Best Buy HDTVs Reviews

Samsung PN50B650

We bought this TV after 3 months of research and analytics. In the end in our analysis Plasma won over LCD and Samsung won over Panasonic.We were decided on the Panasonic G10 but made a switch at the last minute with this deal to save some extra $$. We may also have a Sammy bias as we have owned 3 Samsung TVs so far and are very happy with their performance and service.

First on Amazing Amazon – This was our first big electronics deal on Amazon. No sales tax + free dly = no brainer ! Amazon gives you the best deal – period. We chose standard delivery and were lucky to get the TV delivered at home in 3 days !! Very professional and courteous folks from CEVA brought the big package one level up the stairs, unpacked and hooked it up for us. Very smooth! This beats site to store/pick up from any big box retailer.
Now on the Amazing Samsung TV – amazing colors and contrast – our other TV is a Sammy LCD hdtv and we feel Plasma picture quality is way superior than LCD. LED LCDs are comparble/better but almost $1k more expensive at same size.

Having watched CRT most of our growing years we are tolerant to a bit of glare and chose not to shell out extra money to avoid it completely. This TV reduces glare to a large extent but you still get some if light source is in direct reflection path. a non issue for us. Also while we worry about the image retention /burn in issue we have not seen any so far even though we watch all the regular news channels and logo channels as before. Again possibly we are not looking for it so do not notice when it does happen for a while and then it gets corrected automatically in a few minutes. We mainly watch Cable TV and on weekends watch a few DVDs. The TV is in its 2nd week now and we are taking precautions like making the picture larger to fit screen or in wide mode. The in built pixel shift process for preventing image retention is also in the ON mode and working I guess. Will update after the break in period is over.
We have no issue with the sound on this TV – we use direct sound from TV as well as have it wired to a 5.1 Sammy Home Theater system which we use only switch to for the movies or special progrmas.

Size was another factor we had trouble deciding. From 46 to 55 inch we finally decided it had to be 50. 46 is aso a decent if you are upgrading from a 32 or 37 and 50/52 is as good as 55 if you want a bigger look. The difference is more noticable in showrooms with TVs side by side – otherwise even after months of looking at TVs we get fooled into thinking a lone 46 on the wall is a 52 or that a 50 is a 54- to us they all look equally big in isolation.

Overall we are very happy with this purchase and recommend it strongly to anyone looking for a good TV with a great picture and at a great price.

Reviewed by : kitkat “kitkat”,   Jan 8, 2010

Samsung PN58B860

I recently purchased this TV after reading countless reviews and information on BestBuy, Amazon, AVSforum, CNET, etc… I initially planned to buy new LED-LCD model but the more homework I did, I realized Plasma was the best bet. If you are new to this and not a believer in Plasma, do your homework, and you will come out a believer. Plasma has valid issues of burn-in, image retention, long term brightness but new models have adequately overcome these issues as long as you take care of the TV. LED – LCD esp. samsung models have legitimate issues of not properly displaying color throughout the TV. GO look at the colors in the corner on a white screen/black screen. It looks like crap (displays the opposite color) and once you notice, you can’t not notice it. Why spend 2500 on a TV that you know has a problem. There is no denying it. If I had to guess, in a few years LED LCD hybrid models won’t be around. I think they are a crappy design – dont believe the media hype.

I stood next to this TV in two different best buys and listened for a buzz as good as I could. They buzzed but from what I could tell it was faint. I’ve had my TV setup for four days now. It buzzes at about the same level. I have YET to notice it while listening to it – even on mute – I can’t hear it from 8 – 10 feet away – only when I put my ear on the TV (And I dont watch TV doing that). As someone else wrote, my comcast HD Dvr box is louder, so is my Dell home computer. For me the buzzing is not a legitimate issue. And the heat isn’t an issue either. Many home devices get way hotter than this TV including the comcast box, blu ray player, PS3, etc…

Good news so far – picture is phenomenal. I’ve watched cable, movies, blu ray movies, streaming netflix, sports. Been impressed with all of it. Menu is easy to use and operate. Setup is simple. Connected the TV to the internet using a powerline ethernet adapter. Worked fine – again easy to use. It uses yahoo, flickr, and supports DLNA use. Have a comcast box and a HTIB (LG LHB953) connected to it. Everything was easy to connect and setup.

