Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)I have only had this TV for a few days, so this is not a complete review, but I wanted to warn others about some issues that they may find important.
Picture quality is great - I have not run a calibration or tested various known sources for difficult to reproduce scenes or motion. The blacks are so good that the image color looks over saturated at the factory default setting when placed next to a panel with lower contrast ratio. (It should be kept in mind that the eye has a logarithmic response to light, and a 50,000:1 contrast ratio may not be that much more than a 30,000:1 ratio.) In the store I was comparing this panel to a 46a550 and 46a530 all at their factory default settings. The 550's image was more natural looking at the factory default setting.
Watching SD analog content on digital TVs can be annoying with various artifacts visible in the conversion of the analog signal to the native digital of the TV. This TV does a very respectable job of this - with the SD images mostly just looking fuzzy and soft compared to digital content - pretty much what one might expect.
The TOC feature seems like a waste of time and may introduce some issues with light bleeding in from the environment. Not a problem for me in my home environment.
So, if I was happy with the image on the 550 why did I get a 750? Two reasons - Motion blur: the 650 and 750 panels have higher response times and higher refresh rates thus reducing LCD motion blur artifacts, and reason two: DLNA... DNLA is a very nice feature - super nice - I hope it takes off.
DLNA takes advantage of networking and media stored on a PC to provide viewable content through the TV. What's really going on here is that the TV designers are taking advantage of the computer they have inside the TV to enable them to do more digital media things with the TV. The TV has an Ethernet network interface - wireless or wired. We're computer geeks, we have a fairly robust network and my family has a strong interest in Internet downloads of various media content - in particular video. I have various foreign video content that I cannot get on a DVD. Netflix and others (Amazon, Apple, etc) have downloadable video content, although the DRM on much of this content is a problem. The rub is you have to watch this downloaded content on a PC, or a PC hooked directly up to a TV display or some other media PC kludge. DLNA helps get around some of these issues. The DLNA capability of this model is remarkable, not perfect, but still great. You have to install a piece of software on the computer that provides a way for the PC to share content on the PC through the network interface for the TV to "see". On the TV, you use the W.link feature to access the shared content on the PC. Music, Images and Videos stored on the PC are all accessible through the TV. Remarkably easy to access and view on the TV. Fantastic. There are a few glitches - The software on the PC was not able to handle all the media I threw at it in the first go around - I backed off (why would I play music through a TV?) and the software was able to complete it's build of it's database of content on the PC. I hope this problem will get cured in future versions of the DLNA server software that runs on the PC. Another small glitch was that when I decided to end my watching of these shows stored on the PC and I exited the w.link feature it appeared to crash the TV's OS. I had older firmware (1004), so I updated to 1007 and I hope this might cure the problem, although I have no evidence of this yet.
So DLNA looks very promising but it is not perfect. I have not tried viewing content that is locked with DRM of some kind, but I strongly suspect this is not going to work. Further proof that DRM is seriously flawed. Legitimate users (paying customers) should not be restricted in their reasonable use of the content.
The remote seems sufficiently user friendly - some lettering is large enough for older eyes to read easily and the back lighting feature works the way it should making it easier to _read_ the keys in the dark.
The manual's content seems complete and readable but the manual has a major and very annoying flaw. The manual is large with many many pages so being able to refer to page numbers is crucial. It does have page numbers but I defy you to read them in anything other than bright sunlight! They are black numbers printed on a gray field. Strangest printing setup I've ever seen. In the grand scheme of things this is only a minor detail but it is strange - the company knows about the importance of contrast. If I can download the manual as a searchable and linked pdf I won't care.
I have not yet discovered a way to edit the channel description in the channel list. A few digital channels have the information on what their station ID is, but many do not. I have not found a way to add or edit a description that tells me that, for instance, cable channel 117-25 is actually broadcast 33-1 or WBFS or some other more identifiable name.
I also am not yet aware if one can apply individual optimizations to each input. If one can this would be ideal.
Another minor point - I'm not too sure how "green" this TV is in it's energy use. I was quite surprised to discover it was noticeably warm when standing next to it while on.
Finally, my two major disappointments with this TV are:
1) PIP feature - which is quite limited, more like a cheesy cheap faux PIP. First, access to the PIP feature is not at all easy - one has to navigate various menus and sub menus to get at it. But the real problem is that the TV does not have a second tuner of any sort - you cannot watch two channels and swap between them without a second tuner connected through one of the external sources. In fact the PIP limits you to only being able to watch the built in Tuner content in the sub window of the main display which must be using an external source of a specific variety. Strange.... for a high end flagship product to have this kind of limited functionality... A little disturbing and makes you wonder what other cost cutting decisions one might discover with this product in the future.
2) The fixed base - the base does not swivel despite what the specifications at various sites say. I'll have to get a turntable.
Overall - where it matters most - the picture is spectacular. LCDs have come a long way. The picture makes me smile - it's just fun to watch.

