Samsung UN50EH5300 50-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV (Black)

The best LED-lit television at a budget price, June 14, 2012

Samsung’s 2012 line of LCD televisions focuses primarily on switching their backlighting from CCFL to direct-array LED. Unlike CCFL lighting, LEDs don’t diminish in brightness over time and have an incredibly long lifespan. Additionally, these sets are significantly lighter than their old CCFL counterparts which makes moving them around easier. However, this model is not edge-lit which means it’s not really thinner despite the weight savings. The lights are directly behind the screen (i.e. direct-array), which many video purists prefer since it makes the lighting more even. This model does not support local dimming.

Pros:
1080p
Direct array LED lighting
Deep blacks
Built-in WiFi
Very lightweight
3 HDMI ports
2 USB ports (including 1 that has extra power for portable hard drives)
Great DLNA support and file playback support (including 720p MKV files!)
Keyboard and Mouse support via USB

Cons:
Semi-glossy screen
Lackluster sound
Lack of swivel base
No S-Video port
U.I. is consistently clunky
Some important settings are made obscure

Display
To start off, the display is fantastic. Colors are rich and the blacks are deep. The set only supports 60hz, but I have never really found myself needing more than that. The lighting is mostly even, but there is noticeably dimming in the corners of the set. The screen is semi-glossy, which I dislike greatly because I can see reflections of myself or the room in darker scenes. Glare from windows is also pretty obvious, so definitely factor that in about where to put this set before you buy it. The bezel which actually makes it look smaller than it is for some reason. The controls for the set are a 4-way joystick hidden under the bottom right side of the bezel.

Sound
The problem with thinner TVs is that sound suffers. My last LCD TV was a regular CCFL set and it had excellent sound. I am not an audiophile at all, but I can’t find an audio setting I like for watching regular TV or movies. Either the dialogue is drowned out by music with heavy bass, or you can hear the dialogue (with added bass) and the music is barely audible. I fiddled around with a lot of settings and I just can’t find one I like. After a few weeks I’ve gotten used to it, but for the first time ever I’m considering getting a stereo system to get “normal” sound back.

Connectivity
Samsung has reduced the number of HDMI ports on their cheaper, no-frills models to encourage people to upgrade to their more expensive lines. The “dumb” models only have 2 HDMI ports, this one has 3. Additionally, it seems as though no models support S-Video any more, and this set integrates composite and component into one set of ports. There are two USB ports, one of which is labeled as the “hard drive” port because it supplies extra power. WiFi is built in, and I’m able to stream content from YouTube without stuttering or buffering. The TV can download and apply updates very easily, too. After the last update, file playback includes 720p MKV files, although options during playback are limited. DLNA support is fantastic, but refreshing of file lists doesn’t work very well. The menu has settings that allow for mouse and keyboard control via USB, which is useful if you use searches a lot in the smart TV apps. It would be great if you could sign into Samsung’s app site and click which ones you want to download rather than doing it from the TV. The interface in general is kind of clunky.

Overall
It’s a great buy. Lots of connectivity, access to smart apps (I enjoy the YouTube one, Netflix is also available and they are adding more). Definitely recommended.

Tips and Caveats
If you plan to use this as a monitor, make sure you label the source as “PC” of some kind. This removes a lot of post-processing. There is also a “Game Mode” under general that makes the display more responsive, but the downside to using this mode for me is that audio is stuck in “movie” mode which is very bass heavy.

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 Comments (12)

First 5 rating for this TV, April 24, 2012

I really love this TV. This is my first flat screen TV. I did a lot of homework before zeroing on this TV.

I purchased it based on the following features:
– It is a smart HDTV, LED – 60Hz and this year’s model available at considerably better price as compared to even last year models with similar features. Though, I would have been very happy if I could have closed the deal at $ 650 :-p

I did see the earlier reviews for this TV but most seemed like user training issues.

The sound/picture quality is excellent. Picture quality will seem dull with the eco friendly setting of Standard. However, it is configurable per your liking and the user manual is very effective in identifying and setting up your needs. 3 HDMI + 2 USB available

Setting up Network/WI FI is also very easy.

Depending on Internet speed, the smart TV works good. Youtube videos does not stream so fast for me directly through the TV but when I connect to my laptop through HDMI, it just works fine.

Movies through Netflix are great. No 3D but I did not want it. The LED TV comparison chart that Amazon provides is very helpful in determining what features you need and what you do not need.

The Kids stories is very useful for my 3 yr old son. Recently saw our first 1080p HD movie “Journey to the center of the earth” and it was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Movie files with .vob,.avi and .wmv works perfect. I have not tried others yet. Even, if some do not work, there are many sites where we have converters available. So this is not a big deal too.

On the whole, it is a great TV with very good features. Its a good tradeoff between the basic models this year and the higher end versions which made it attractive for me. I did not have to settle for a lower less feature version nor wanted to go for umpteen number of features with a higher version costing above 1000 bucks.

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Update – Now has Amazon VOD Support, June 16, 2012

By 

G. Peck (Illinois) –

  

As many others have pointed out, this set has great picture quality. However, you will really have to work at it. Out of the box the picture looked awful and I was ready to return this set. Then I was lucky enough to find a review by “Gordon” for the Samsung UN32EH5000. I used the exact settings he specified and now the picture looks great. His settings are:

Mode: Dynamic
Backlight: 18
Contrast: 85
Brightness: 50
Sharpness: 80
Color: 70
TInt: G/R 50/50
Standard color tone with screen fit in the additional options, with HDMI black level set to low.

I just finished the latest software update and Amazon Video on Demand has finally been added!

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