Surprises so far – glare. Lots of glare. If you’re in a bright room with this TV – there is lots of glare – more than what I am used to with my older DLP Tabletop that I had. I can’t get the CinemaSmooth mode to work but I think it only works when you are watching a blu ray (manual says you must have a 1080p connection and comcast is only 1080i). It’s heavier than an LCD too. About 81 lbs. Keep that in mind if you’re planning to mount. Even though it’s very thin (1.2 inches thick), it is heavier than an LCD.

I love the TV, love the picture. I also love Amazon’s service and prices. Best Buy was $500 more by the time the tax was collected. I got a great price on this TV and it got here in four business days after the purchase. I’ll update if anything changes. But if you need something to convince you like I did to buy this TV, go do it. It’s awesome.

Reviewed by : Brian Fisher,   Jan 12, 2010

Samsung LN52B750

I’ve been an HDTV owner for six years and during that time, I’ve assisted about two dozen friends in their HDTV home theater setups. I’ve just upgraded to the Samsung LN52B750 and I couldn’t be happier. For reference, I’m upgrading from a Samsung DLP and I own another Samsung LCD HDTV.

There’s a lot that’s misunderstood about this TV, so rather than the usual Pros and Cons, I’d like to share how I’m getting viewing value from this set.

First, if you’re reading this, you’re either already an LCD owner or have read about them – and have read about this new breed and if you’re like I was, you’re wondering what’s what.

Color swirls – you never read about this, but if you’ve watched TV on an LCD set in the past, especially with standard def (SD) stations, you’ve seen it. The backgrounds look like compressed colors from jpg photo files. My earlier LCD HDTV (8ms response time) had it – this one simply does not. (I did have trouble watching compression artifacts in a movie from 1930 on TCM on this TV – but that movie was so hosed, I can’t blame the TV only.)

Contrast – you’ve read by now that all LCD set makers lie about this. If you’re confused and remember the old audio days, that works like this: You’d have a 35 watt RMS/channel amp (into 8 ohms). Some would lie and call it a 70 watt amp. Then lie some more and call it a 140 watt amp (how about 4 ohm speakers?). Then lie some more and refer to peak instead of RMS – and suddenly a 35 watt amp is legally lied about as a 200 watt amp. Now – I don’t know the ins and outs of legal contrast lying, but I believe what I’ve read – it exists in this industry. This set is rated at a contrast of 150,000:1 – with every stretch of legal lying possible – the contrast on this set is amazing. I still cannot believe that it’s an LCD. It’s simply that good in terms of contrast. One plasma-owning friend insisted for a half hour that I was wrong, and had gotten a top line plasma.

Blur/response/lag – LCDs are noted for this weakness. Not this TV. Read on.

Quality of SD programs – some controversy exists. Not a problem on this TV. Read on.

240 Hz AMP – this is the most misunderstood feature I’ve read about on this TV. Nothing I’ve read in any review prepared me for what to expect. I was buying the TV partially for this feature, noting that depending upon whom you believe, you turn this feature on, off, on for movies but not sports, on for sports but not movies.

It’s none of those on/off things. It’s adjustable. Here are my simple recommendations based on my setup:

1. DirecTV.

I use a Dayton HDMI cable, also bought on Amazon (amazingly good cable – buy it), from my DirecTV HR20. I have the HR20 set up to display all resolutions in Native mode. The LN52B750 switches resolution so quickly that this is not a problem. Unlike earlier sets I’ve owned, the HDMI input on this TV accepts 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p – the HR20 outputs all of those on HDMI. In DirecTV circles, it’s well-known to set your TV and your HR20 to the TV’s native resolution and turn Native output off on the HR20. This is because the HR20 is purportedly better at 3:2 pulldown processing than the top of the line chipsets/firmware used only a few years ago, in that the pulldown is done between the steps of converting the satellite signal to TV frames – and my own experience agreed with that.

