Gabriel N. Getchell "gfunk" (Bay Area, Ca USA) :
The TV is simply a very good, simple TV. As stated by many others, this TV does not have the sort of Internet Connected bells and whistles you find on more expensive sets. This doesn't bother me - I have 3 devices hooked up to this TV that are already able to do Netflix, Hulu, etc... and far better than I've seen built into a TV. I recently purchased the 50" model and have enjoyed it thoroughly (and I'm very, very particular about image quality).
The TV is a bit thick compared to many other LED lit LCDs - not an issue for me since it will not be wall mounted. The thickness is the result of LED rear-lighting versus LED edge-lighting. While the latter allows thinner panels, the technology inherently lowers the image quality. More expensive sets overcome this issue and provide great pictures, but at the lower-end of the price spectrum, image quality is may be better served by rear-lighting. The set also has none of the "flashlight" effect (bright spots along the screen borders) that is common in even high-end edge-lit sets.
IMHO the black levels produced by a TV are the single most important aspect of overall image quality. This TV does a pretty-darn-good job, but don't expect it to be nearly as good as a decent plasma television. If you keep a few small lights on in the room while you watch a movie the blacks will appear quite nice and dark. In a pitch-black room however, you'll be looking at dark gray instead. The trade off is this TV gets brighter than most plasmas on the market, making it's picture clearer in a brightly lit room. Some edge-lit sets can dim portions of the screen to improve the black level, but this also comes with image trade-offs such as "blooming" (seeing the edge of the brightly lit portion of the screen spilling into the dark areas). Unlike some very high end sets with "full-array" rear-lighting, this set cannot turn off individual LEDs to dim portions of the screen.
This is all really just a long-winded way to say that this TV seems like a good deal, and seems to have image quality that is comparable in several ways to more expensive sets. After weighing the trade-offs of many (MANY) TVs, this seems to have been the right choice for me. It would have gotten 5 stars, but Samsung has decided to put only 2 HDMI inputs on this set (1-2 less than others at the price point). Its a mild annoyance having to use an HDMI switch for several of my components, but far from a deal-breaker and possibly not an issue for the majority of people.
A. Lyons (Clare, Michigan, USA):
If you want a smart TV or a 3D TV, this is not one. That being said, I wanted a TV not another computer-like device, and this fits the bill perfectly. My Bluray player has Wifi and all that jazz if the mood ever strikes me, so why pay hundreds (literally) so my TV can have it. I don't think I'd ever use it, I have a laptop and a smartphone for those types of things. I think there are lots of us with that viewpoint about a TV.
If you want a brilliant HD picture, a nice big-but-not-crazy-huge 50" screen, then this TV is perfect. The thin bezel (frame) makes it look like it's all screen while you're watching it, it's nice! The sound, while some people say it's awful, is actually quite nice considering NO thin LED TVs have booming sound. Compared to TVs of yesteryear this TVs sound is actually nice & crisp with a little bass (not much) and fairly spacious. I find it VERY adequate for day to day watching. i also have the Vizio VHT215 soundbar for when I want to crank it during a movie. But if you've never been a theater sound person then don't believe people who say this TVs sound royally sucks, it doesn't. It's fine, maybe a notch above similar thin TVs on the market.
It has 2 HDMI ports so you can hook up your satellite or cable box, and your Bluray. If this angers you because you also have a Wii or an Xbox, then you'll have to make the sacrifice of either a) a switch, or b) moving a cable, which takes all of 5 seconds. Or if you have a soundbar that has HDMI inputs (like the Vizio VHT215) you can pipe your devices into it (as a switch) and then feed the signal(s) to your TV that way.
If this TV had everything under the sun it wouldn't cost only $1100 and be on sale often for around $800-900. It would cost $2400....which is what some upper-end Samsungs do cost. So therefore, don't believe the criticism that this TV is "mediocre" based on the fact that it lacks things that make it pricier. It is 120Hz (midrange to good); 1080p (as good any other); 20watt sound (good, on par with competitors); 50" (well, it's big but not huge- plenty for sitting 10-15' away); Nice looking (as most black TVs are); Matte screen (keeps extra reflections to a minimum); has a backlit remote control [the buttons light up] (a touch that most competitor don't offer- nice for night time viewing); has zillions of color, brightness, LED level, smooth motion, movie, dynamic, blah blah blah adjustments (if you're a tweaker you can tweak to your heart's content); it has a joystick-style control on the bottom right-of-center edge instead of buttons (for power on/off, settings, menu, etc- unique to most TVs).
Anyway, you get the idea. It has all those things new TVs have, plus Samsung's reputable picture quality. Oh, and it states it costs an average of $11 to run. For a year. Wow. I think my old Sony boob tube cost that a month! And I'll brag a little, this TV only cost me $447. Haha, I scored four $100 gift cards to Best Buy from work and it was on sale for $799. Cha ching for me.
Uber-happy with this TV because I knew what I was buying before I bought it, and it has what I want and not extra bloatware I don't need. well worth the $800 sale price, and I honestly think it's worth the $1100 retail tag.
Cheers!
Nameless:
Impressive performance, excellent looks, and excellent value earns this TV five stars. I feel like this TV is worth more than I payed for it. If you want a big TV that performs well without spending a lot, this is a TV to consider. I've purchased one for the living room and another for my bedroom. That's how much I love this TV. I use it for HD Comcast, video games, and for blu ray. Amazon instant video looks great on this as well. Other big TV owners who've come to my home are always impressed by this TV. Name brand performance at value band pricing. It's a win win. Buy this over a value brand like Vizio or Westinghouse.
TV settings I use (always consider your video source and lighting conditions). Images look sharp and clear without the "soap opera effect." :
Mode Standard
Backlight 20
Contrast 100
Brightness 45
Sharpness 35
Color 48
Tint g50/r50
Color Space Auto
White Balance
R Offset 26
G Offset 24
B Offset 25
R Gain 24
G Gain 25
B Gain 20
Gamma +1
Dynamic Contrast Off
Black tone Off
Flesh tone Off
Motion lighting Off
Color tone Cool
Size Screen Fit
Digital Noise Filter Auto
HDMI Black Level Normal
Auto Motion Plus Custom
Blur Reduction 10
Judder Reduction 0
LED Motion Plus Off
Sound: Default settings. I use the default settings because it makes dialogue easy hear and understand.
