Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts

Friday, November 16, 2012

Samsung UN46C7000 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV (Black) Review

Samsung UN46C7000 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV (Black)
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Fantastic picture quality! Easy to set up and use. Shippers were great, unpacked the TV and made sure it worked before they left. The only complaint is I spent my 1st whole night wondering why all my shows looked the Soap Operas. Turns out this is caused by Samsung "Auto Motion Plus" feature that adds extra calculated frames to the video stream. Turning this off made the picture look as I expected (i.e. Law and Order's proper gritty/jerky camera motion when the detectives are on the street). When this mode is off the tv is still running at 240Hz, but shows the same frames unaltered over and over just like the movie theater does rather than trying to "make stuff up" in between frames. I now only turn on the "Auto Motion Plus" when watching hockey.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung UN46C7000 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV (Black)

Samsung LED HDTVs combine breakthrough picture quality and advanced connectivity options that will keep you entertained 24/7. This UN46C7000 LED HDTV also makes it easy to be green, and will save you some green, by being ENERGY STAR compliant.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Panasonic DY-WL10 Wireless LAN Adapter for select Panasonic Viera HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc Players Review

Panasonic DY-WL10 Wireless LAN Adapter for select Panasonic Viera HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc Players
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I'm using this with a Panasonic TC-P50G20 TV. As soon as it was plugged in, I was prompted to join a wireless network. Showed all Wi-Fi available with signal strength and type, a b g or n (very nice). Works perfectly with my Apple airport,type n.Very easy setup, just followed the prompts. It comes with a 3 ft USB extension cable which made hiding it much easier. Otherwise the dongle sticks out a little if plugged directly into the left side USB port. A bit expensive for what it is, but apparently nothing else will work. PS,there was already a update for the TV that was painless to install.I find Netflix works much better(clearer picture) with this adapter and the Panasonic TV than with my LG 390 blu-ray player.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic DY-WL10 Wireless LAN Adapter for select Panasonic Viera HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc Players

Wireless LAN Adaptor for select Panasonic VIERA HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players With the wireless LAN adaptor plugged into the USB terminal, VIERA Connect, Easy IPTV, or VIERA Cast along with other online content can be enjoyed wirelessly by accessing your Wireless LAN router. With a high sensitivity receiving antenna, the connection will be stable. Now you can setup your VIERA HDTV or Blu-ray Disc player freely without worrying about LAN cable wiring. Compatible with 2011 models - DMP-BDT110, TC-P65ST30 , TC-P65GT30, TC-P60ST30, TC-P60S30, TC-P60GT30, TC-P55ST30, TC-P55GT30, TC-P50X3, TC-P50ST30, TC-P50S30, TC-P50GT30, TC-P46X3, TC-P46ST30, TC-P46S30, TC-P42X3, TC-P42S30, TC-P42ST30, TC-L42E30, TC-L42E3, TC-L42D30, TC-L37E3, TC-L37DT30, TC-L32X30, TC-L32DT30, and TC-L32E3

Compatible with 2010 models - DMP-BDT350, DMP-BTD300, DMP-BD85, DMP-BD65, DMP-BD655, SC-BT730, SC-BT330, SC-BT230, SC-BT235 and DMP-B500

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Friday, September 21, 2012

Onkyo HT-RC180 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

Onkyo HT-RC180 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Network Receiver (Black)
Average Reviews:

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I've owned a lot of electronics, all makes and many models. I had not upgraded my core system for many years, and knew it was time for a change. I'm a fan of Onkyo (I have another Onkyo AV receiver in the living room) and was looking for one with network connection and more power. Man does this deliver. The quality, feel and look is all top-quality. This may be a 7.1 system, but it powers 10 speakers, two subs, and three different zones/rooms! That's 11 speakers plus two subs (13 total.) Remember that Frasier episode from a few years ago where he purchased a new soundsystem, and his living room looked like a speaker Stonehenge. Seemed farfetched at the time - but now it's clearly possible. If you use full sized speakers you would have a draw-dropping first impression. As it is, I have 11 speakers and one sub, varying sizes and makes - that's impressive enough.
The sound? Wow. I played Aero by Jean Michelle Jarre - a 5.1 audio DVD. It knocked my socks off. The audio resolution and depth were amazing. The receiver also has numerous listening modes - so many it takes over two pages in the manual to list them. Different Dolby modes, THX and many more. There's a diagram on the front panel that displays the speakers that will be used by each mode. As you change them, the speaker display changes - pretty simple. Want only two speakers? Four? Eleven? Simple.
So here's my experience, from unpacking to turn-on.
Packaging: Extra-heavy duty. Double-thick box, form fit foam. The box will take a lot of abuse in shipping. See my included photos.
Unpacking: Typical anti-static and foam wrap, tape and scratch protection. Heavy unit - will take two people to unpack unless you are comfortable moving heavy weight.
Installation: I find it easier to make a temporary platform at around the same height as the shelf the unit will sit on - I've always done this. In this case, two storage boxes put it at about the perfect height. This way I can attach all cables and simply slide the unit in place. When we're talking this many wires it's a big help. The RC180 includes a manual (thick!), quick start (handy!) and a sheet of decals to mark your speaker cables. At first I thought - "yes, like I'll need these!" Man did they come in handy! The labels were a real timesaver. Again, see the photos.
My BluRay player uses a network connection, and so does this unit. I had a single network cable in the room, so had to add a hub to split the connection. I can't use wireless in the home - it's an older building, lath/plaster/steel mesh. It works like a Faraday cage, and kills signals. The RC1800 uses a wired connection anyway, as does my BluRay player. If you already have a wired connection in the room, keep in mind you may need a hub to add more outlets.
It took around an hour to hook everything up, from unpacking to sliding the unit in place.
BEFORE I put the unit in place, I ran the speaker test. This allows you to verify correct placement. Again, it came in handy. I had the upper left front and upper right front speaker connections swapped (there are SEVEN speakers in front - Two Upper front, Two front, Two wide front, and one center!) Fixed that, then slid the unit in place.
Turned it on again, verified all the AV connections. You can customize pretty much all the connections. For example, I have my DVD set to use component in 1 and digital audio coax in 2. My VCR (yes, I still have a VCR) uses the VCR input, and I have the TV set to use optical in 2. This allows a lot of customization and personalization. Next I named all the inputs, so the display shows whatever text I want.
Then I ran the Audyssey setup. I love this system. My other Onkyo uses it as well, and it's great. The RC180 uses a more advanced version. It tests the standard three listening positions, and has an additional optional three positions for more fine tuning. I only needed three. This took around 15 minutes to run. It tests every speaker, including the subwoofer, then writes the data.
Next I customized the remote control. It's a universal remote with some cool options. There are programmable shortcut buttons (my music, my movies, etc.) as well as the standard controls for all your devices. It's interactive - you follow on-screen prompts (it uses your TV for the display.) Basically you enter the first three letters of your make, perform a search and select the make from an amazingly comprehensive list. You also select the category of the device - VCR, DVD, etc. You then go through a train and error selection process of codes. You're instructed step by step. My DVD took three tries for the correct codes. The BlyRay and VCR did it in one. After you are finished with that, you can program the shortcut buttons (My Movies, etc.) With one button press it will turn on selected devices, press play, etc.) Works perfectly. I press MyMovie and the TV turns on, the Onkyo turns on, the BluRay turns on and plays.
My only gripe is the net connectivity - the remote control takes a lot of getting used to, as the functions for net use are counterintuitive. The unit has built in support for several web based radio services. One of the included services, vTuner, is free. The others require a subscription (Sirus, Pandora, Rhapsody.) The instructions for vTuner setup were problematical. You're instructed to go to a URL and use the unit's MAC address to register. vRadio won't accept the MAC address - they want a unit ID. The vRadio instructions for finding the unit ID are not even close. Basically the Unit ID and Mac address are the same thing, but vTuner won't take it. Still fighting that. You can use vTuner without it, but you won't have favorites, playlists, etc.
Update: Figured it out. They do indeed want the MAC address - however, without any spaces, dashes, colons. Just the letters and numbers as one long string. Find the MAC address under the network setup - ignore the instructions from vTuner.
Streaming from your computer? The RC180 automatically detects the computers on your network with media servers running. I have three PC's running Windows media player - it found all three of them. I'll add more details on in-house media streaming in the future - I need some more hands-on to make an honest evaluation. My main PC is based on Windows 7. The instructions for connecting to the media player are for Media Player 11 (Vista / XP), not Windows 7. Windows 7 uses Media Player 12 - so you need to use the DLNA instructions, not the Windows Media Player instructions. One big mistake I made was attempting to connect to my computer before allowing access to the Onkyo. This stuck the Onkyo in a loop while it kept trying to connect. Eventually it gave up and I was able to get it all to work. You really need to create playlists to make it easy to use.
From what I see so far, I can't use my iTunes library. The Onkyo requires DLNA compliance, and iTunes is not - that's why you can't use iTunes with many devices over a network, including the PS3.
Followup: I can't stress how important a great center speaker is. I had an anemic speaker with a 4" woofer. It was basically a spare JBL studio speaker - great quality, but it was rated at 50 watts. I replaced it with a BIC center speaker that has two 6" woofers and a large horn - and handles 175 watts ( BIC America DV-62CLRS 6-Inch 2-Way Center Channel Speaker ). Wow! What a difference. With the old speaker, the Onkyo would not go past 70% volume - the Audyssey setup detected that feeble little speaker and limited the maximum output. Really annoying, since the rest of the speakers were pretty decent, but any more volume and that speaker would have been so much scrap. The center is mainly used for voice, but don't overlook it! Now I can crank to 100%!
More followup: It detects and streams audio from my Iomega StorCenter Pro ix4-200d 2 NAS (A network storage devide.)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Onkyo HT-RC180 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Network Receiver (Black)

