Samsung UN50ES6580 50-Inch 1080p 120Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV (Black) Reviews

Sharp, Clear and Bright!, June 23, 2012

The Samsung UN46ES6580 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV has a phenomenal picture.
The picture is bright, clear and sharp. I love this picture! You might find yourself looking at the picture and seeing details in TV programs and DVD’s that you have never seen before. The scrolling banners on news programs for instance come in clear and crisp. I have not noticed any motion blurring at all.
I use OTA(Over the Air) to receive TV signals. This utilizes just a plain old TV antenna. HD signals are fantastic. SD signals are just OK. The tuner in the TV worked great at picking up stations from my state and my neighboring state. I get lots of stations easily. Plain to upgrade to Comcast TV next week, so I will see what the picture looks like then.

I find the controls and menu system to be relatively intuitive. Easy to navigate and you find what you are looking for easily. The remote could be better, but it is not too bad. It would have been nice to have a remote with a small keyboard
and mouse pad. Its entirely usable, but not the best for surfing the internet and inputting text for search engines or apps like YouTube, Netflix, and others.
There is a better solution. Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 with Built-In Multi-Touch Touchpad (920-003070) Comes with a USB connector that plugs into back of TV. Great for surfing internet and general navigation through TV menu controls.
To set up keyboard, go to MENU, then SYSTEM, over to DEVICE MANAGER, then to KEYBOARD SETTINGS. That’s it…It might recognize keyboard automatically after you plug in USB receiver, and you might not have to do those steps however.
The TV does come with 4 active 3D glasses. Have not used 3D yet.
Also, comes with Skype camera. Have not used this either yet.

I find that the video setting of Dynamic is best for me. Also, my wife and I like the sound setting on Movie. There are plenty of settings to adjust picture and sound.

Internet works fast and apps seem pretty nice. You can have TV PIP(picture in Picture) when surfing the internet. Nice!

Overall, so far, I have not had any problems. If you register your TV on Samsung site, you will get an extra 3 months on your warranty.

After thought. I spent over 2 years casually researching TV’s. This one has everything that I wanted and hoped for. Went to Sam’s Club before buying this one and brought home a 50″ LG Plasma for half the price of the Samsung. Of course it was not a Smart TV though. It had 3 bright defective pixels. The LG went right back to Sam’s Club the same day. The display model at Sam’s had 2 defective pixels. This is just plain inexcusable.
That is when I decided to “bite the bullet” and ordered the more expensive Samsung. I do not regret my decision.

Also, when I ordered from Amazon, the price was $100 more than what it is now. As the TV was being shipped, Amazon promptly refunded the difference. Good going Amazon.
However, I was not happy with the way Amazon shipped the TV. It was by regular UPS delivery. The box had one visible break in it. I expected and wrongly assumed, better packaging. The shipping box was the original box the TV comes in. Should have been doubled boxed with better padding.

Other than that, I would recommend this TV if it is within your budget. It really is fantastic…if it lasts.

Robert

Update: Skype camera works well on initial testing. Video and sound quality is good. Skype app has option to automatically login when TV starts, but it seems like it only automatically logins when you actually enter Smart Hub, and not when TV actually starts. Possible Skype app problem. Also, had one occasion when after using some app, that the TV only displayed a pinkish
hue. Reset TV by unplugging, and then plugging back in. Have not had any other problems since. Also, there is a firmware update for TV on Samsung website.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment (1)

Great picture, when it isn’t cloudy, August 6, 2012

By 

John Schlarb (Duluth, GA) –

  

This TV has a fantastic picture, until you get to a dark scene. There are visible “clouds” at the edge of my screen when watching letterboxed movies, and when viewing menus on gaming consoles. It almost looks like you’re at a drive-in movie with someone shining their headlights on the screen. It’s not terrible, but it’s enough to be annoying. I should have done more research before buying this TV. Some forum discussions indicate that the 6580 has microdimming, but it doesn’t. You’ll need to step up to the UN46ES7100 for this.

Pros
+ WiFi works well for streaming HD (1080p60)
+ Samsung store has all the apps I need (Hulu, Vudu, Pandora, Netflix)
+ Screen is nice and bright, great for daytime viewing
+ Movie and Standard modes have good defaults (Standard needed some tweaking)
+ HDMI CEC works great – I can control my Sony BluRay player with it!
+ 2D-3D conversion works well, and the remote has a dedicated button for this
+ Glasses are comfortable; 3D looks much better than at the theater.
+ Uses less energy than a 60-watt bulb
+ SD looks “good enough” (but HD looks superb)

Cons
– LED light leakage is visible in dark scenes, and in letterboxed movies. Great uniformity otherwise.
– IR remote backlight is much too dim, and requires pressing the button twice to turn on (why??)
– Frame interpolation is enabled by default, and is difficult to find in the menu to turn off. Classic movies looked like soap operas until I figured out how to disable this.
– Natural Mode is not natural, and Dynamic mode is unusable for me.
– Adjusting Picture settings takes several remote clicks; IR remote should have a dedicated button for this
– 1 hot pixel in my sample; not visible from my viewing position

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (2)

Best TV Ever, June 26, 2012

By 

L. Alquist –

  

My wife and I bought this Samsung TV to replace an older one in our home. We have a 44″ Samsung in our 5th wheel camper and really enjoyed the picture clarity, so that’s what influenced our decision on this Samsung. From the moment I turned it on, I could not believe the picture. This TV has it all. Plus the 3D is fa-nominal. If you order from Amazon, they ship it free, no sales tax and the shipping company un-crates it and sets it up for you at no charge. Of course I gave the guys a $20. as a tip though. All in all, so far we’re very pleased with our decision.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment