js
Flashlight Enthusiast
Exactly. The funny thing is that some of those reviews/threads recommend that you go to your local Best Buy and compare side-by-side for yourself! LOL!
I broke down and got a Blu-Ray
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Exactly. The funny thing is that some of those reviews/threads recommend that you go to your local Best Buy and compare side-by-side for yourself! LOL!
While on the topic on blu-ray restorations, one to add for your consideration: The Prisoner tv series.
I've just posted a few pics in the Patrick McGoohan RIP thread. These are just quick snaps of my plasma screen, but they give a good general idea of the quality of the restoration and remastering. Simply put, the DVDs look like crap in comparison (clearly, they were done from a badly degraded print of the series).
I would agree with the Silver designation for this blu-ray set on the PQ Tier thread. It's not like this is actual HD, but the level of detail is *much* higher than I expected, since the broadcast versions I've seen over the years are no better than the DVDs. Even if you never saw the Prisoner before, I think you would find the blu-ray series quite watchable today (with the restoration, it looks like it was film yesterday instead of over 40 years ago).
Audio quality is also great, and I amazed at how well they spatialized the original mono audio tracks to 5.1 surround. Probably not quite as impressive as the original series Star Trek restoration, but close (the TOS Star Trek blu-rays were also restored from 35mm negatives and with mono audio tracks). In that case, virtually all "artificial" ship sounds have been adjusted (i.e. ship's hum on the back speakers, surround-sound red alert klaxon, etc.), and new CGI special effects added if you want (have the option to watch either version, switch on the fly).
As a side comment, I agree that a lot of modern DVD movies are still quite watchable when upconverted. Yes, I can readily see the difference on my blu-ray titles, but it's not so bad that I won't continue to watch good quality DVDs. Where you really see the difference is in these restored blu-ray sets compared with early DVD releases (especially TV series, but also some movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc. where the DVD quality sucked).
In fact, the only DVDs in my collection that I have or plan to upgrade to blu-ray are those that are from the early generation of DVDs (like 2001). They've gotten a lot better in recent years at releasing decent quality DVDs, so the replacement upgrade need isn't as great (depends on the title though - modern action flicks are a lot more fun on blu-ray). That being said, I am not likely to be buying too many DVDs from now on, though ...
I've just posted a few pics in the Patrick McGoohan RIP thread. These are just quick snaps of my plasma screen, but they give a good general idea of the quality of the restoration and remastering. Simply put, the DVDs look like crap in comparison (clearly, they were done from a badly degraded print of the series).
I would agree with the Silver designation for this blu-ray set on the PQ Tier thread. It's not like this is actual HD, but the level of detail is *much* higher than I expected, since the broadcast versions I've seen over the years are no better than the DVDs. Even if you never saw the Prisoner before, I think you would find the blu-ray series quite watchable today (with the restoration, it looks like it was film yesterday instead of over 40 years ago).
Audio quality is also great, and I amazed at how well they spatialized the original mono audio tracks to 5.1 surround. Probably not quite as impressive as the original series Star Trek restoration, but close (the TOS Star Trek blu-rays were also restored from 35mm negatives and with mono audio tracks). In that case, virtually all "artificial" ship sounds have been adjusted (i.e. ship's hum on the back speakers, surround-sound red alert klaxon, etc.), and new CGI special effects added if you want (have the option to watch either version, switch on the fly).
As a side comment, I agree that a lot of modern DVD movies are still quite watchable when upconverted. Yes, I can readily see the difference on my blu-ray titles, but it's not so bad that I won't continue to watch good quality DVDs. Where you really see the difference is in these restored blu-ray sets compared with early DVD releases (especially TV series, but also some movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc. where the DVD quality sucked).
In fact, the only DVDs in my collection that I have or plan to upgrade to blu-ray are those that are from the early generation of DVDs (like 2001). They've gotten a lot better in recent years at releasing decent quality DVDs, so the replacement upgrade need isn't as great (depends on the title though - modern action flicks are a lot more fun on blu-ray). That being said, I am not likely to be buying too many DVDs from now on, though ...
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
So . . .
My DVD player finally has gotten so flaky that I decided I would pre-emptively replace it.
The LG BD390 is no longer available at my local stores, nor on Amazon. Not sure why, but since someone mentioned the Oppo BDP-83 I decdied to look into THAT, and I am so glad that I did, because it is right up my alley. $500 is more than I was expecting to spend, though, so I first gave some thought to just buying a cheap DVD player to last me for a couple years until I get a HD LCD TV. So, I went to the local stores to look at DVD players and I have to tell you, they screamed CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP PLASTIC JUNK LANDFILL MATERIAL. I was so not impressed. You could mail one of those things with only a first class postage stamp if they would fit into a legal sized envelope. Plus, what the heck is this new trend with buttons? They are either tiny tiny tiny, presumably for use with a stylus only, or the side of your pinky finger fingernail. OR, they are narrow stips of metalized plastic at the exact interface between the front panel and the top!!! What the heck! That means they must be on the top of any stack to be useful (in terms of physical buttons). Which, I guess is somewhat understandable, as there is no way you'd be able to stack anything on them anyway, as they are so small and flimsy.
So, just couldn't do it. Ordered the OPPO BDP-83 and it came a couple days ago.
I LOVE IT! I'm so impressed with the design and build quality. This thing is SOLID! And it has REAL BUTTONS ON IT! For real human fingers! And they're nice! A-freaking-mazing.
I can't comment on the image quality, as I still have just a CRT TV that will only accept a 480i signal through its composite, S-video, or component inputs.
But, what I can tell you is that this thing loads Blu-ray discs FAST. Or at least it has loaded all the ones I've used on it so far really fast. I was expecting to have to wait a lot longer than I did with DVD's. I mean, everyone is always talking about long loading times. But, so far, very little waiting.
It's just a nice piece of equipment. Fit and finish is beautiful and the tray action feels high-quality, and not like the normal flimsy trays I've seen. Could be no actual quality difference, but I like the feel of this tray action and sound. Nice.
Plus, the BDP-83 uses the same up-converting circuitry as the Oppo up-converting DVD models, and is unsurpassed in this department, in addition to its blu-ray performance which is also considered to be very very good. At least through the HDMI output. The component output is NOT considered so good, as it uses different chips than the HDMI output, which is where the money was put.
And it came nicely packaged in a re-useable box, and even a carrying/shopping bag. Nice touch.
I actually like that it isn't a Wi-Fi unit. I never really cared much about that in a BR player, and I figured it would just be adding to the cost and taking away from the other stuff.
So, thank you to whoever it was that mentioned the Oppo BDP-83!
Oh, and one other thing, it came with a Spears & Munsil calibration BR disc which is AWESOME! I used it to set my TV's parameters to the best configuration, and it is now noticeably better than it was before. Not a LOT better, but a touch better, which is nice. Another nice touch.
Now I just need an HD TV. *sigh* Not anytime soon, though. But I'm glad I didn't thow money away on a cheapo DVD player.
My DVD player finally has gotten so flaky that I decided I would pre-emptively replace it.
The LG BD390 is no longer available at my local stores, nor on Amazon. Not sure why, but since someone mentioned the Oppo BDP-83 I decdied to look into THAT, and I am so glad that I did, because it is right up my alley. $500 is more than I was expecting to spend, though, so I first gave some thought to just buying a cheap DVD player to last me for a couple years until I get a HD LCD TV. So, I went to the local stores to look at DVD players and I have to tell you, they screamed CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP PLASTIC JUNK LANDFILL MATERIAL. I was so not impressed. You could mail one of those things with only a first class postage stamp if they would fit into a legal sized envelope. Plus, what the heck is this new trend with buttons? They are either tiny tiny tiny, presumably for use with a stylus only, or the side of your pinky finger fingernail. OR, they are narrow stips of metalized plastic at the exact interface between the front panel and the top!!! What the heck! That means they must be on the top of any stack to be useful (in terms of physical buttons). Which, I guess is somewhat understandable, as there is no way you'd be able to stack anything on them anyway, as they are so small and flimsy.
So, just couldn't do it. Ordered the OPPO BDP-83 and it came a couple days ago.
I LOVE IT! I'm so impressed with the design and build quality. This thing is SOLID! And it has REAL BUTTONS ON IT! For real human fingers! And they're nice! A-freaking-mazing.
I can't comment on the image quality, as I still have just a CRT TV that will only accept a 480i signal through its composite, S-video, or component inputs.
But, what I can tell you is that this thing loads Blu-ray discs FAST. Or at least it has loaded all the ones I've used on it so far really fast. I was expecting to have to wait a lot longer than I did with DVD's. I mean, everyone is always talking about long loading times. But, so far, very little waiting.
It's just a nice piece of equipment. Fit and finish is beautiful and the tray action feels high-quality, and not like the normal flimsy trays I've seen. Could be no actual quality difference, but I like the feel of this tray action and sound. Nice.
Plus, the BDP-83 uses the same up-converting circuitry as the Oppo up-converting DVD models, and is unsurpassed in this department, in addition to its blu-ray performance which is also considered to be very very good. At least through the HDMI output. The component output is NOT considered so good, as it uses different chips than the HDMI output, which is where the money was put.
And it came nicely packaged in a re-useable box, and even a carrying/shopping bag. Nice touch.
I actually like that it isn't a Wi-Fi unit. I never really cared much about that in a BR player, and I figured it would just be adding to the cost and taking away from the other stuff.
So, thank you to whoever it was that mentioned the Oppo BDP-83!
Oh, and one other thing, it came with a Spears & Munsil calibration BR disc which is AWESOME! I used it to set my TV's parameters to the best configuration, and it is now noticeably better than it was before. Not a LOT better, but a touch better, which is nice. Another nice touch.
Now I just need an HD TV. *sigh* Not anytime soon, though. But I'm glad I didn't thow money away on a cheapo DVD player.
daimleramg
Banned
This is how I would spend $500.00
2x Western Digital 3Gbps 2TB Sata 3.5" hard drives 4TB total
1x Thermaltake Blacx Duet docking station through eSata cables
1x HDMI cable
12 month rapidshare subscription
(high end laptop needed)
Equates to as many MKV files as you like.
da.gee
Enlightened
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2007
- Messages
- 733
Congrats js.