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Revolutionary design. Ready to make a statement in your home. The SAMSUNG LN46A750 HDTV offers a truly unique entertainment experience with new Touch of ColorTM. And InfoLinkTM RSS lets you stay connected. Instantly access news, weather, sports and stock information at the push of a button. Seeing is believing with Auto Motion Plus 120HzTM. It creates a crystal-clear picture and wonderfully realistic action scenes. Upgrade your home entertainment with the latest in HD technology

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Samsung LN52A750 52-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)[...]
Amazon tracking indicated it would take 2 weeks to arrive. CEVA tracking listed it at two days earlier. I received the call for delivery in less than a week - and this included the holiday period!
CEVA showed up with it yesterday. The heavy cardboard box had an 18" gash/tear in it and my heart sank. They removed the box and I noticed the screen was supported about 8" from the cardboard and there were no signs that whatever caused the gash had touched anything. We quickly plugged it into the wall and ran it thru some of the built-in menus. Relief - everything worked fine. With the 30-day return guarantee there was nothing more to worry about.
The previous day Amazon had delivered a new Onkyo receiver to replace my older Yamaha. I had already disconnected the Yamaha and wired all the components and speakers to this new receiver (to take advantage of its HDMI capabilities). It now only took a couple hours to make the final connections with the receiver, cable sysem, over-the-air antenna, HTPC and network.
Every single system worked perfectly, even though it sometimes took a few minutes to discover the correct input settings on each device to get everything communicating. The biggest surprise was the quality of the picture. After reading everything I could find on various forums I expected to have some tweaking to do before obtaining the best images. While critically inspecting the imagery for each type of input I could not see a need to adjust anything! Just for experimentation I did make a few selections of alternate settings, but always wound up returning to the original. I'll likely use an Avia program to verify adjustments later, but can't imagine any improvement.
The "halo effect" feature on the upper and lower bezel was obvious (albeit faint) to see, but it was not distracting. In fact, if there were a switch available to turn it on and off, I'd still leave it on - it's neat! The red bezel highlighting (the TOC) is so subtle that it is nearly invisible. If I didn't know it was there I'd likely not have even noticed it. Perhaps it would be more visible in a room with bright daylighting?
Another neat feature is the touch sensitive controls on the lower right bezel. They are invisible until you touch the area, causing them to temporarily sequentially illuminate. I haven't fully explored this feature yet.
Another nice feature was discovering that I could hook up the computer to HDMI connection #2 and play computer games without any special adjustments. There was no lag or any problem except that I'll need to upgrade the computer's video card in order to take the display all the way up to its full resolution. Nevertheless, the Samsung must have been upscaling the image since it was extremely sharp. (Same thing with the 480i DVDs we played on it - very sharp). When not in use we intend to leave the computer hooked up so the Samsung will continuously display it's screensaver which cross-fades family photos like a huge digital picture frame.
The Samsung has a TOSLINK out connection which I connected to the receiver. This vastly simplifies audio connections since all audio sent to the TV can be amplified from a single connection to the receiver. If you can connect everything via HDMI there will be significantly fewer wires and a much more simplified operation.
The only thing I would have preferred is if the base would swivel. I understand the 650 models swivel, can't imagine why Samsung wouldn't include that feature here.
We're very happy with this purchase.
EDIT- 6-18-08
After nearly 3 weeks of use we are even more impressed with this TV.
I have upgraded the video card on the attached computer so that it can now attain full 1080p resolution, only to find the text too small to be readable at a normal viewing distance of about 12 feet with my 60-yr-old eyes. Backing off the resolution makes the text large enough to read while retaining its razor-sharpness.
The attached computer is connected with a wireless hub to my home network, allowing it to stream pictures, music, or movies from any of the computers. The TV must be upconverting the movies to 1080p because they are displayed more clearly than when sent to a regular computer monitor.
The hub also provides a patch cable to the TVs' network port, which allows it to run all the InfoLink connection functions (weather, news, stocks) without the need to even configure that connection.
We added a PS3 a week ago to view blu-ray movies. What an incredible picture! Even though we are using inexpensive $3 HDMI cables, there was no flickering or other problem as reported on another Amazon review. My son tested out his new Metal Gear PS3 game and was impressed with the image and game play. We used the default settings and did not even switch to "game" mode.
We've now had time to run THX and TVBlink video calibration tests and were not surprised to find that all the default settings were already set to the optimum values for our personal tastes.
The set is now mounted on one of those entertainment center "stalks" which allows it to be easily rotated (for easier access to the rear connections). This mounting has taken care of the only complaint we had about this set - its' lack of a swivel base.
Edit - 7-16-08
After 6 weeks of use I must say that this has proven to be one awesome piece of electronics. I simply cannot believe how great this set has performed. The color and details have greatly exceeded my highest expectations. We have begun replaying our old DVD library because the upscaling capabilities built into this set appears to make them very comparable to the Blu-Ray movies we've viewed. It's like seeing a new movie!
It is quite a kick to be using the computer while watching the nightly news in HD via the PIP function.
A lot of people have calibrated their sets using the published settings on AVSforum.com. We tested all of those settings and found that they each resulted in a darker picture that has lost details in shadowy areas and the colors are dull, without the "pop" of the factory settings. Keep in mind that our entertainment area is in a dark, windowless room which should make viewing dimmer features easier. We tried compensating the calibration with various picture adjustments but were unable to attain comparable performance. After a week of trying to perceive any improvements we reverted our settings back to the original, tweaked, factory settings.
Several people have made similar observations, leading us to a conclusion that either there is a wide discrepancy between personal preferences and/or each of these sets have varying image displays. We have no doubt that many people do see improved performance after calibrating their sets - but before you spend a lot of money on professional calibration try the AVSforum settings first to verify if you see any improvement.The only complaint we have is that we've now been spoiled by what this set can do. We picked up a new Samsung T260HD computer monitor (which also includes an HDTV tuner). This is a 26" monitor that has a similar TOC bezel to match the LN52A750. You can read our review here on Amazon - in a nutshell, we are disappointed with it's performance.