However, I offer this simple advice – set your HR20 output to Native, all resolutions, and set the B750′s 240Hz processing to: Blur=5, Judder=3 – and you’ll be exceptionally happy with the results from all program input. My Boston Legal reruns have never looked so good and they appear on some of the poorest-signal (highly compressed) stations in my lineup. So, with this setting, SD as well as satellite 720p and 1080i programs look great – not fake at all. (And all you have to do to see the controversy on this feature is to “turn it on” without customizing its adjustment – and wait for your eyes and stomach to turn.)

I played baseball as a kid – loved it. Still remember what a ball looks like going through the air. When you’re at the right angle, you see a stobe of blur and clear, red stitches. With the Blur=5,Judder=3 adjustment, I have finally seen just that watching a dropping curve ball (720p source). Any higher or lower, the ball looks wrong – oh, yes, very exciting – but wrong.

So I strongly recommend this set for its 240 Hz processing – providing you are willing to change those two parameters slowly and study a lot of source material to dial in what’s right. I contend that if you’re a DirecTV HR20 owner, I’ve just given you the key to really great SD and HD viewing.

And don’t fear about those great blurs being missed from movies that wanted it there – Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire looked really great in that regard.

BTW – resolution switching on this set is FAST – you’ll experience little or NO extra delay when switching resolutions. (Not true on my older HDTVs.)

2. HTPC (Home Theater PC)

I use a Mac mini. I know, people hate them, you pay too much for Macs, yadda, yadda, yadda. The Mac mini is THE correct form-factor for a HTPC. You can find duplicates of this form-factor – and directly comparable features – in the Windows world for **exactly** the same price as a Mac mini – so, ’nuff said on price.

But – so far as a I know, only the built-in Apple DVD Player plays movies at 24 frames/second. Last I checked (and this may have changed by now), all other software (Win) does playback at TV rates: 60 frames/sec, with progressive scanning, etc.

Now – I’m not explaining all of this to brag about Macs – this is all about Blu-Ray vs. DVDs.

The de-judder tech being targeted by the 240 Hz processing is all about reconciling Blu-Ray 24 fps (read: real theater) vs. 30/60 fps (read: TV signals).

I don’t own a Blu-Ray player – my gut, after all of these years, is still telling me to wait for the right features and prices.

But, I do use a Mac mini for my HTPC and if you do – or are considering one – here is my recommendation (based on Leopard 10.5.7): set the DVD Player to Best Quality Deinterlacing, set the Mac Display preferences to 1920×1080 at 24 Hz (it’s progressive by default), and feed that into your LN52B750 with the 240 Hz options set to Blur=5 or 6, Judder=6 or 7 – and your jaw will drop. If you have a copy of Moulin Rouge – use it as your reference for the settings. I particularly recommend noting that you’ll actually see the dust kitties on the floor in the Tango Roxanne chapter (among other things) and also suggest that you’ll really love the depth and details of the stars, lace and glitter in Your Song.

With those settings you’ll not only get a great HTPC, but you’ll get possibly the best standard DVD player you’ve ever owned. Before the LN52B750, it was very good – now it’s really incredible. Ghost Dog and Moulin Rouge on DVD are now completely three dimensional (not exaggerated foreground fakey – actually 3-D looking) – I didn’t even know that this sort of picture was possible from a DVD.

I think my setup shows how well this TV works with a 1080p/24 fps source – I can only imagine that Blu-ray looks even better.

(edited 5-26-09)

3. Sound

People complain about the sound quality of the LN52B750. I don’t know. I haven’t used a TV for sound in 8 years. I don’t wish to sound snobbish, but really – you’re spending a boatload on your TV and input sources, why listen to TV speakers?