The THXSelect2 Plus Certified HT-RC180 combines the latest home-theater functionality with home-network capability to create a compelling mid-range centerpiece. A rear-side Ethernet port enables the HT-RC180 either to receive and output audio tracks playing on your PC, or to bypass your PC and directly stream internet radio stations such as Rhapsody and Pandora. The HT-RC180 provides five HDMI1.3a inputs to handle a range of high-definition video and audio sources. HDMI compatibility also enables the receiver to upscale any video input to 1080p via Faroudja DCDi Cinema. This 110 W-rated receiver also features Audyssey DSXand DolbyPro LogicIIz, two new surround-sound formats that expand the spatial dimensionality of games and movies. On top of all this, you also have Audyssey room-correction and equalization technologies working to create a well-balanced soundstage, no matter the volume level or the shape of your room. Among the other highlights of the HT-RC180 are a customizable remote controller and a proprietary Universal Port that enables single-cable connection of peripheral audio devices.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Sony DMXNV1 Bravia Internet Video Link Review

Sony DMXNV1 Bravia Internet Video Link
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Unless you are prepared to watch video clips, from 1-5 minutes, with poor video (Not HDTV quailty), poor sound (Not Digital quality). I was lead to believe I would be able to watch full length movies and TV shows, not trailers. What a laugh!!! Don't bite!! Don't waste your money!! Spend it on a Blu-ray player instead.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DMXNV1 Bravia Internet Video Link

The BRAVIA Internet Video Link is an optional module that connects to DMeX–ready BRAVIA televisions. It allows access to streaming Internet video entertainment from popular sites with which Sony has partnered with. Navigation is fun and easy. The Xross Media Bar™ on-screen interface gives you access to a rich amount of content at no additional charge with your existing broadband connection. With the push of a button, a customized page based on your zip code automatically delivers the latest news, weather, and traffic straight to your BRAVIA TV.Would you rather huddle around a PC display to watch streaming online videos and content from popular Internet video sites or view it on your large screen BRAVIA HDTV while sitting comfortably in the family room? The choice is now easy thanks to the BRAVIA Internet Video Link module.

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sharp AQUOS LC52LE700UN 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review

Sharp AQUOS LC52LE700UN 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV
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I was a bit hesitant to buy this TV as I was waiting for a price drop on the Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color for several days. Then, at Fry's I saw Sharp's new LC52LE700UN standing next to Samsung's LN52B750 and they both looked quite similar, though Samsung's screen was slightly brighter. The picture quality appeared to be the same. I grabbed the Sharp's remote and changed the picture settings and I was able to increase the backlight up to match Samsung's level while still maintaining amazing contrast ratio and black levels.
By the end of the day I decided to go for the Sharp TV, and I had it for almost a week now. The picture looks really great at any time of the day, when the room is dark or lit (we have a side window facing south). The TV's sound is pretty good and clear, but I decided in advance that I'd like good external speakers to match this great TV.
The TV features also a VGA input (there's also an S-Video input), which is handy for connecting a computer or laptop. I tried connecting my MacBook Pro yesterday and it was able to drive it at 1344x756 (16:9) and 1344x1008 (4:3), but I couldn't get 1920x1080. The picture looks sharp, and it was good enough to watch Hulu on it.
If there's one thing I don't like about it, it's the remote, which is not really stylish to say the least (Samsung's glossy remote looks much better). That's not a deal breaker, since most common function (Power, volume, input selection) can be done by almost any Blu-ray remote anyway (I have Samsung BD-P3600 blu-ray player remote, which looks great).
Overall, this is an excellent TV for the price and the picture quality is comparable to higher-end Samsung TVs which cost few hundred dollars more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp AQUOS LC52LE700UN 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV



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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240  Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black
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I have had my Sony KDL46NX810 for about a month. I have the 3D accessories, a Sony PlayStation 3 and a computer hooked to the TV. Most of the content I watch is on the internet over the computer, streaming Netflix, and Amazon Video on Demand. The 3D effect is a novelty. Once the new wears off I will put the 3D glasses in a draw and forget about them. I wish I purchased a less expensive TV that does not have 3D. Other than my disappointment with 3D, I am quite happy with the TV.