Jealous of your BDP-83 but I have the Oppo DV-970H DVD player which is awesome (and no longer available) so I have my fix for now. I see Oppo has the BDP-83SE which has an upgraded audio section for $899. Yikes. That's a lot of coin.
Our family got a PS3 for Christmas so my Blu-Ray player yearnings are temporarily abated.
Jealous of your BDP-83 but I have the Oppo DV-970H DVD player which is awesome (and no longer available) so I have my fix for now. I see Oppo has the BDP-83SE which has an upgraded audio section for $899. Yikes. That's a lot of coin.
Our family got a PS3 for Christmas so my Blu-Ray player yearnings are temporarily abated.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
da.gee,
Does the PS3 also play DVD's and upscale them? Just curious. I did think about a PS3, but I decided that I didn't want to go down the video game addiction road! LOL! So I didn't even look into it, but I am curious if it will upscale DVD's well (or at all).
Does the PS3 also play DVD's and upscale them? Just curious. I did think about a PS3, but I decided that I didn't want to go down the video game addiction road! LOL! So I didn't even look into it, but I am curious if it will upscale DVD's well (or at all).
JS, welcome to the BDP-83 club! Your jaw will drop when you get your HD panel.
You can keep up on the latest BDP-83 news at the AVS Forum BDP83 area, which has several insiders. Oppo releases new firmware when new discs cause problems. They are also very responsive to customers, even answering emails promptly.
There still seem to be users with a few problems of clicks and truncation with SACDs and DVD-Audio discs.
You can keep up on the latest BDP-83 news at the AVS Forum BDP83 area, which has several insiders. Oppo releases new firmware when new discs cause problems. They are also very responsive to customers, even answering emails promptly.
There still seem to be users with a few problems of clicks and truncation with SACDs and DVD-Audio discs.
da.gee
Enlightened
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- Aug 30, 2007
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js: Yes it does and allegedly does a good job of it. I've not tested since my Oppo does a superb job (as does yours). Caveat: PS3 only upscales through HDMI connection.
You need to get your flat panel and really get to enjoying your purchase. There are a lot of 16:9 22"-24" computer monitors these days with HDMI connections. $200 +/- and you're good to go until you can get the big panel. When you finally get your big boy panel you swap the monitor to your computer. Check New Egg!
You need to get your flat panel and really get to enjoying your purchase. There are a lot of 16:9 22"-24" computer monitors these days with HDMI connections. $200 +/- and you're good to go until you can get the big panel. When you finally get your big boy panel you swap the monitor to your computer. Check New Egg!
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
louie,
Thanks! And thanks for the link. And yes, I've already experienced the superb oppo customer service. They responded to one of my email queries within an hour and were very helpful and detailed in their response.
da.gee,
I do need to get a flat panel! No question. And, honestly, this whole 3D thing is getting me worried. I really like the idea of the Samsung 8500 series LED backlit HDTV's. The 46 incher is $2,300 on Amazon right now. And the 6000 series are all on sale at Best Buy, with the 46 incher about a thousand dollars off ($1,500 sale price). The 6000 has its LED backlighting on the sides, though, so local dimming for better contrast can't be done like it can be on the 8500 series screens. Or so I've read. I haven't actually seen the 8500 in person, only the 8000, 7000 and 6000 ones. Which I think are all fantastic. I am really tempted to drop the 1.5k on the 46" 6000 series LED HDTV. It's thin and light and has a pretty good picture from what I saw, although I don't suppose you can really tell what it's capable of until you tweak all the parameters.
Anyway, I'm losing my train of thought here. The point is that I've heard rumors that Samsung will be dropping the 8500 series from their lineup. They aren't on their website anymore, in fact. Which will mean that all the LED HDTV's of the new lineup will be edge-lit.
Whatever, though. It's moot, since I just can not drop that much money on a new TV right now. No way, no how. If our TV died today, I might be able to convince my wife to spend the money. Maybe. But she'd say we could just get the less expensive non-LED backlit Samsung. (And she'd be right).
Anyway, . . .
Now you come along and mention this 16:9 computer monitor idea! I think that's a fantastic idea! I'm going to look into it. I might be able to swing two or three hundred.
I have concerns about color quality and image stability, though. I don't imagine a $300 24" TN panel will have either. Also, I assume I'd need to invest in speakers as well. So, add another $50.
Great idea, though. Hmmmm. I'll look into it.
Thanks! And thanks for the link. And yes, I've already experienced the superb oppo customer service. They responded to one of my email queries within an hour and were very helpful and detailed in their response.
da.gee,
I do need to get a flat panel! No question. And, honestly, this whole 3D thing is getting me worried. I really like the idea of the Samsung 8500 series LED backlit HDTV's. The 46 incher is $2,300 on Amazon right now. And the 6000 series are all on sale at Best Buy, with the 46 incher about a thousand dollars off ($1,500 sale price). The 6000 has its LED backlighting on the sides, though, so local dimming for better contrast can't be done like it can be on the 8500 series screens. Or so I've read. I haven't actually seen the 8500 in person, only the 8000, 7000 and 6000 ones. Which I think are all fantastic. I am really tempted to drop the 1.5k on the 46" 6000 series LED HDTV. It's thin and light and has a pretty good picture from what I saw, although I don't suppose you can really tell what it's capable of until you tweak all the parameters.