I don’t go for surround sound. I’m an audio purest that prefers the highest fidelity stereo. To each his own, but if you’re like me, here’s the secret on that: route the optical audio out from the LN52B750 into the Mac mini, not from the DirecTV’s optical port. This routing is surprisingly better. Use Rogue Amoeba’s free LineIn software, set all buffers to default values except for output – use a buffer size of 2048 – convert the optical to copper stereo and pipe that into your stereo system. This is the best TV-to-stereo sound I’ve gotten in 8 years.

I’m using large electrostatic panels, driven by a 400 watt (peak)/channel amp and a 2 kW servo-controlled subwoofer. You hear sound from all over the room and the depth and spacial qualities are great. I recommend more money into a better stereo and less room wiring over surround sound, but that’s just me. To each, his own.

4. Miscellaneous Adjustments

Next, some words on clouding, screen adjustment and glare.

Glare – I don’t have any. Yeah – I can see some reflection in the screen at various times of the day. The picture quality is so deep – as is the contrast – that I don’t even notice glare, if it is there. And the screen is neither glossy nor matte. It feels glossy, but is low-glare like matte, but sharp and clear like glossy. They’re telling the truth on that improvement.

Clouding – let the set burn in for a few days before looking. This is great advice for any large LCD, by the way. Clouding – I don’t have any.

Adjustments: Go. Very. Slow. I’d recommend not touching a thing for a full 24 hours of viewing. So far, I’ve turned down the backlight and the contrast and turned up the brightness. I’m not going to suggest numbers here, though – there are too many factors, such as your room, that will dictate what’s right. I will say that out of the box, the contrast is too high, as is the backlight (but not the brightness) – so, as I said: Adjust. Each. Parameter. Slowly. You’ll be pleased.

5-26-09: Three things – absolutely *turn off* Dynamic Contrast and Edge Enhancement!! Also, Digital Noise Reduction (NR) defaults to auto – certainly on DVDs, this causes an electric sort of look to things like paper; better at Medium or High.

Color – I read a review that favored Auto over Native – I agree.

Film mode – It defaults to Auto2 (optimized for scrolling text). Use Auto1 (film optimized) – text looks just fine.

5. Internet

This is not a worthless feature. I thought it would be – but it isn’t. If you’re using a Mac mini and getting the net wirelessly, go to System Prefs->Network->Ethernet, and set DHCP with manual IP – set IP to 192.168.2.1 – then go to Sharing and share your Airport connection through the Ethernet. Run an Ethernet cable 100/1000BaseT type (looks like a big phone connector) from the Mac to the TV. Set the TV internet as follows: IP=192.168.2.2, mask=255.255.255.0, and BOTH Gateway and DNS Servers to 192.168.2.1 – and you’re all set.

Note – this doesn’t support your DLNA features into the TV – and if you have a HTPC, especially a Mac, you don’t want that anyway. Your music files will all have to transcode to support the feature – stick with your native music format, and simply switch to Mac Front Row for your music listening. You’ll get higher quality and you’ve already made those music import decisions – and I suspect the same is true if you’re a Vista/Home Media user and that’s your HTPC. (Update – with [...] software, this config does support DLNA features from Mac to TV – if you need that sort of thing.)

BUT – and this is a big BUT – if it’s easy, hook up your Mac or other HTPC to share its internet connection. You already get your OS upgrades via the net, regardless of whether you prefer OS X or Windows. Well, guess what? This TV is at its heart, a whole lot of computing technology. Out of the box, my LN52B750 firmware was marked from 3-30-2009 – and last week (in May 2009), Samsung already had a firmware upgrade for this set. What did Samsung upgrade? I don’t know and I don’t care. I let my Windows XP and Mac OS X computers upgrade themselves all the time. These guys want to fix things for free, I don’t argue – I take the fix.

Get it connected to the internet and you’ll never have to sweat getting an upgrade or remember how to transfer it to your TV via a USB stick. For upwards of US$2k, I like not sweating things. BTW, please note that at this point, the TV doesn’t seem to support automatic updates – so you still have to go over to that menu option. Not bad. (10-13-2009 update: firmware updates are now automatic if hooked to the net.)