CONNECTIONS: My computer and PlayStation are both connected to the TV with 12' long inexpensive HDMI cables purchased from Harbor Freight (seller of cheap tools). The 3D starter pack I purchased came with a "High-speed HDMI cable..... (for the) transfer of both 3D video and audio signals". So far the inexpensive HDMI cable seems to work fine even with 3D content. The TV is also connected to the internet with a cat 5 cable. It has WiFi but I didn't need it (or try it). I have high speed internet access through the local cable provider. I have experienced no trouble streaming content.
ANTENNA: I get the same number of channels over the air as I did when I had a 7 year old generic HD TV. There is an onscreen program guide. During setup the TV asked if I wanted the programming guide from the internet or from over-the-air. I chose the internet option. On the TV guide channel I can see what will be on hours from now.

LOOK: The TV looks great. The Sony emblem lights up when you turn on the TV. You can turn that feature off if you want. I have the TV mounted on the wall. The monolithic design was great. I say was because the IR emitter that is required for 3D makes the TV not so monolithic any more. The emitter is the bunny-ears of the 3D television age. It should have been built in to the TV. It's not that bad but it does not add to the look and Sony is selling the "Monolithic Design".
ACCESSORIES : The remote control seems rather long and has many buttons. When I first got the TV I tried to learn the remote and how to get from thing to thing. After a day or two I navigated the options of the TV through the Home Menu. The Home Menu is easy to navigate and is very similar to the PS3 menu organization. Everything is easy to find and the TV is easy to navigate. The stations that I get over the aerial all have their own icon in the menu. There is also a description of what is on now. Everything the TV can do is available through the graphical menu.

The remote control also will navigate the PS3 menus and control video play back on the PS3. Play, Stop, Fast Forward, and Next all work as expected from the TV remote controlling the PS3. The cross button in the center of the remote is the same as the x button on the PS3 controller. The back button will move you back towards the main menu. I am very happy with the way the TV remote controls the PS3. I tried to use the TV remote as a controller for a game but there is no Start button so I could not start the game. There would be no advantage to the remote as a controller for PS3 games but I thought I would try anyway. I can't turn the PS3 on with the TV remote. I have the impression that the TV remote can turn on the PS3 but I have not figured that out yet.
DIGITAL VIDEO CONTENT: To make many of these features work it is helpful to have both a separate computer and the TV connected to the internet. When I first tried to register the TV, I was using the TV as the monitor to the computer. I could not register the computer until I was using a computer that did not need the TV as a monitor. Other then needing both the TV and the computer at the same time, the registering process was easy. There were a lot of steps. You register the TV with Sony then Netflix then Amazon Video on Demand, then what ever else.
Accessible through the TV are Qriocity video on demand, Amazon, Hulu +, Netfix, YouTube, Crackle, an RSS feed (Not a fully functional RSS feed) and a bunch of other stuff. Let's start with the bunch of other stuff. It is mostly internet shorts. I have a friend with a Roku and it is similar to the things that he watches on his Roku. Roku has much more content of the internet short variety. Someone will like some of these channels, I don't bother with them.
There is a RSS feed but you can't add anything to it or delete anything from it. It's an RSS feed that you don't have any control over. That said, it has episodes of Meet The Press an, the Nightly News and other things. I have not used it but on occasion I do like to watch Meet The Press. It's nice to know it's there.
Crackle is full of things that Sony owns. That you can watch at any time. There are 4 episodes of each of the following TV shows on Crackle ; Barney miller, Dilbert News radio, I dream of Jeannie, 10 items or less, the Jackie Chan Adventures, Vip and Bewitched in their TV episodes folder. There are also 8 movies. I have not watched any of this content. I don't know if this content changes over time. The list of shows available was from November 2010.
YouTube is surprisingly easy to use on the TV. If you want to search for anything you have to use an onscreen keyboard. That's laborious so I never do it. It does connect to my YouTube account. I can bring up my favorites or subscriptions very easily. I don't use this much because I have a computer connected to the TV but it's easy to use.