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Enjoy pre-loaded HD content, including cooking, fitness, children's entertainment, and a photo gallery on the LN52A750 52" Full High Definition TV with 1080p Resolution. Full 1080p HD resolution and 50,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio offer stunning image detail and vivid colors. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz and Ultra Clear Panel technology work together to offer the smoothest motion and boldest bright and dark tones. Stay connected to your home network via the DLNA networking feature. The InfoLink feature provides RSS web content from USA Today. The WiseLink USB 2.0 input and user-friendly interface gives you access to pictures and playlists from a specially designed Wheel Remote. Ultra clear panel allows you to enjoy crisp image details, natural skin tones, excellent shadow detail and vibrant colors. SRS TruSurround XT is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. High-resolution HD-Grade 1920x1080 pixel resolution has built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources. Wide Color Enhancer optimizes a color's hue resulting in more natural colors. Fast 4ms response time minimizes blurring of moving video. Entertainment Mode allows customized picture settings, optimized for different content. SRS TruSurround XT Down firing speakers CATV/VHF/UFH 75-ohm, F-type Antenna Connections - 4 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface, 2 Component video inputs (rear), 1 S-video input (side), side and rear composite inputs, PC input (rear), Wiselink Pro (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, and Headphone Dimensions -52.0 x 33.9 x 13.3 / 52.0 x 31.7 x 4.2 without stand Weight -66.4 pounds.

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Samsung BD-C6800 1080p 3D Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Got the player a few days back. Initial setup was a breeze. Got connected to the internet over wifi very easily. It downloaded some apps and things were up and running. I tried things like netflix, pandora, youtube, accu-weather, google maps, sudoku etc and it was just amazing. Then I got to the real deal - playing a BD and it was quick, fast and fun. I had trouble doing the firmware upgrade (optional) over the network but then I read on some forum that usb upgrade was easier, that turned out to be true and things were done in no time, the procedure for which was available on samsung's site. So far i'm quiet satisfied by the video and audio performance along with the elaborate apps and games that work on this.
I've used it via hdmi with my lcd tv and hd projector. I've tried both analog and optical audio out with the tv and the 5.1 receiver respectively. The remote is easy to use and has good range (bounced signals worked great, never had to point it to the player). Of-course it takes time to punch in the user id etc for the internet apps, but that is a one time setup.


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Turn your living room into a full-fledged 3D multimedia center, with the Samsung BD-C6800Blu-ray Disc' Player.