Anyway, I'm losing my train of thought here. The point is that I've heard rumors that Samsung will be dropping the 8500 series from their lineup. They aren't on their website anymore, in fact. Which will mean that all the LED HDTV's of the new lineup will be edge-lit.
Whatever, though. It's moot, since I just can not drop that much money on a new TV right now. No way, no how. If our TV died today, I might be able to convince my wife to spend the money. Maybe. But she'd say we could just get the less expensive non-LED backlit Samsung. (And she'd be right).
Anyway, . . .
Now you come along and mention this 16:9 computer monitor idea! I think that's a fantastic idea! I'm going to look into it. I might be able to swing two or three hundred.
I have concerns about color quality and image stability, though. I don't imagine a $300 24" TN panel will have either. Also, I assume I'd need to invest in speakers as well. So, add another $50.
Great idea, though. Hmmmm. I'll look into it.
da.gee
Enlightened
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- 733
You'll be hard pressed to go over $300 all the way up to 24" or so. Majority will have built in speakers but they will suck (but they are speakers). Headphone jack might be there too and perhaps even two HDMI inputs. That's nice if you're a gamer.
Of course the monitor won't be as nice as the Sammys you're considering but I'm betting they'll make you happy for awhile. I have a 52" Samsung LN650 which was close to top of the line a couple years ago. Picture is beautiful. I waited for many years for the price point vs. quality/expandability to be there.
When you do get the money to purchase don't compromise. Get bigger or better based on what you think that is. My theory was I wasn't going to be buying another for a long time so, for example, the few hundred dollars of incremental cost to go from a 46" to a 52" over the long haul was not worth the "I shouldas".
Of course the monitor won't be as nice as the Sammys you're considering but I'm betting they'll make you happy for awhile. I have a 52" Samsung LN650 which was close to top of the line a couple years ago. Picture is beautiful. I waited for many years for the price point vs. quality/expandability to be there.
When you do get the money to purchase don't compromise. Get bigger or better based on what you think that is. My theory was I wasn't going to be buying another for a long time so, for example, the few hundred dollars of incremental cost to go from a 46" to a 52" over the long haul was not worth the "I shouldas".
calebra
Banned
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2010
- Messages
- 145
i have one, not a stand alone but one built into my PC. a Pioneer, cost about $180 new. i watch via cyberlink on a flat panel LCD...
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
So, I was VERY temped to get a Samsung UN46B8500 LED back lit LCD HDTV. Amazon has it right now for a very large discount off of list. I was also tempted by the Sony Bravia XBR KDL46XBR8 which Amazon also has at a huge discount. Both of these sets have local dimming of the LED backlight to increase the contrast, but the Samsung is 41 lbs instead of 77 (the sony) and takes about 130 watts instead of 350 (the sony). On the other hand, the built in speakers in the Sony are reportedly "decent", so if I went with that one, I could wait on getting a sound system for it.
As far as I can tell, both of these sets are discountinued, and no other local dimming set lineup will take their place for 2010.
But WHY?
Can this be true? People say its true, and there's nothing to gainsay it, but why would both Samsung and Sony abandon sets that reviewers raved about, saying how they were as good as Plasma, etc. etc.
In any case, I just can't drop two grand right now, and moreover, I can totally enjoy movies and TV shows on my 480i CRT set. Don't get me wrong! A high def flatscreen would be AWESOME, and it's on my list for the future. But, I don't need that level of fidelity to enjoy my shows and movies. Not right now, anyway. Maybe after I've lived with the high def experience I'll be unable to go back.
As for the computer monitor set, the biggest problems is inputs. My satellite receiver outputs composite or S-Video. No HDMI, no component. So that'd be a hastle. And then there's the VCR to contend with. Upgrading the TV at this point would cascade into a lot of other upgrades, which I just don't want to pay for at the moment.
And, also, $250 or so is still significant, and I'd rather put it towards a future HDTV LCD. Still a great idea, though!
On another note, I went into Radio Shack (or "The Shack") the other day, and they have apparently decided to stop carrying low cost cables. The cheapest set of RCA audio cables was $14, if I remember correctly. And they now have AUVIO high cost cables, and another brand, and their own higher cost sets in some cases. What a rip-off. And they've gone to molded RCA plugs that are about 30 percent larger in diameter at their largest point, which can be a problem on some components which have their RCA's close together.
That's actually my biggest complaint about the high cost stuff. For some reason, they feel the need to make the plugs HUGE, and to make them so that they require 150 lbs of force to fit onto your components. CRAZY! Why do they do this? Stupid. And man, can you drop a lot of money on interconnect cables these days. What a racket.
As far as I can tell, both of these sets are discountinued, and no other local dimming set lineup will take their place for 2010.
But WHY?
Can this be true? People say its true, and there's nothing to gainsay it, but why would both Samsung and Sony abandon sets that reviewers raved about, saying how they were as good as Plasma, etc. etc.
