2010年5月29日土曜日

Samsung LN46B650 - helpful Review

Samsung LN46B650 - Customer Helpful Reviews.

Samsung makes great TVs... 5 stars for this model!

There are lots of in-depth reviews of this TV on the web, so I won't go in to too much detail here. I will say that the picture quality is awesome on this model, and that I'm very happy with my purchase. The red touch of color isn't too obvious (I still wish Samsung would abandon the TOC though). The swivel base is nice, too.

The "auto-motion plus" (AMP) feature is improved over the 2008 model by allowing you to fine-tune the settings more. AMP is the technology that fills in extra frames (120Hz) so video doesn't look so "jerky". Owners of the 2008 model sometimes had complaints that they could not adjust the AMP setting enough to their liking. The 2009 model allows greater customization.

"Game mode" helps eliminate the lag when playing games. Once I turned this mode on, there was no lag when playing "Rock Band" and other games on the PS3.

I am using HDMI v1.3b cables that only cost a dollar from BargainCell. Images are awesome. Don't spend more than that for HDMI cables!!! Research the web or look at the reviews for HDMI cables on Amazon to find out why. You will not notice any difference in image quality no matter how expensive an HDMI cable is.

The sound on the TV is a little flat, and doesn't have much bass. But I am hooking my PS3 and DirecTV sound to an Onkyo receiver and Energy speakers (which sound great!), so it didn't matter to me.

Keep in mind that the 650 models (like this one) have a gloss panel. This causes reflections to show from windows and lights. If you're looking for the semi-matte screens that help cut down on this, you'll want to check out the 630 models.

My TV was shipped via Pilot freight services. They made a courtesy call to me stating that because of where I live, that one of their partners (a moving company) would be making the delivery. As a result, it tacked on a few extra days for the product to arrive, but it arrived in perfect condition and the moving company set up the TV and made sure it worked and that I was happy with it before they left.

All-in-all, I'm definitely pleased with this TV.

Juniorverse1
[Amazon]

Samsung LN32B460 - Buying advice.

Samsung LN32B460 - Editors' Buying Advice

Recommended Viewing Distances

Wide-screen televisions showing high-resolution content and HDTV look better than regular sets, allowing you to sit closer and experience a more immersive, theaterlike picture.

With wide-screen television sets showing DVD, Blu-ray or HDTV, you can sit as close as 1.5 times the screen's diagonal measurement and still not notice much of a loss in quality, while sitting farther away than three times the screen size means you're likely to miss out on the immersive feel. Here's a rundown of minimum and maximum recommended viewing distances for wide-screen television sets.

6:9 TV diagonal
screen size
Min. viewing distance
(in feet)
Max. viewing distance
(in feet)

30
3.8
7.6

34
4.3
8.5


Size and your room

Generally, 32-inch and smaller sets are great for bedrooms or guest rooms but too small for the main living room. Television sets with bigger screens are large enough for the whole family to enjoy and will probably be too much for most small bedrooms.

If you're mounting the set inside an entertainment center, be sure it fits in every dimension; also, leave an inch or two on all sides so that the TV has enough ventilation. If you're getting a bigger set, you may want to consider a dedicated stand; many TV makers sell matching stands that increase the aesthetic appeal of their hefty boxes.

[CNET]

2010年5月28日金曜日

Samsung LN46B550 - Amazing TV!

"I was thinking of getting the Sony Bravia... But I purchased Samsung LN46B550"

Reviews:
I recently purchased this TV from Amazon and have been using it for about a week now. The picture is gorgeous out of my PC to the TV using a DVI to HDMI converter. Playing DVDs at 1080p is an amazing experience for me who is stepping up from a 27inch 720p set. There are loads of inputs to connect all your old equipment like a PS2 etc. You can send the audio out of the TV to your receiver using a single optical cable and this makes the clutter much less behind the receiver. The auto highlighting of the active inputs present on the TV makes it easy to know if the equipment you have connected is working or not.

The touch of color is an ok feature..just makes the TV look good and most of the times you need good lighting behind the TV to actually see the red color on the edges.

Is 120Hz worth it? Well right now it is not for the extra 200-300$ per set. I was thinking of getting the Sony Bravia with 120HZ but when I viewed the screen between these two i could not tell the difference.

Films and games mostly are shot/produced at 24-30 frames/sec...since this set has twice the sampling 60hz you should expect a pretty smooth frame rate and should not have any motion lag. 120hz samples at 4 times and will make it look even smoother..but you would need a giant screen to note the difference. at this size it is marginal so save your money and go with this Gem from Samsung.

kratos

Samsung LN46B750 - Customer Review

Samsung LN46B750
Great TV, bad quality control from Samsung

Let me say that this TV is one of the best in the market for the price point. The pros are too many to list and so far has been a great choice as far as features and performance. I'm an early adapter for HDTV in 03 going from a Zenith C32V37 RP CRT (4:3); which unfortunately is getting replaced due to a humming power supply. The B750 can match the black levels of the RP CRT and has no clouding or flashlighting that I was seeing on the A750/A850 sets, which my wife and I almost decided to get. With Amazon's pricepoints coming very close to the discounted price of the previous generation Samsung sets it was a no brainer.