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Panasonic VIERA TC-P65ST30 65-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me start off by saying 4 things first:
1) I LOVE Panasonic products. I have had their phones/shavers/Digital Cameras/and now a Blu-ray player and I love them ALL.
2) I even absolutely love the PQ on this TV as well (barring fluctuating brightness of course).
3) I'm giving it a 1-star rating with a heavy heart but with a firm observant mind.
4) I wish I never had to write this review.
The deal breaker??? - Fluctuating brightness!!!
I have read rave reviews for this TV here/other places and I agree with them PQ-wise. But IF and only IF your set has this and you've noticed this you're done. I hope this is not the case with you but it IS the case with me and few others. Not sure how many "few" people it takes to get the attention of a major manufacturer but here is my viewing experience so far. I've had this TV for 3.5 weeks now.
This TV tries to adjust its brightness A LOT. Majority of the time a scene changes between a dark scene to a (much) lighter scene/area - you can see the changing brightness - especially on the face, it'll go wayyyy brighter, then back to normal. Eventually the light will be perfect/even great hue but the "switching" drives me nuts. While dark scenes themselves look great overall - I also noticed some dark/darkness adjustment even in a night scene where the light in the scene/room was off. It happens much less often but it does. The adjustment in dark scenes are not that distracting as they are less frequent/apparent. Daylight/bright scenes - another story.
I even tried to "ignore" this by telling myself - oh well no TV is perfect and let me just "live" with it but I just couldn't. Besides - for a $2K TV to do what my $250 seven year old Sharp (CRT) TV does NOT do is simply unacceptable.
I have tried Blue ray/SD content/HD contect/netflix/regular DVDs and they all display fluctuating brightness. I grant it's not there ALL the time but boy when it rears its ugly head (which is often) - that is ALL I watch and well that is ALL I'm watching right now - not willingly I must add. I've gotten the latest firmware as well.
So why just a 1-star when the PQ/blacks are great. The brightness problem is so glaring that it handily undoes the MANY good/great/outstanding qualities of this TV. Speaking of outstanding - another great thing about the TV is skin tones - oh so natural. When I was TV hunting/doing "eye test" in stores - LED always seemed to have an edge. But man - this colors/skin tones are so realistic in this TV. I do not want to take away the great PQ of this TV - in all fairness, yet at the same time I do not want to take away the undeniably distracting viewing this TV presents to me. In fact I feel like I've been relegated to "watching" the fluctuating brightness instead of actually enjoying the experience of this otherwise great TV. I even tried telling myself - maybe I'm "looking" for this brightness fluctuation issue but no no no - it's THERE.
I'm at a loss to explain why Panasonic did not/does not notice this - that is - if they don't. They need to fix it and fix it now. I BELIEVE Panasonic can and should make it right. And I still maintain it's a great TV. I do not know if others have had the same issue or to this degree but this has been my experience. I don't know the technical details but they *should* be able to fix this with a firmware fix. I have NOT given up on them and hence have requested Amazon for another ST30. It is a great TV otherwise but you buy a TV to enjoy the programming content, NOT distractions. Panasonic - you are the top plasma maker in the market. You guys even have the entire (former) Pioneer/Kuro team working for you. Will you please make it right!!!
When I get the new TV - I will re-evaluate and post my findings. Oh by the way Amazon was 100% helpful/quick in sending a replacement. Thanks Amazon!!!

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3D Technology Checklist
This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:

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Samsung RMC30C2 Touch Screen Remote Control - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Buy an Ipod touch for less money and download the free Samsung remote app from the app store. Same functionality (including keyboard) but no IR. (WiFi only)

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Samsung's HDTV Touch Screen Remote Control is not just a remote. It's a 3" color, touch-sensitive screen remote that interacts like a smartphone, letting you find your favorite programs and content quickly and easily. Sync up your entire household with All Share, a wireless DLNA connection allowing you to stream PC, digital camera, cell phone, audio and video files directly to your HDTV or Blu-ray Disc Player using your remote control. When you want to control Samsung Apps on the TV, the remote's screen changes to a full QWERTY keyboard, making navigation easy. It will even 'learn" your preferences, so you have to input certain information just once. There's no need to worry about batteries: your Touch Screen Remote Control can be recharged via the included power cable.

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Samsung BD-C8000 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)i compare this player to the fist generation Panasonic i bought when it came out and the Samsung wins by far. While Picture quality is great with both players, dont take the other reviewer serious about missing 1080P. a) you could never tell the difference on a 10 inch monitor and b) it of course plays 1080P over the HDMI output.
i prefer the Samsung for the following reasons over the panasonic:As stated it is a multimedia player. it simply plays anything you wanna play. i plug my 1TB portable harddrive with hunders of movies in it and it plays every file, from simple DIVX and MKV etc. i have yet to find a format it does not play. Also it plays all those files, burned to either DVD or BD-R, BD-RE. (Not sure about the 2nd gen Panasonic's , but their first player only played regular DIVX from DVD-R's only) Wifi is included and eventhough the Samsung apps have yet to grow, its nice to have Pandora and Netflix out of the box. The only thing i am missing is an AV-in, so the screen could be used as an alternative, like a monitor for Videogames etc.

