Blu-ray Disc Player or PlayStation3 gaming console
- Ambient Sensor and LightSensor technologies automatically adjust the color and backlight based on a room’s lighting
- USB port for photos, music and video playback; Wi-Fi adapter ready; BRAVIA Sync controls compatible devices with one remote
- Inputs: 4 HDMI, 2 component, 2 composite, 1 PC, 1 USB, 1 optical digital audio output
- Includes removable stand; measures 31.5 x 21 x 8.75 inches with stand
Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at
5:31 am
 Samsung LN55C650 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV
When you’re not enjoying Full HD viewing on the LN55C650′s 1920 x 1080p LCD panel, you might consider dabbling in the internet. Combined with a rear-panel ethernet port and your pre-existing internet connection, Internet@TV widgets and Samsung Apps bring the web to your home theater. Check the weather at AccuWeather.com. Access you Netflix account. Tweet on Twitter. Listen to Pandora radio. And more! And using AllShare technology, you can convert the LN55C650 into a networking multimedia hub with wireless capability (separate wireless dongle required). Further, for enhanced viewing when watching fast-action sports and movies, look to the LN55C650′s Clear Motion 120Hz technology. Finally, four HDMI inputs offer optimal HD system connectivity. Read the rest of this entry
Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at
1:31 am
 Samsung UN55B6000 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review
Redefining the standards for viewing quality, energy-efficiency and home entertainment decor, the Samsung UN55B6000 LED HDTV deliver unparalleled picture quality and enhanced connectivity while also helping you reduce your carbon footprint with the reduced power consumption of the LED screen. Using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as its primary light source–rather than traditional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL)–this cutting edge HDTV also offers the benefits of an ultra-high contrast ratio and a slim depth that allows for a more artful design.
Features
- Ultra-slim 55-inch LED HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution for the sharpest picture possible
- LED technology enables a true-to-life range of picture brightness; uses 40 percent less energy than conventional LCD TVs
- InfoLink RSS feeds of news, weather and sports from your broadband connection
- Inputs: 4 HDMI, 1 component, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 PC, 1 optical digital audio output
- Includes detachable swivel table stand; measures 51.5 x 34.4 x 12 inches (WxHxD) with stand
Learn More or Read Customer Reviews about Samsung UN55B6000 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV
| |
Panasonic TC-P42C2 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