In any case, I just can't drop two grand right now, and moreover, I can totally enjoy movies and TV shows on my 480i CRT set. Don't get me wrong! A high def flatscreen would be AWESOME, and it's on my list for the future. But, I don't need that level of fidelity to enjoy my shows and movies. Not right now, anyway. Maybe after I've lived with the high def experience I'll be unable to go back.
As for the computer monitor set, the biggest problems is inputs. My satellite receiver outputs composite or S-Video. No HDMI, no component. So that'd be a hastle. And then there's the VCR to contend with. Upgrading the TV at this point would cascade into a lot of other upgrades, which I just don't want to pay for at the moment.
And, also, $250 or so is still significant, and I'd rather put it towards a future HDTV LCD. Still a great idea, though!
On another note, I went into Radio Shack (or "The Shack") the other day, and they have apparently decided to stop carrying low cost cables. The cheapest set of RCA audio cables was $14, if I remember correctly. And they now have AUVIO high cost cables, and another brand, and their own higher cost sets in some cases. What a rip-off. And they've gone to molded RCA plugs that are about 30 percent larger in diameter at their largest point, which can be a problem on some components which have their RCA's close together.
That's actually my biggest complaint about the high cost stuff. For some reason, they feel the need to make the plugs HUGE, and to make them so that they require 150 lbs of force to fit onto your components. CRAZY! Why do they do this? Stupid. And man, can you drop a lot of money on interconnect cables these days. What a racket.
da.gee
Enlightened
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2007
- Messages
- 733
I understand your reasoning. $250 is $250.
Tip: you should never spend big bucks on cables. Go to Monoprice.com or PCHcables.com.
Tip: you should never spend big bucks on cables. Go to Monoprice.com or PCHcables.com.
Random Guy
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2009
- Messages
- 205
+1. Monoprice=WIN!
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
da.gee,
I never do spend big bucks on cables. That's why I mentioned that Radio Shack is no longer an option. So that leaves only online, which is where most of my cables have come from.
I never do spend big bucks on cables. That's why I mentioned that Radio Shack is no longer an option. So that leaves only online, which is where most of my cables have come from.
One thing I found that I have been using for about a month is this Hawking HWREN1 Range Extender which boosts your router signal. My UVerse router is on one side of the house, and TV & LG BD-390 wireless Blu-Ray player through about 6 walls on the other side. I was only getting 1/5 wireless bars in that part of the house and wasn't using the movie access through my Netflix account, or YouTube videos.
This range extender really worked incredibly well, and put my www.speedtest.net readings back up to 560 Mbps download (direct LAN cable is 610Mbps), and gives the full capability of the wireless LG BD390. It preserves your WPA2 security settings. Took no more than 2 minutes to setup.
This range extender really worked incredibly well, and put my www.speedtest.net readings back up to 560 Mbps download (direct LAN cable is 610Mbps), and gives the full capability of the wireless LG BD390. It preserves your WPA2 security settings. Took no more than 2 minutes to setup.
StarHalo
Flashaholic
Black Friday, Best Buy, Toshiba Smart Blu-Ray player, $40 
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
So, I finally got a Hi-Def TV set!. I've had it since a bit before early June now.
And, I have to say, it's rather ironic that when I finally did buy a high def flat screen TV that I ended up with this TV: a 3D, glossy set. Honestly, I could not care less about 3D in the home. I think it's a fad. I think it's annoying to have to wear glasses, and I think it's even more annoying that you can't change your focus while watching 3D content--i.e. if the scene is filmed to bring the foreground in focus, you can't take a quick look at the background (and vice versa). So, when I first experienced this TV at a local store, it was set up as a 3D demo, and I wasn't very impressed. Yes, it was nifty, but it wasn't for me. I also prefer, all other things being equal, a matte screen.
So, back in May, 2011, or so, I was killing time and wandered into the local Best Buy and was looking around at the various HDTV's. I keep up on the state of things in the HDTV world, and check out the stores periodically just in case there is some really good deal. And I was walking along, and, WOW! this set just really appealed to me. Why? Well, it was no longer the latest and greatest 3D Samsung and so had been taken off 3D demo and relegated to the area shared by all the other LCD sets. And, also . . . and this is very important . . . one or more of the sales people liked this set and knew how to adjust it, and they did NOT have it in the STUPID "demo" mode where it is freaking MAXED out in contrast and brightness and has the highest "smart LED" setting and all that. (The maxed out mode is called "Dynamic" in the picture settings, by the way.) No. They had it set to "Movie" mode. And, OMG! What a picture! And it was an incredible deal. Really really good because it was last years model and was a demo, already opened item. (Got it for $1099 !!!) I talked myself out of it that day. Didn't need it. Shouldn't really spend the money right then. Etc. But, I kept thinking about it and went back the next day and marveled once again at the incredible picture. I also LOVED that the bezel was bushed stainless steel (or has that look, anyway). Some people hate this. I love it. YMMV. I also loved that it was .9 inches thick and only 50 pounds or so. I did not love the glossy screen, and was worried about reflections in my living room, but even so, I also noted that this TV could really crank out the backlight brightness. Didn't buy it that day either. But I couldn't stop feeling that this was THE set for me, and that I would regret it if I didn't buy it.