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Discover Blu-ray taken to the extreme with the portable BD-C8000. The BD-C8000 has AllShare home network connectivity via DLNA. Further, wireless LAN connectivity teams up with Internet@TV and Samsung Apps to bring you access to online media and interactivity, including content from providers like Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and Facebook.

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High Gloss Piano Finish 5.1 Dolby Digital DTS True Surround Sound Home Theater Speaker System For Your TV, DVD Player, Ipod, Xbox, Ps3 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a piece of Junk - nice photo though. It came used - broken - reboxed and not comatable with US spec A/V components. The manual is the worst case of "ENGRISH" I have ever seen. It is more of a joke than anything else. The Amazon ads are a fraud. I have spent 3 days now and have yet to ID the seller or the shipper. Amazon, themselves, can not tell me. If you are lucky enough to find a phone # to contact them. They do not screen the sellers they represent as advocates of a much better company. I am disheartened and out nearly [...]. If you do not buy directly from Amazon - beware. E-bay has much better safeguards.

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Panasonic DVD-S54K 1080p Upconverting DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)There are DVD players out there in the same price range that offer a better picture. But what the Panasonic has going for it is rugged construction, a good remote, quick loading, easy set up and it plays everything (not multi-region though). I bought the S54 to replace my S47 which has given me six years of good service and is still running (the motor is getting tired though). I have tried other brands, including a Philips, which gave me just six months of service. So six years of intense use for this price is excellent (My friend's S47 is still going strong after six years). I watch my quality DVDs on a Denon or Marantz, but like all good DVD players, they can't handle shoddy media. They stick, skip or refuse to load. Which is why I always have a cheap DVD player on hand for less than perfect media. The S54 does that job in style, none of that dreaded 'disc error'. Simply put, this Panasonic range is the AK47 of DVD players. If it had better picture quality it would rate five stars.

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Samsung SWA-5000 Wireless Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me get to the point:
This product is not compatible with anything that would work with a SWA-4000 or SWA-4100.
The "TX CARD", which is a card shaped transmitter, is a completely different shape and size.
I contacted Samsung and was told the opposite before making this purchase. This item does not even appear on Samsung's website.
Their 4000 series of wireless adaptors has been completely discontinued, even though the theater systems that require it are commonly sold (including here, I just bought one from Amazon).
I understand that Samsung is constantly improving their products and therefore will often outdo their recent efforts. There's always going to be a new version coming out. That's basically why I like the brand. Their TV and Surround sound systems I just hooked up are simply perfect. I love them. However, the incompatibility does not seem to stem from technological reasons. The TX card housings and different... the electronics (as far as I can see) are similar. The pinouts appear to be the same. The card itself is a relatively simple device, too.
But mostly, they should be prepared for this question. The problem should be discussed on their website. They are selling a large amount of 'wireless ready' gear that they no longer support, so they should have been proactive on info.
And they should consider being more consistent with their TX Cards, because it's not a very complicated card and Sony seems to have no problems with this. I would have bought a Bravia TV and Receiver had I known Samsung's 'Wireless ready' claims were notional at best. And of course, in several months or a couple years, this unit will not work with Samsung's next lineup, the 6000 series or whatever it is named. Forcing you to replace more equipment, for no good reason.
I had to buy a 'rocketfish' universal wireless sound adaptor, which does not function nearly as seamlessly as this would have. I do somewhat fault Samsung for not being backwards compatible with a very similar device. Or at least selling an adaptor. But most of my frustration is that, when asked, their staff were giving me the wrong information.
As for quality, the device is attractive, well built, and has a strong wattage for the speakers. I heard a nearly identical Samsung unit at a family member's house and it sounds great. I am very sure it would be a great addition to your theater system if your system specifically calls for the SWA-5000. No matter what you hear from Samsung or a sales representative at a store, this unit will not work with the SWA-4000 compatibles.
This really spoiled an awesome event of hooking up a beautiful TV and hearing a fantastic HT 1250 5.1 system. Shucks.

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LG Electronics WH12LS30 12X Blu-ray SATA Writer Drive - WH12LS30K Review

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(More customer reviews)Installed without any problems in a Windows 7 machine. Seems to burn DVDs and LightScribe labels just fine. I haven't tried Blu-rays yet.