Having gotten that far, I tried out the Yahoo widgets. This is an underrated feature by far. I’m now set up to get the quick 5-day forecasts here, back where Mom is, and out where my company’s other locations are. It puts the TV show being watched into its own shadowbox while viewing the widget. This is insanely faster and easier than using my Mac Dashboard or the DirecTV widget for the same thing – and I never lost track of my show and I never picked up a mouse.

Oh – I also used Yahoo News and Video to get the latest web video of the Hubble repairs during a long commercial break. Sure, it was low-res. But I did it with my remote, and not a mouse, and didn’t lose track of time on the web looking at Hubble stuff during a commercial break.

So – I strongly recommend the internet connection option for this TV, too.

6. Heat

LCD sets get hot, the longer they’re on. I burned out my first LCD HDTV from days-long ontime. I left this TV on for 50 hours straight. It is summer (here in the desert), and I do have my swamp cooler on – but this TV screen is still barely warm to the touch.

7. Trusting commercial reviewers

Anyone who publishes that they’ve tested the X-inch model of this set, but this one is the same – don’t read them, don’t believe them. Quality control for manufacturing LCD sets increases almost exponentially as you go up in size. Only trust reviews on the actual set you’re looking at – not the next one over, not last year’s model.

8. LCD response time

This set is rated at 2 ms. I’ve heard that’s a lie in a review of 120 Hz sets – although the reviewer wouldn’t mention manufacturers. That reviewer said that they were simply taking 8 ms panels, and rating them at 4 ms when doing 120 Hz processing – and so, while my TV was in transit, I rightly wondered if the 2 ms is simply the same math applied to an 8 ms screen at 240 Hz (4 time as fast as 60 Hz, four times as fast as 8 ms).

I have no earthly idea. All that I can say for a certain fact is that this thing is razor sharp and lacks the motion artifacts (and swirls) I’ve seen on my other 8 ms LCD HDTVs. I hope this helps, some, with that confusion.

9. Actual Size

I don’t why it does this but it does: it sees my Mac via the DVI-HDMI connection and gives me a Fit Screen size adjustment. No more lost pixels, no more need for SwitchResX or DisplayConfigX. No such option from the DirecTV HDMI input. I don’t know why.

But I do know this: for years, HDTV makers were hiding a bit of the edges from their input sources – causing no end of grief for HTPC owners. This set does away with all of those woes.

(**** UPDATE, May 23 – The Screen Fit option works with any HD source – DirecTV or HTPC. Switch to 480i input, and the screen fit option goes away. Also – when you get the typical HistoryHD show where they just stretch the letterbox picture horizontally, giving everyone that Pillsbury Doughboy face, you can fix that by quickly switching the TV to 4:3 mode. You end up with an HD in letterbox – not as good as full-screen HD, but way better than watching the Pillsbury Doughboy.)

10. Correct Adjustment.

They tell us that the only way to do this is with a TV tech, and to pay for it professionally. Believe them. This TV has no less than 9 adjustments for red, green and blue – add in brightness, gamma, etc and you have over a dozen adjustments there.

Think: 12-sided Rubic’s cube – now you’ve got the idea.

So, I’m just adjusting the brightness/backlight/contrast myself. Independent reviewers all claim that the Samsung brand rocks right out of the box for color correctness. That wasn’t true of my older Samsungs – it most certainly is for this one. The color just looks great.

13. The Remote

I had things down to just my Mac remote and my DirecTV remote. Now I’ve got that third remote happening again, to use some of this TV’s cooler features. Just like most people use surround sound while I use stereo, it seems most people get integrated remotes instead of using several.

OK – I’m a Luddite or something. We use multiple remotes. (This one for music, sound, photos and DVD control, this one for DirecTV and now this one for switching source inputs and checking out my Yahoo widgets.) My wife and I just find this easier. So, if you’re like us in that regard:

This is a great remote. It feels comfy in the hands like you wouldn’t believe, it has backlighting, the buttons are big enough to read. What more can I say than that?