So I went back the day after that and bought it. And let me tell you, after I tweaked the Movie settings a bit, I was just BLOWN AWAY by how awesome the picture was. I am very, very happy with the picture quality of this TV. I continue to marvel at it even months later. The one minor downside in this area is that the viewing angles aren't the best, as has been noted in professional reviews. However, the thing is that it depends on what you mean by good viewing angles! If what you want is a totally stable picture which shows absolutely NO change as you change your viewing angle, then, yes, this set has about a 45 degree range. However, if you want to know over what range you still get a really good picture, that number is more like 90 degrees--i.e. you can be off axis by as much as 45 degrees and still have a picture which is every bit as good as perfectly on axis--or at least this has been my experience, and I just double checked it a minute ago. The differences between reviewers may have a lot to do with how high the backlight is set. The higher it is set, the less you will notice differences as you move across the viewing angles. I still wish it were better in terms of viewing angle, but in practice, I never have ANY issues in this area, and our seating ranges as much as 45 degrees off axis. The other thing that is mentioned in at least one professional review is that you "can't turn off" the smart LED / precision dimming--that even when you set the setting to "off" that this feature is still active to some degree. Well, I think they must have changed the firmware since then such that OFF really does mean OFF. My Oppo BPD-83 Blu-Ray player has a screen saver where the word "Oppo" bounces around on a black screen, and it is perfect for seeing just how much the smart LED is dimming down the backlight in columns of the screen without any bright pixels. (This is what precision dimming does, by the way, and it does it top to bottom entirely, instead of, like the B8500, completely locally, around the bright object. I think they changed this in order to avoid the "halo effect"; of course, now you have the "waterfall effect" LOL! I suspect that is preferable, however.) And, when I turn OFF the smart LED, I don't see any difference from the blacks around the "Oppo" and the blacks elsewhere. Personally, I find the smart LED to be a plus, in moderation. I have mine set to standard, and yes, during credits or the screen saver, I do notice the waterfall effect, but during any actual scene, I never notice any artifacts from it and find that it improves the picture somewhat. But, really, turn the thing completely off if you want--the picture will still be freaking incredible. The people at Samsung may think that they need to crank everything up into "Dynamic" in order to WOW! and impress people in the store, but for me, the opposite is true. I'm not impressed with stupidly vivid and unrealistic colors and contrasts. Not at all. If you DO like this, then this set will blow you away. Just don't use the settings I'm going to list below. Put it in standard or dynamic mode and play with the settings--there are a lot of settings to play with!
Anyway, the point is, that I have yet to see any other LCD HDTV with a picture I like better than this Samsung. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. I love it.
Now . . . the internet applications stuff in this set leave a LOT to be desired. I was NOT impressed. Streaming Netflix to the TV made me fill slightly ill due to the camcorder effect. And I could not find any way to fix this in the settings, although I must admit that I didn't try very hard, because the internet stuff was glitchy as hell and seemed to destabilize the entire firmware! I swear, the TV started acting up in all sorts of ways the second I hooked it up to the internet. It would turn on, the picture would come on, and then it would turn completely off, and turn on again before it was happy, finally--and all this without me even thinking about pressing the internet button! And turning on the internet was the same way. I would turn it on, select Netflix, and it would start loading, and then crash out and I'd have to do it again. Finally, I was like, screw this. Not worth it. Perhaps streaming video from Amazon would have worked better. I don't know. Maybe some day I'll try it again, but I doubt it.
I mounted my set to the wall using the Samsung WMN1000B Fixed Low-Profile Wall Mount for Select Samsung 40-Inch to 55-Inch Displays and it is AWESOME. I balked at the price at first, but then figured that I would pay it, but as luck would have it, it went on sale the very day I bought this set, so that was great. The mount is literally a picture frame mount. Two discs mount to the wall and then you attach two discs with a metal cable between them to the back of your Samsung, and two other discs at the lower left and right, and then you pick the set up and hang it on the wall exactly like a picture frame. It is the COOLEST THING EVER, I have to tell you! LOL! Is the mount set up overpriced? Yeah, probably. Is it worth it anyway? Yeah, I think so.
OK. Here are the settings that I have found are best for the most natural and faithful picture. I arrived at these both by trial and error, and by using a Spears and Munsil calibration Blu-Ray disc and the very helpful RGB modes in Advanced Settings. The backlight setting is something I adjust depending on whether it is day or night, hence the range of numbers. Here they are:
Mode: Movie
Backlight: 13-20
Contrast: 95
Brightness: 42
Sharpness: 0
Color: 48
Tint: G50/R50
Eco Solution: Off/Off/Off
Auto Adjustment: N/A (grayed out)
Screen: N/A
Advanced Settings
Black Tone: Off
Dynamic Contrast: Off
Gamma: 0
Expert Pattern: Off
RGB Only Mode: Off
Color Space: Auto
White Balance: 25/25/25/25/25/25
10p White Balance: Off
Flesh Tone: Off
Edge Enhancement: Off
xvYcc: N/A
LED Motion Plus: Cinema
Picture Options
Color Tone: Warm2
Size: 16:9
Digital Noise Filter: Off
MPEG Noise Filter: Off
HDMI Black Level: N/A (Low)
Film Mode: N/A (Off)
Auto Motion Plus: Off
Auto Protection Timer: 2 hours
Smart LED: Standard
So, in short, I can highly recommend this set and I'm sure it's successor is every bit as good, although I haven't looked at reviews. It has a few downsides, but for me the 2D picture quality more than makes up for these.
Also, I have to agree with the Lux that an upscaled DVD looks pretty damned good (or at least it does with my Oppo) and I have only upgraded to Blu-rays for the stuff I really, really love, or which I felt were such that they would really show off the difference. Honestly . . . for me . . . I notice the SOUND improvement more than the video. Am I strange, or does anyone else feel this way?
And, I have to say, it's rather ironic that when I finally did buy a high def flat screen TV that I ended up with this TV: a 3D, glossy set. Honestly, I could not care less about 3D in the home. I think it's a fad. I think it's annoying to have to wear glasses, and I think it's even more annoying that you can't change your focus while watching 3D content--i.e. if the scene is filmed to bring the foreground in focus, you can't take a quick look at the background (and vice versa). So, when I first experienced this TV at a local store, it was set up as a 3D demo, and I wasn't very impressed. Yes, it was nifty, but it wasn't for me. I also prefer, all other things being equal, a matte screen.
So, back in May, 2011, or so, I was killing time and wandered into the local Best Buy and was looking around at the various HDTV's. I keep up on the state of things in the HDTV world, and check out the stores periodically just in case there is some really good deal. And I was walking along, and, WOW! this set just really appealed to me. Why? Well, it was no longer the latest and greatest 3D Samsung and so had been taken off 3D demo and relegated to the area shared by all the other LCD sets. And, also . . . and this is very important . . . one or more of the sales people liked this set and knew how to adjust it, and they did NOT have it in the STUPID "demo" mode where it is freaking MAXED out in contrast and brightness and has the highest "smart LED" setting and all that. (The maxed out mode is called "Dynamic" in the picture settings, by the way.) No. They had it set to "Movie" mode. And, OMG! What a picture! And it was an incredible deal. Really really good because it was last years model and was a demo, already opened item. (Got it for $1099 !!!) I talked myself out of it that day. Didn't need it. Shouldn't really spend the money right then. Etc. But, I kept thinking about it and went back the next day and marveled once again at the incredible picture. I also LOVED that the bezel was bushed stainless steel (or has that look, anyway). Some people hate this. I love it. YMMV. I also loved that it was .9 inches thick and only 50 pounds or so. I did not love the glossy screen, and was worried about reflections in my living room, but even so, I also noted that this TV could really crank out the backlight brightness. Didn't buy it that day either. But I couldn't stop feeling that this was THE set for me, and that I would regret it if I didn't buy it.
So I went back the day after that and bought it. And let me tell you, after I tweaked the Movie settings a bit, I was just BLOWN AWAY by how awesome the picture was. I am very, very happy with the picture quality of this TV. I continue to marvel at it even months later. The one minor downside in this area is that the viewing angles aren't the best, as has been noted in professional reviews. However, the thing is that it depends on what you mean by good viewing angles! If what you want is a totally stable picture which shows absolutely NO change as you change your viewing angle, then, yes, this set has about a 45 degree range. However, if you want to know over what range you still get a really good picture, that number is more like 90 degrees--i.e. you can be off axis by as much as 45 degrees and still have a picture which is every bit as good as perfectly on axis--or at least this has been my experience, and I just double checked it a minute ago. The differences between reviewers may have a lot to do with how high the backlight is set. The higher it is set, the less you will notice differences as you move across the viewing angles. I still wish it were better in terms of viewing angle, but in practice, I never have ANY issues in this area, and our seating ranges as much as 45 degrees off axis. The other thing that is mentioned in at least one professional review is that you "can't turn off" the smart LED / precision dimming--that even when you set the setting to "off" that this feature is still active to some degree. Well, I think they must have changed the firmware since then such that OFF really does mean OFF. My Oppo BPD-83 Blu-Ray player has a screen saver where the word "Oppo" bounces around on a black screen, and it is perfect for seeing just how much the smart LED is dimming down the backlight in columns of the screen without any bright pixels. (This is what precision dimming does, by the way, and it does it top to bottom entirely, instead of, like the B8500, completely locally, around the bright object. I think they changed this in order to avoid the "halo effect"; of course, now you have the "waterfall effect" LOL! I suspect that is preferable, however.) And, when I turn OFF the smart LED, I don't see any difference from the blacks around the "Oppo" and the blacks elsewhere. Personally, I find the smart LED to be a plus, in moderation. I have mine set to standard, and yes, during credits or the screen saver, I do notice the waterfall effect, but during any actual scene, I never notice any artifacts from it and find that it improves the picture somewhat. But, really, turn the thing completely off if you want--the picture will still be freaking incredible. The people at Samsung may think that they need to crank everything up into "Dynamic" in order to WOW! and impress people in the store, but for me, the opposite is true. I'm not impressed with stupidly vivid and unrealistic colors and contrasts. Not at all. If you DO like this, then this set will blow you away. Just don't use the settings I'm going to list below. Put it in standard or dynamic mode and play with the settings--there are a lot of settings to play with!