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Samsung 3D Starter Kit SSG-P2100T Review

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(More customer reviews)Hey I purchased the entire setup, the 55 inch Samsung 3D tv, the glasses 5 pair and the dvd starter kit. I played the movie perfect out of the box. In 2D mode made some changes went back to 3D and got the crosstalk that is being mentioned in earlier post. Best Buys setup did not have it. Geek squad not familiar enough with it when they came to the house. I played with the settings with the bluray 3D player on went into the controls for the 3D setting (that only can be adjusted when 3D player is on and running) go into tv menu and under the 3D setting very last option that is blanked out unless 3D player is running is the box (3D Optimize) some are set to 0 some are plus 1. I set mine to -1 and picture cleared right up. 3D optimize when at 0 or +1 I got ghosting or cross talk. Set to -1 and picture calibrated fine. I am not sure what changed this or maybe I made the change when I was adjusting settings earlier. It only shows to allow changes when the 3D player is running. Player, TV and glasses work great. Samsung should put out a quick book on the settings for 3D this to me was important. None of the other settings and adjustments worked and not until I turned on 3D player and looked it all over did I find this adjustment and make the change. Great TV, now we need more movies!

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2 pairs of battery type 3D glasses and one 3D Blu-ray movie title

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Unique 8 Protocol Gen2 Universal 3D Emitter for 30 Models of 3D Glasses Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this emitter with a set of Model U glasses from this same seller. The emitter works as it says and is very powerful so I have no sync issues with it on my Samsung HLT-6187s. I haven't tested this emitter with other model glasses yet, but it is supposed to work with Xpand, Samsung and Mitts OEM glasses, CrystalEyes, and many other major brands of IR glasses. The best part of this emitter is that it has a polarity reverse switch on it so that you can swap which eyes on the glasses open and close first. This is a huge help if you are mixing DLP Link glasses with IR glasses, as sometimes their polarities are reversed.
EDIT: changed the mode from red to orange and my remotes work fine. Had an issue with a set and the company replaced them no hassle. 5 stars

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Samsung DVD-C500 Upconverting DVD Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This upconverting DVD player is very small and slim and lightweight. The quality of the picture on my new plasma TV is excellent. I compared the same DVD played on my previous (5 years old) Samsung player with this player and the difference was obvious.
I'm guessing this improvement is due to two reasons: the upconverting process plus the HDMI output. The player also has Component and Composite outputs, but the picture is much better using an HDMI cable to the TV. One slim cable for excellent picture and sound compared to the five bulky cables required by my previous player -- that is also a big improvement.
** Update 8/14/2011 ** This DVD player and remote are still working very well.

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Samsung BD-C6900 1080p 3D Blu-ray Disc Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Samsung's BD-C6900 is one of the first Blu-ray 3D players on the market (the other being Panasonic's DMP-BDT300 and upcoming DMP-BDT350). As a first generation Blu-ray 3D player, you have to expect a few glitches (and you'll get them), but if you're itching to watch 3D TV at home in full HD 1080p, this player will get the job done, with a few nice perks and one potentially major caveat.
There is a lot to like about the BD-C6900 including super-fast boot-up and load times : 8 seconds to boot, 11 seconds to load a DVD and an almost unbelievable 18 seconds to load a BD-Java Blu-ray title ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"). This is about twice as fast to load a BD-Java disc compared to the otherwise super-speedy OPPO BDP-83 player, and is less than 1/3 the load time of the Pioneer BDP-320 on the same title. It also offers a wealth of IPTV options and web widgets, including Netflix and VUDU streaming, YouTube and Pandora (among others). And with DLNA networking, you can connect it to your networked computers to access (and stream), audio, video and photo content like nobody's business.
As a 3D player, it seems to perform exactly as designed - we say "seems" because the only real 3D content we have on Blu-ray 3D Disc to test with is the Monsters vs. Aliens promo disc that Samsung includes in the 3D Starter Kit. When connected to a Samsung UN55C8000 3D LED/LCD TV, the MvA disc looked fantastic using the Samsung active shutter 3D glasses. Yes we did see some "crosstalk" (interference between left and right channels), but this was caused by the TV, not the player.
But as a 3D player, there is one little known caveat - yes the player is compatible with 2D TVs (in 2D mode) and with current HDMI 1.3 receivers, however, if you want to take full advantage of the audio and video capabilities of this player used with a 3D TV, then you will need to have one of the brand new HDMI 1.4-equipped audio video receivers. Current HDMI 1.3 receivers *cannot* pass through the HDMI 1.4 3D video signal to a compatible 3D TV. This means that if you want to take advantage of lossless audio codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio), your only option is to upgrade to an HDMI 1.4-equipped receiver or use the player's multi-channel analog outputs and let the player do the decoding. And this is neither the easiest to set-up nor the highest quality option as it relies on the bass management and speaker configuration capabilities of the player, which are weaker than the bass management capabilities of most receivers.
Panasonic's Blu-ray 3D players get around this limitation by providing two HDMI outputs: an HDMI 1.4 3D-enabled output (to connect directly to the display or to an HDMI 1.4 receiver) and a legacy HDMI 1.3 output for connecting to an HDMI 1.3 receiver. Is this a show-stopper? It might be if you don't want to upgrade your receiver (again). But if you only use the speakers built into your TV (blech!), or you're happy with the legacy lossy surround formats (Dolby Digital and regular DTS) which you can get from the optical output, OR if you have an HDMI 1.4-compliant A/V receiver then this will not be a problem for you.
As a standard 2D Blu-ray player, we found that the BD-C6900 was a mixed bag - some upconversion tasks like odd cadence detection and correction as well as standard 2:3 film cadence detection, were performed well, as was the player's treatment of diagonal lines: no jaggies visible here, even on the spinning white line torture tests on the HQV benchmark discs. But we were surprised to see some noticeable digital artifacts on standard Blu-ray Discs such as "Blade Runner" - the intro title sequence looked less than ideal with ghosting in the title sequence and beyond that, some noise and blockiness in the black backgrounds that we have not seen on other players.
Overall, the BD-C6900 is a pretty solid Blu-ray and DVD player, but for the 2D Blu-ray playback artifacts and HDMI 1.3-receiver incompatibility. If these factors are not important to you, then you are likely to be happy with it. If not, then wait for Samsung's higher end Blu-ray 3D player, coming later this year (not yet announced) or take a look at the Panasonic or Sony Blu-ray 3D players when they become more widely available.
Our comprehensive BD-C6900 review is available on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).