You need a Netflix account to use Netflix. I have not had any problems with streaming content through Netflix. I use this feature often. At the moment, you can only watch the content that is in your instant cue. Netflix on the PS3 has a much better interface. I imagine that there will be a software update that allows you to do more than just watch what is in your cue. That said it's easy enough to put things in your Netflix cue if you have a computer nearby.
I don't use Hulu+ because I have a computer connected to the TV. Regular Hulu through the computer and displayed on the TV works fine.
I have been very happy with Amazon Video on Demand. You can rent or purchases new and old movies and TV shows through this service and stream them to the TV. You can typically choose between HD and standard definition.I have used this service for years. I don't use cable so if there is a show I want to see that is not available on the internet I have to wait for it to come out on Netflix or purchase it episode by episode on Amazon.
I don't use Qriocity but it seems like a competitor to Amazon Video on demand. I haven't used this service. I looked at their pricing and it was the same as Amazon for everything I looked at.
DIGITAL AUDIO CONTENT: The TV has Slacker, Pandora, Berliner Philharmoniker, and NPR. The menu also has a Lollapalooza station but it is just a standard Slacker radio station. Slacker and Pandora are services that stream music. They have many built in stations. One can make a customized station simply by typing a name of a band or song and the service will build a radio station around that song or band. Slacker works well on the TV. You can turn the screen off while Slacker is playing or display album art. I have used Slacker for years. I was very pleased that it was on the TV at first but I don't use it because I have other speakers when I play it on my computer that are much better. I don't use Pandora but I imagine it works in roughly the same way on the TV.

The only thing I know about Berliner Philharmoniker is that you have to pay for the service. I don't even know exactly what the service is even though I tried to figure it out by registering on their website. Slacker has classical music and so does Pandora.
NPR on the TV was a big letdown. You have access to podcasts and program s on NPR through the TV. The interface was much easier to navigate and find things then the NPR website. I like to listen to the Planet Money Podcast and they have it. The disappointment came when I realized that all the content that I looked at was a couple months old. Perhaps at some point it will be updated regularly but as of Nov 2010 it is not.

AUDIO: The TV doses not sound great. My understanding is that there is not enough room for base speakers in flat screen TVs. The computer sounds particularly bad when played through the TV. The computer sounds fine with different speakers. I think there might be some equalizer settings that could make the computer sound better. The TV needs a base speaker. Sony does not sell a separate base speaker for this TV. It doses sell a stand with built in speakers and a couple of sound bars with sub-woofers. It needs something.

3D: You must buy a 3D sink transmitter and 3D glasses to make this TV into a 3D TV. There is no good place to put the 3D sink transmitter. It is the bunny-ears of 3D televisions. I purchased the Alice in Wonderland 3D starter kit. The sink transmitter has a cord that is a meter long or more and plugs into the back of the TV. I have never seen the kind of connector that is used for the sink transmitter any were else. If you wanted an extension for the 3D transmitter I suspect you would have a hard time finding one. That said it must be located near the TV. The instructions say either at the top or bottom of the TV.

My TV came with a "gift" for registering. This is separate from the registering the TV so it would function with the digital content. For filling out a second product registry form on the internet they are sending me through the mail the "Bolt" in 3D and "This is it" with 10 minutes of 3D content. I have not received these movies yet.
It also comes with a voucher code for four 3D...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA KDL46NX810 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black


Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 46-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL46NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote.
Bravia Engine 3 (on right) produces a sharp, vibrant picture.