14. Viewing Distance

I watch mine at 12.5 feet from the screen. This is well within reason for this size TV. If you watch at a showroom, be prepared to pace off what your viewing distance will be. I often go through stores and see people judging HDTVs by being 8 feet in front of one, 12 feet in front of another. Don’t ever do that. I cannot overstate the importance of judging TVs from the distance consistent with your own use.

15. Pilot Delivery

I got my LN52B750 via Amazon’s supplied Pilot Delivery. These guys were great. Others have had issues, many haven’t. Pilot seems to employ local guys for their white glove delivery. My local guys were great – ’nuff said.

16. 6/13/2009 edit – If you register your TV on the Samsung website, they give you an additional 3 months on your warranty.

Well – that’s it. Thanks for reading. Hope I’ve helped.

Reviewed by : Eirlymon,  May 17, 2009

Samsung LN46B630

Well, so far – so good.

Just received the TV this afternoon, and setup was a snap. HDMI inputs are plentiful (three on the back, one on the side), and fortunately there are also inputs for Composite (two, both on the back), and an old-style RCA video input (also on the side). The set also allows for connections of USB, PC-out, digital audio optical input. You can also hook the set up to your LAN with a standard Ethernet connector (sorry kids, no WiFi yet).

**EDIT: Ok, let me clarify something here. The set WILL support WiFi with the appropriate USB adapter (direct link:Samsung WIS09ABGN LinkStick Wireless LAN Adapter) , but since it’s not included with the set as-is, hence the above comment about WiFi. END EDIT**

The stand assembly was simple (8 screws and done). The stand also rotates slightly (20 degrees left/right off center), which while not uncommon, is a plus. Also worth mentioning, the stand also incorporates Samsung’s “Touch of Color” so the front bezel has a light red stripe, co conform with the same stripe on the bezel of the TV. I’m honestly not sure what the point of the “Touch of Color” is, but if nothing else, it makes the TV easier to find in the dark (sarcasm is like a second language to me, by the way). I mention the stand only because I originally planned to put the set on a console-style table, until I found my old wall-mount (see below for more on that).

Speaking of finding things in the dark however, I must also mention that the remote for the TV, while not appearing to be able to be able to control other devices (standard fast-forward, pause, etc… style buttons at the bottom of the remote are used to control slideshows, etc) all of the buttons are back-lit, with a highlighted “on/off” button. This IS a thoughtful idea, and one that I wish many more TV designers will implement.

Thus far the set has performed admirably, HDMI output from my cable provider is clear and sharp. A few simple adjustments to adjust the set for my specific room (and my particular taste) conditions, and everything is gorgeous. I also have tried out an older (non-upconverting) DVD player via Component inputs as well, and “Fringe” looks damn-near perfect.

Sound however is another matter. There’s really only SO much you can do with two speakers, and Samsung has done a VERY good job with adjustments and whatnot, but let’s face it – if you’re buying a 46-inch TV, you probably already have a MUCH better stereo ready to roll. If not – well, this would be the ONLY caveat emptor I would point out (and it’s STILL not a big enough deal to make me reduce my 5-star rating either, so there).

Ok, one note worth mentioning here, as I had to play “find the correct-sized bolt” to use my old wall-mount: The bolts you will need are standard 8-mm x 25-mm sizes that will easily screw into the back of the set.

One more item – make all your back-side connections before you hang the set. This may sounds like a “DUH” suggestion, but trust me from experience, you tend to get excited and forget to think EVERYTHING through when setting something like this up for the first time.

I must also commend the delivery company (CEVA) as they were courteous, friendly and helpful. They didn’t offer to set the set up, but they did carry the set through the house, and placed it (VERY carefully) in the room in which it was to be set up in.

For the money, I really have to say this is one of the most impressive TV sets I’ve bought. Excellent image quality, decent (for a TV) sound, and extraordinarily intuitive and simple setup process.

If I have any further insights as I move through my ownership journey, I’ll be sure to add them here.

Thanks for reading.

Reviewed by : Fitzy “A book is like a garden carried in the pocket”,  Sep 9. 2009