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There's only one Blu-Ray Disc Player that delivers the total viewing experience. It's the Samsung BD-C6900. With its explosive 3D capabilities, you've never watched movies like this before. Internet@TV (Featuring Samsung Apps) brings your favorite web content to your TV screen. And with the Ultra Fast Play feature, movies start playing the moment you insert them. So whether you're watching your favorite film or web content, the BD-C6900 was engineered to broaden your perspective.

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Samsung SSG-P3100M/ZA Starter Kit and Samsung PN64D8000 64" PDP 1080p HDTV Bundle Review

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(More customer reviews)I will say first off that I am not a proffessional TV guy. I do not have a device to measure MLL, or light output.
That being said, I researched exhaustively as my little 37" Diamond series was getting a little small. For 3-4 months I had my heart set on the P65VT30, preordered at J&R. Then I started reading reviews by cnet, and other pros on the web about their previous sets. Blacks levels on pannys WILL degrade. That rating on their site which says it has better blacks will change, they will degrade over time, and very likely to a point worse than this set. I do not care how many people say that the VT30 has better blacks because 4300 dollars is just not worth it for a set that has worse color, temporarily better blacks, and a vizio-esque blocky design.
I cancelled my VT30 preorder shortly after reading review after review regarding the above issue. It is due to how the set adjusts brightness, and is just the way those sets work - the issue is unavoidable, so don't say I didnt tell you so when you notice while watching the super bowl later this year and the steelers jerseys are not as black as they once were!
Now the samsung PN64D8000 is about as good as you're going to get on a big screen pdp display - blacks ARE better on this set than the smaller ones, which I will address later. Blacks are Inky!! And I use that term because that is the most applicable word I can think of. Colors are delicious, with reds, greens, yellows, and blues all popping right off the screen and into your living room. I play a lot of HD games on ps3/360 and the first thing I noticed is how well the set responds to fast moving images. It is spot on, and at least twice as fast as my old LCD set was. Gaming on this TV is an absolute pleasure, and I cant stand it on my old mitsu anymore, as my eyes have become accustomed to nearly perfect response time.
On to BD's. I have read conflicting reports of Cinema Smooth degrading blacks when turned on. I have not seen this one solitary instance. I watched the Matrix Reloaded twice - the first time with CS on, the second with it off. Blacks did not decrease any that I could notice, and I have a good eye for detail. Yes, CS mode does improve PQ on bluray movies, and quite a bit I might add. The picture, for lack of a better word, just seems more "together." More details can be seen with CS mode on than off. This feature is really personal preference, but for me it improves an already amazing picture to a pq I have literally not seen before on a TV. This mode is what videophiles call the "96hz mode". Technically means that turned on CS will match the 24fps, with that of the bd, which greatly improves pq. Modern films are filmed at 24fps, and CS mode basically matches that, by reducing from 60fps to 24fps using 96hz mode. Techno-babble I know, but moving on.
Netflix. We've all got it, and we've all seen the input signal change mid-way through a movie much to our annoyance. It shows up even worse on a big hd set. Here is where I have one of my few complaints: while whatching netflix I have seen in only a few instances some mild fluctuating blacks. I'm not sure if it is due to the picture source(netflix) or the tv's processing. I'm still trying to figure it out.
I have seen FB only one other time. On the BD of Interview with the Vampire the blacks did fluctuate a few times, and if I was not so obsessed with detail I would not have noticed it. Its really a small issue, and most folks will probably not see it like some of us tech heads do. NOTE: Samsung did release an update for this tv, and after installation I watched the IWTV again. This time I did not see FB's. None.