Now onto the Cons, I would have given this B750 5 stars if not for the crappy Samsung Quality Control. I received my TV out-of-the-box with a remote that had 5 dead/non-working buttons= mute, up arrow, play, red options button and "1". Also, after 2 days of setting up the TV and getting all our inputs connected using almost all of them (analog & digital); yes even both USB ports, the HDMI inputs 1-3 stopped working properly. Now, those inputs will only take the signal from the HDMI 4. EG: If I select HDMI 1-3 and have a source such as Bluray running on the HDMI 4 (side-port) it will display that source signal. Talk about disappointing QC. After a few calls to Amazon and Samsung; I will be getting a new remote and have Samsung's local service technician out to fix the HDMI input problem. I can't believe these QC issues out-of-the-box are occuring for such as middle-tier to higher end line of prodcut; very poor testing on Samsung's part.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance of the B750 but very disappointed with their QC process which can be greatly improved. In my 20-30+ years of owning electronic equipment I have never encountered these types of QC problems out-of-the box with any products.

John Grey "AV98"
[Amazon.com]

2010年5月26日水曜日

Samsung LN46B650 or LN46B750

Samsung LN46B650 or Samsung LN46B750

The B750 is a hands down choice over the B650. I just wanted to note that the B750 probably is a superior model to this one, but it comes at a higher price.

There are three key changes to the B750 model: 240hz refresh rate, a matte screen, 150,000:1 contrast ratio. This all costs about an additional $250-$300 depending on when/where you buy. For some people, that isn't much of a difference when you're already spending nearly $2000 on a TV, and if that's the case, I see no reason not to buy the b750 model.

I think it's also worth note, however, that cnet and other reviewers have argued that the benefits of 240hz refresh rates over 120hz is fairly insignificant and difficult to notice (see their reviews for the Sony XBR9 series and last year's Sony KDL-52XBR7). Their chief TV critic argues in separate article in 2008 that 240hz was not worth waiting for. But, I still think it's worth going into a store and taking a look at the differences between 240hz and 120hz before making a final decision.

The matte screen is really a matter of preference and your room. I've already noted in this review that the B650 screen is very glossy and, in dark scenes, may reflect ambient light in the room. A matte screen should reduce these problems (though it's unlikely it will completely eliminate them). At the same time, a glossy screen can make colors "pop" more and sometimes make blacks look even deeper.

As far as dynamic contrast ratio is concerned, there is a lot of debate in the A/V community about how these measurements are taken and how well they can be used to judge actual quality. The dynamic contrast ratio is a measure of the difference between the screen's whitest white and blackest black. That means they measure the white with the TV screen brightness at maximum and the black with the brightness at its darkest. These measurements can further be thwarted by the coating on the screen (a matte screen vs a glossy screen on top of the same panel will yield different results). Also, there are absolutely no standards in how these measurements are taken. That means that Samsung can use different methods to measure the contrast ratio on different models. Likewise, Sony likely uses a very different measurement system than Samsung. That's not to say the B750 contrast ratio is the same (or worse) than the B650, I'm just saying that it may not be discernible to your eye. You need to judge it yourself.

As I've said, the best way to evaluate these differences are to see the models in person. If you do, make sure that you are watching an HD source (preferably a 1080p blu ray player) and that each TV is connected to the HD source in the same way and are showing the same movie. I bought this TV because I needed one before the b750 was scheduled to be released, otherwise I might have given the b750 much greater consideration.

M. Joachim "Matt"

Compare : Samsung LN52B750 to most products.


LN52B750 Vs XBR9 Vs XBR7 Vs UN55B8000

Well just got back from spending about 2 hours checking out these newest sets compared to the existing sets.

Sets compared were the NEW Sony 52" XBR9, Sony XBR7, Sony XBR8, Samsung 52" LN52B750 and the New Samsung UN55B 8000

Here is my initial conclusion:

The picture on the new XBR9 does look better than the Sony XBR7 & Samsung LN52, but NOT by leaps and bounds.

Color and contrast ratio are better on the XBR9, but again NOT significantly better.

After comparing the XBR9 - XBR7 - Samsung LN52, side by side, I would have to say I would NOT immediately give up my existing XBR6 set, to buy the XBR9.

Running through the entire gamut of all these sets, the ONE that REALLY caught my eye was the NEW Samsung UN55 B 8000.

This was set up right next to the Sony XBR8 , which everybody knows is a real jewel, but very expensive.

Being a Sony man, I know it's blasphemy to even consider Samsung in the same circle, but my eyes were telling me something else.

Doing side by side comparisons, I have to tell you the Samsung 55 8000 held it's own against the XBR8, for considerably less money.

It was also noticeable BRIGHTER than the XBR7 & XBR9 and right up there with the XBR8.

The 8000's ultra thin panel, plus all of the inputs in the rear of the set were another big plus.

The final kicker came down to price and performance.

The 52" XBR9 (my cost presently) $2820.00

The Samsung UN55B 8000 (my cost presently) $3220.00

A $400 dollar difference currently separates these two new sets.

The differences between these two sets besides the 3 inches is considerable.
(fluorescent backlight on the Sony vs edge light LED backlight on the Samsung)

Some food for thought for those considering a new set.

Would welcome other opinions and thoughts.


[JJHXBR]