Anyway, the point is, that I have yet to see any other LCD HDTV with a picture I like better than this Samsung. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. I love it.
Now . . . the internet applications stuff in this set leave a LOT to be desired. I was NOT impressed. Streaming Netflix to the TV made me fill slightly ill due to the camcorder effect. And I could not find any way to fix this in the settings, although I must admit that I didn't try very hard, because the internet stuff was glitchy as hell and seemed to destabilize the entire firmware! I swear, the TV started acting up in all sorts of ways the second I hooked it up to the internet. It would turn on, the picture would come on, and then it would turn completely off, and turn on again before it was happy, finally--and all this without me even thinking about pressing the internet button! And turning on the internet was the same way. I would turn it on, select Netflix, and it would start loading, and then crash out and I'd have to do it again. Finally, I was like, screw this. Not worth it. Perhaps streaming video from Amazon would have worked better. I don't know. Maybe some day I'll try it again, but I doubt it.
I mounted my set to the wall using the Samsung WMN1000B Fixed Low-Profile Wall Mount for Select Samsung 40-Inch to 55-Inch Displays and it is AWESOME. I balked at the price at first, but then figured that I would pay it, but as luck would have it, it went on sale the very day I bought this set, so that was great. The mount is literally a picture frame mount. Two discs mount to the wall and then you attach two discs with a metal cable between them to the back of your Samsung, and two other discs at the lower left and right, and then you pick the set up and hang it on the wall exactly like a picture frame. It is the COOLEST THING EVER, I have to tell you! LOL! Is the mount set up overpriced? Yeah, probably. Is it worth it anyway? Yeah, I think so.
OK. Here are the settings that I have found are best for the most natural and faithful picture. I arrived at these both by trial and error, and by using a Spears and Munsil calibration Blu-Ray disc and the very helpful RGB modes in Advanced Settings. The backlight setting is something I adjust depending on whether it is day or night, hence the range of numbers. Here they are:
Mode: Movie
Backlight: 13-20
Contrast: 95
Brightness: 42
Sharpness: 0
Color: 48
Tint: G50/R50
Eco Solution: Off/Off/Off
Auto Adjustment: N/A (grayed out)
Screen: N/A
Advanced Settings
Black Tone: Off
Dynamic Contrast: Off
Gamma: 0
Expert Pattern: Off
RGB Only Mode: Off
Color Space: Auto
White Balance: 25/25/25/25/25/25
10p White Balance: Off
Flesh Tone: Off
Edge Enhancement: Off
xvYcc: N/A
LED Motion Plus: Cinema
Picture Options
Color Tone: Warm2
Size: 16:9
Digital Noise Filter: Off
MPEG Noise Filter: Off
HDMI Black Level: N/A (Low)
Film Mode: N/A (Off)
Auto Motion Plus: Off
Auto Protection Timer: 2 hours
Smart LED: Standard
So, in short, I can highly recommend this set and I'm sure it's successor is every bit as good, although I haven't looked at reviews. It has a few downsides, but for me the 2D picture quality more than makes up for these.
Also, I have to agree with the Lux that an upscaled DVD looks pretty damned good (or at least it does with my Oppo) and I have only upgraded to Blu-rays for the stuff I really, really love, or which I felt were such that they would really show off the difference. Honestly . . . for me . . . I notice the SOUND improvement more than the video. Am I strange, or does anyone else feel this way?
Last edited:
Lite_me
Flashlight Enthusiast
Nice write-up.
I too, purchased a new Sony flat panel, actually two of them, last year. A 46 & 55in. Not my first, but they are definitely better in picture quality than the ones they replaced. I was also quite blown away by the picture. Still am.
I didn't see, or could tell from your settings whether or not you adjusted the pixel mapping. It's sometimes called different things by mfrs. 1:1 pixel mapping, full pixel.., but whatever, you want to turn off overscan. I feel it's important to do so. This eliminates any unnecessary scaling which would lead to loss of detail in the picture. I can tell a difference.
Based on your thorough write-up tho, you may already know this. Just thought I'd mention it.
Though you've had it awhile, congrats just the same.
Enjoy!
I too, purchased a new Sony flat panel, actually two of them, last year. A 46 & 55in. Not my first, but they are definitely better in picture quality than the ones they replaced. I was also quite blown away by the picture. Still am.
I didn't see, or could tell from your settings whether or not you adjusted the pixel mapping. It's sometimes called different things by mfrs. 1:1 pixel mapping, full pixel.., but whatever, you want to turn off overscan. I feel it's important to do so. This eliminates any unnecessary scaling which would lead to loss of detail in the picture. I can tell a difference.
Based on your thorough write-up tho, you may already know this. Just thought I'd mention it.
Though you've had it awhile, congrats just the same.
Enjoy!
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yes. It's in the "size" setting. AFAIK 16:9 is 1:1 and "screen fit" is the scaling one, but I should double check this to make absolutely sure! Thanks for the advice!
