Samsung UN50ES6500 50-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Black)

Second Samsung TV, April 16, 2012

After purchasing a Samsung UN55D7000 about 6 months ago (2011 model) which I was very happy with, I needed a new TV for my bedroom and this model was the perfect size and it had many of the same features.

This TV is the 2012 model and is still fairly new, they are still working out the bugs with the smartTV side for the 2012 models at Samsung. I noticed that this TV does not have the HBO2GO app yet and I read how it is because it is a 2012 and the app has to be changed.

Also the Browser is not working, this could be an issue with just my tv but I tested it and it would not connect.

I compared this TV next to the D7000 and it was exactly the same but it did not have the “spotlighting” that occurs on the 2011 models. The blacks seem much blacker also.

I have not tested the 3D part, one good this is that this model comes with 2 pairs of glasses, they are the ones with batteries you have to replace and they do not recharge but I did not buy it for the 3d part.

I tested the Pandora app and it worked the same as other my other TV. The entire Samsung model line up seems to be ahead of the curve and quality seems to be great. The tv is very thin and crystal clear. The built in speakers sound good.

Pros
– Clear Picture and good colors
– Samsung smartTV – huge fan of how it works and the ease of use

Cons

– Browser is not working and some apps are not ready for the 2012 line up (yet, no worries they will get them working)

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Samsung UN60ES6500, April 26, 2012

By 

Benny Hugo (Los Angeles, CA) –

  

I just received the TV yesterday at noon time and here are my initial impressions on it (an update will follow in 2 weeks)…

Please keep in mind I previously owned a Samsung UN52A650, UN46D6000, UN55D6000 and now on my 4th Samsung unit UN60ES6500, all purchased through Amazon.com

HARDWARE SPECS
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Yes, the ES6500 models do come with only 3 HDMI inputs. I don’t know why people are rating the TV low because of this (downgrade) feature. Having previously owned the UN55D6000, which had 4 HDMI inputs, I never made use of all 4 HDMI ports anyhow because I do own an Onkyo 607 receiver with a built in 5 HDMI switcher.

Here is how I use the HDMI labeled ports:
1) HDMI/DVI (recommended for PC use) – connected to my HTPC computer, very sharp clear text in 1920×1080 resolution with Windows 7
2) HDMI 2 – connected directly to Sony 3D BX58 BLU RAY player (since my Onkyo 607 does not support 3D, but planning on buying Onkyo 616 through Amazon). Amazing picture quality. Be sure to use a high speed (10.2gbps) HDMI cable to playback 3D content.
3) HDMI 3 – connected to Onkyo 607 receiver (cable box, Asus Oplay media player, Xbox 360, PS3)

The TOSLINK (optical output on TV) however does not pass through HD-MASTER, TRUHD, or any other high fidelity sound other than Dolby Digital and PCM. The only way to achieve this is to connect your blu ray player through your surround sound receiver.

The speakers sound OK, but only use them when watching conventional TV programming. Surround sound is used mostly especially during movies and sporting events.

PICTURE QUALITY
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Default settings set the contrast level at ’14’ which is too low for my taste. I did some calibration to match my UN55D6000 set and found the UN60ES6500 to be a tad bit dimmer than the UN55D6000, maybe because of the new semi-gloss finish on the screen. Again, I will come back in two weeks to update this section after I have found the perfect settings for each of the 3 HDMI inputs, which can be configured independently.

Now for the 3D part… I don’t have an actual 3D blu ray movie just yet, and will update in 2 weeks when I do watch one. However, I was able to view 1920×1080 24p/30p demos on my Sony 3D blu ray player and watched various content including music videos, sports, and PS3 games. I’ve seen plenty of store demos on 3D, and after playing around with the UN60ES6500 3D features, I must tell you that 3D has come a long way especially on this unit. The UN60ES6500 3D feature is simply mind blowing!! You may have seen 3D, where it feels like the 3D only goes ‘into the TV’ and not protrude out towards you. The UN60ES6500 3D feature DOES COME OUT at you, and with great depth! I’ve seen some LG models that their 3D content goes ‘out of the TV’, but let me tell you the demos I’ve watched last night REALLY came out!! I’m very amazed Samsung, job well done here! Even the 2D->3D worked impressively well, but again not as good as REAL3D video footage.

Again, I will come back and update this in 2 weeks from 4/26/2012. Hope this helped some of you in rethinking about buying the UN60ES6500. Thanks!

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