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Sunday, January 8, 2012

Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV Review

Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First off I want to be clear about the kind of review this is intended to be. I am not a profession TV rater. I am not a videophile. I am a regular Joe and I am reviewing this for the regular Joe who is thinking about spending more than usual on a good quality television. During the next few months, I'm sure you can find a more professional review from the usual places... But for now, this is my impressions.
CORNER LIGHT: After reading many reviews on last years B8000 and this year's C7000, I was worried about the light that emits from the corners. I've seen displays of last year's B8000 and this year's C7000 and have VERY easily seen what people are talking about. I took a big gamble in purchasing this TV before I read if people were having issues with this C8000. So let me say... After watching this TV for about 5 hours per day for 3 days... I have NOT seen the light coming from the edges as seen on other sets. And believe me I've been looking. I tried to find it watching the HD feed on Time Warner Cable, Blu-ray's from the PS3, Blu-Ray's from the Samsung 3D Blu-Ray player, watching at night, during the day... Nothing. I just do not see it!
LOOKS: This TV looks just amazing. It has a VERY dark black screen. It looks as beautiful turned off as it does on. I was nervous about the brush metal look, but it actually looks very nice and compliments the new chromed four-legged stand.
PICTURE: The picture clarity looks incredible. It's as if I'm discovering HD for the first time. This set replaces a Samsung DLP set, so of course this is a vast improvement. Having said that, I have a newer plasma in the bedroom and this set looks much better than that. As with all new LED sets with 240 Hz, there is a bit of the Spanish Soap Opera/Home Video look to it. Some people really like this, some people don't. I really like it. For those of you that don't, you can always turn this feature down or off. To me this makes the picture look very clear and it makes it stand out from the other sets.
3D: Along with this TV I purchased the Samsung 3D Bluray player so I can get the 3D startup kit for free. Turning the 3D feature on and connecting the glasses was easy. The intro to Monsters v. Aliens was very cool. The opening scene in outer space looked incredible. The ball tied to a paddle part was funny and kinda made me jump a little. I haven't spent too much time with 3D but I did notice that there were some scenes in the movie that had a double image while wearing the glasses. It doesn't happen a lot, but it is noticeable. You can see this right away during the church scene at the beginning of the movie. It was a little annoying. I'm hoping that this is the kind of stuff that gets ironed out with a firmwear update, or as more content is released, they learn to fix it.
OnlineTV: This is also a very new area for me. I never understood the need for me to want apps on my TV... But its actually kina cool. I've tried a few apps but my favorite by far is the Pandora app. I'm a big fan of Pandora and this app I actually like better on my TV than online or the iPhone. The only thing I hate is that Samsung did not have Wifi built in. I think pricing this set at the $3000+ mark should be enough to include it with the set and not require me to drop another $80 for the USB adapter. I just hardwired it, but that's another wire I don't like dealing with.
USB: I wanted to mention that this set allows you to connect a USB external hard drive and play music, photo's and movies directly from the HDD. I have a Western Digital 320GB Passport filled with movies and music, and I was able to navigate the files structure in the drive using the remote quite easily. And it played all the files formats I threw at it. Pros:
No corner light!!!
Very dark screen.
Very clear picture
Pandora Samsung App
3D was surprisingly fun
USB external HDD capable
and... NO CORNER LIGHT!
Cons:
Slight double images on 3D.
Wifi requires an $80 USB adaptor.
Overall I am very satisfied with the UN55C8000. Even with the few CONS, this set to this average Joe is a definite 5 star! As I spend more time with the set, I'll be sure to update this review if I find something worth mentioning.
Please feel free to ask me questions and I'll try my best to answer them. I know how nerve wrecking buying a big ticket item such as this is... So I would be glad to help as much as I can.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung UN55C8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D LED HDTV

Samsung LED HDTVs combine breakthrough picture quality and advanced connectivity options that will keep you entertained 24/7. This UN55C8000 LED HDTV also makes it easy to be green, and will save you some green, by being ENERGY STAR compliant.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Toshiba 55UX600U 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Net TV (Black Gloss) Review

Toshiba 55UX600U 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Net TV (Black Gloss)
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I was a little leary of buying this because of other reviews on the net, from professional critics. However, none of them hold water. This is a fantastic HDTV, and the extra features with internet access make it perfect (pandora radio, even youtube). The picture is excellent from any angle, multiple inputs allow connections from any source. One thing that isn't mentioned is that the set will turn itself off after four hours if there's no input, that is set as a default. It was purchased for my elderly mom, and she loves it. Oh, and it's only a couple inches thick, and so protrudes from the wall even less than a picture frame!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba 55UX600U 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Net TV (Black Gloss)

Enjoy a stunning picture bursting with color and clarity as well as a wide variety of on-demand entertainment with the 55-inch Toshiba 55UX600U HDTV with LED backlighting (54.6-inch diagonal screen size), which features a 1080p Full HD resolution. The stunning 3M:1 dynamic contrast ratio LED backlighting produces a clearer, crisper image and is supported by Toshiba's CrystalCoat high contrast screen coating and AutoView ambient room light analyzer. It also boasts Toshiba's ClearFrame 120Hz feature, which doubles the video frames from 60 per second to 120 per second to virtually eliminate motion blur--making this a perfect set for watching fast action movies and sports.
Toshiba's Net TV provides on-demand entertainment from such Internet sources as VUDU (with over 3,000 1080p HD movies) and Pandora for streaming of personalized music channels. You can connect the set to a wired home network via the Ethernet port, or connect to a Wi-Fi network using an included Wi-Fi adapter.

This UX600U Series HDTV provides a number of convenient home entertainment options and key picture quality features, including DynaLight dynamic backlight control for deeper black levels and four HDMI digital inputs for simple high quality connection to cable/satellite boxes, DVD players and more. Plus, the HDMI ports feature fast InstaPort switching for quick changes from one source to another. With the Gaming Mode function, you'll experience reduced game control delay and improved reaction time--perfect for PC gaming--and the Photo Frame capability with Auto Slide Show enables you to display slideshows of your favorite images when not watching TV programming.

Offering an ultra-slim Air Lagoon design that's less than 2 inches deep, this UX600U Series HDTV also features MP3 playback via the integrated USB port, a PC input, a removable stand, and Energy Star 4.0 requirements.



Toshiba Net TV
Enjoy a new level of on-demand, Internet-based entertainment with the UX600U's integrated Toshiba Net TV capabilities, which includes a wide variety of entertainment and social networking applications. It provides access to VUDU Movies, which offers true 1080p HD, 5.1 surround sound and gives you access to over 3,000 HD movies on demand. And you'll be able to listen to streaming music from Pandora.

Additionally, video and photo services such as YouTube, Flickr, and Picasa Web Albums let you share content with friends and family wherever they live. News services including the New York Times, AP, National Weather, and more, provide up to the minute information about the world around you. And, the customizable Ticker available at the bottom of the screen allows you to keep up to date with information from your Facebook friends and Twitter feeds as well as News, Weather, or Stocks.

In order to provide simple and instant access to the Internet, the UX600 Series comes equipped with its own Wi-Fi adapter (compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n networks), delivering the latest content right out of the box and eliminating the need to purchase additional accessories. You can also connect to a home network via a wired Ethernet port.

Key Features
1080p HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels)
PixelPure 5G 14-bit internal digital video processor increases gradation levels (4,096 levels, or 16x that of a standard 8-bit processor) to create smoother, clearer images.
ClearFrame 120Hz screen refresh rate virtually eliminates motion blur, making this HDTV a great choice for fast action movies and sports. Toshiba's ClearFrame 120Hz system doubles the frame rate of an LCD TV from 60 frames per second to 120 frames per second using superior Motion Vector Frame Interpolation technology.
Resolution+ super resolution technology upconverts and enhances 480i/p and 720p input signals for a more detailed picture.
CrystalCoat prevents ambient room light reflections from washing out the television picture, creating up to 30 percent better contrast in bright rooms and allowing you to enjoy a deep, high contrast picture in all lighting conditions.
AutoView helps ensure an ideal image at all times for the day by combining an ambient room light sensor with incoming video content monitoring. AutoView automatically sets most of the TV picture parameters for you.
DynaLight Backlight Control utilizes advanced image processing to monitor the brightness of each video frame, and adjust the backlight intensity accordingly. This precision creates seamless transitions with deep blacks for increased detail and depth analysis.
Photo Frame capability allows this HDTV to act as both a TV and a digital photo frame. You can showcase your favorite memories as a clear, crisp slide show on the high-resolution television screen--all controlled with just the TV remote.
Gaming Mode takes the gaming experience to a new level by reducing game control delay, thus giving the player improved reaction time and a more realistic playing experience. This is great when used with popular gaming consoles, or with PC games using the TVs PC Input.
Built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital tuning allows for tuning of standard cable channels as well as off-air digital broadcasts, in addition to digital "cable-in-the-clear" broadcasts.
Native Mode restores the size of the picture by the 3-5 percent that is generally lost during the normal over-scanning that occurs on traditional sets.
Cinema Mode 24 fps (3:2 Pulldown): This HDTV performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
Color Temperature Control enables you to adjust white balance to achieve the best television picture possible in any viewing environment, or simply adjust the picture to suit your personal tastes. The "Warm" setting delivers a redder image that is ideal for display in a dimly lit room, while "Medium" and "Cool" provide a progressively bluer image for the best picture as room light levels are increased.
Three TheaterWide modes are ideal for displaying HDTV signals as well as enhanced for widescreen television DVDs.


TheaterWide 1: Letterboxed image is digitally expanded 33 percent horizontally and vertically. Useful for reproducing Academy Standard (1.85:1) formatted software.
TheaterWide 2: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 42 percent vertically. Particularly of use when viewing narrow letterboxed images originally filmed in Panavision or CinemaScope.
TheaterWide 3: Letterboxed image is expanded 33 percent horizontally and 24 percent vertically. Can be utilized when displaying letterboxed images that incorporate narrow bands at the top and bottom of the picture.



MP3 audio and JPEG image playback via 2 USB ports or SD memory card slot
REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC) allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by the remote control.
InstaPort fast HDMI switching between A/V components: Typically, when you switch HDMI inputs, there can be a five or six second delay. With InstaPort, as soon as you select an HDMI source, it will connect in a fraction of the time.
Ethernet port for connecting to wired home network.
Bottom-mounted invisible speakers integrated into stylish Horizon bezel design (20 Watts total power; 10W + 10W).
Channel Browser allows you to easily scan through the last 32 channels you have viewed, with screen images for the last five channels displayed, by channel, by favorites, and by input, at the touch of a button.
Channel Labeling allows you to put station call letters on the screen along with the station numbers, so you always know what channel you're watching
Input labeling enables you to name the individual inputs to denote usage, such as "DVD Player" (instead of having them display as just "HDMI 1" and "HDMI 2").
Removable stand for wall mounting (200mm x 400mm VESA mounting pattern)
Tri-lingual onscreen menu (English, French, Spanish)
Dual band Wi-Fi adapter (802.11a/b/g/n) plugs into USB port (security options--WEP64/128, TKIP, AES, WPA/WPA2-PSK, WPS, None)
Warranty: 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor

Connections
HDMI: 4 (HDMI-CEC) with 2 ports on the side
Component: 1 (on the side)
Composite A/V: 1 (on the side)
RF (antenna): 1
PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1
Digital audio output: 1 optical
Analog audio input: 3 pair (for each component and composite video input)
Ethernet networking: 1
USB: 2 (side)



Dimensions
TV with stand: 52.87 x 34.96 x 15.59 inches (WxHxD); 62.8 pounds
TV without stand: 52.87 x 32.95 x 1.96 inches (WxHxD); 53.4 pounds
What size TV should you get?



What's in the Box UX600U Series HDTV, remote control (with batteries), dual band WLAN adapter (WLM-10U1), removable stand, cleaning cloth, printed owner's manual
Toshiba 2010 REGZA HDTV Comparison
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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Samsung BD-C7500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Samsung BD-C7500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This player worked well for about 1 week. Then, since I had auto firmware updates on, The firmware updated to the current version (1010.4). No problem. Then a day later auto updates ran again. This time updating to version 1015.2 (which is not listed for this product). I have been having problems ever since.
Every time I would turn on the player, I would get an error stating "Model Information in your upgrade file does not match with your player. Please check and retry". Everything I would try to do would pop up this error. So I had to disable auto firmware updates to be able to do anything. Now, when I insert a DVD, the player will eject it at least three times before it successfully reads it. When I try to connect to Netflix, it freezes. I have to power off and power on and try connecting again. This happens anywhere between 3 and 10 times in a row before it will work. When I do finally connect to Netflix, the player asks if I have a Netflix account and makes me "authorize" the player for the millionth time. Then sometimes, the player freezes when I am scrolling through my queue.
I have tried to use a usb flash drive to update the firmware to the current version of 1010.4 but the player does not let me. Probably because the version on my player (1015.2) is supposedly after 1010.4.
Now, onto Samsung's technical support....After about a month I got fed up and decided to try to get this problem figured out. I called 1-800-SAMSUNG. Jumped through their hoops to get to the right person. I explain the problems I am having with the firmware. They tell me that the error message I am receiving when trying to update firmware is "because their server is busy" and to try again later. I told them I did not believe that their server was busy for a month. So they tell me to fix the problem "disable auto updates". I told them I already had and that is by no means a fix. I had to repeatedly tell them that the firmware in my player did not match what was on their website to get them to believe that anything was wrong. So they escalated me to Level 2 support and tell me I will receive a call in 24-48 hours.
Three days later still no call from Level 2 support. I call back, jump through hoops, give my reference # and the person tries to help me. I told them I did not want to talk to them, that I was escalated to Level 2 support and would only talk to them. They connect me to Level 2. I tell them the problem. They tell me that the reason I am getting that error is because the server is busy. (I am thinking to myself "Do these people think I am an idiot?") They tell me to try a USB update. I already tried that. After more useless conversation, they escalate me to a "Product Specialist" and tell me I will receive a call back in 24-48 hours.
One week later, I find myself calling Samsung back because I have still not heard from their product specialist. They tell me that there is not one available for me to speak with and they will have one call me back in 24-48 hours. I'm not holding my breath.
Everyone I spoke with at technical support was arrogant and would talk right over me. Luckily I am pretty tech savvy so I know to call their B.S. when they try to give me a fix like "just turn auto updates off". So my advice is if you buy this product, turn auto updates off as soon as possible, but better yet don't buy it. I got suckered in because of the wall mountable feature. I have had bad luck with Samsung players in the past so luckily I purchased an extended warranty on this one. So if tech support fails me, I can fall back on that.UPDATE:
After several more calls to technical support, they agreed to ship the unit to them for them to repair. Have not received it back yet.
I tried to submit a review on Samsung's website several times. Every time, I get an e-mail a couple of days later saying that they could not post my review because it didn't meet their guidelines. I reviewed their guidelines in detail and nothing I said violated any of them. I think that what it boils down to is that they don't want a negative review on their product site. They want to scam everyone into thinking this is a great player. Well, they're not fooling me.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung BD-C7500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

The BDC7500 can also has a wireless LAN adaptor included. Add to that AllShare™, which enables content to be seamlessly streamed between DLNA® devices, allowing you to play files stored on your PC through your Blu-ray Player. The Samsung BDC7500 Blu-ray Player is also wall-mountable.

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