The only time I EVER see fluctuating blacks now is when netflix is on a low quality for whatever reason. It only seems to happen when watching poorer quality signals like sd cable, or netflix, so really nothing to worry about.
My review is mainly regarding picture quality, and ive got a tower for my internet. That being said, the internet on the tv is ok. A little laggy sometimes, but its bearable. Netflix straight through the tv is quite acceptable, and at least as good as from a ps3/360. Netflix through the ps3 has been the best overall, if it makes any difference(1080p streaming).
Overall I would give this set a 9/10 just because the stand is so darn ugly, the bezel is not black like the d7000 and the few instances I saw FB's. Blacks are amazing, inky, and you will notice them the first time you turn it on. Colors are spot on!! Response time is absolutely fantastic, and despite what those 18 year olds at best buy say, plasma is far superior for gaming. Burn-in is a thing of yesteryear, and there is absolutely no issues with that on this set. I would take this set over the Panasonic P65VT30 ANY DAY!! Samsung is better with parts distribution, service, warranty claims(not that you will have any), and over picture quality. Blacks are videophiles obsessions, and this set does them perfectly.
So when you pull out your credit card for the VT30, just remember "i told you so" when youre cursing at your set come super bowl time, or neo's trench coat isnt as black as it used to be...
Hope this helps with your decision!
Thanks for reading guys.
Ryan
Oh yeah, and seeing as how last year(and the year before) that the smaller samsung pdp sets had worse black levels expect that also being the case with this year's sets. So yes, the PN64D8000 DOES have significantly better blacks than the 51 or 59 inchers. Dont forget that!

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Samsung HT-C650W Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased this Samsung system as a replacement to my previous Samsung system that was destroyed in a house fire. I'm no audiophile, but I do know good sound when I hear it.
Before buying this set, I had considered sound bars and other 2.1 systems (mainly Bose) as I live in an apartment and my living room isn't all that big, nor did I want the system to blow away my neighbors. I ended up with this, though for a couple of reasons:
For the money, it's a good system. It's almost identical to the last albeit with wireless rear speakers. Which is my first point. The wireless rear speakers just work. You plug in a transmitter to the back of the unit and then plug the rear speakers into a receiver unit that you plug into the wall. So the rear speakers aren't truly wireless, but they're good enough. I did buy some nice stands to put them on so that I could hide the speaker wire. The receiver box is small (about the size of a Nintendo Wii or similar) and unobtrusive. I set it next to my couch on the floor under a side table and you can't see it unless you're looking for it. Also, the couch hides the wires coming from the farthest speaker.
The speakers are good. Not great, but they'll do. They don't have any grilles on them, which is a bit annoying. They look good, but if you've got toddlers on the move or a big dog, I'd suggest wall-mounting them or putting them up on stands to get them out of the way of curious fingers and/or sharp teeth. My rear speakers exhibit a bit of fuzziness at low volumes, especially when I'm sitting right next to one of them, but turn up the volume and have a steady flow of sound, and you never hear it. I'm guessing this might be a slight loss in transmission from the transmitter to the rear receiver, but I may be wrong.
The setup for this system was incredibly easy. Samsung color-codes their speaker wires so you can't really mess it up. The only bad thing about this is that if you want new, more or better speaker wire, you're going to have to get something Samsung compatible with their connections or either do some MacGuyvering to get their connection onto your wire of choice (which may defeat the purpose of better speaker wire). The good thing about this system vs. my last one, is that the wires weren't permanently attached to the speakers so I can upgrade my speakers at any point by just unplugging the wires from these and plugging them into the back of something nicer. I doubt I'll ever need anything more, but it's an option. Back to the setup, Samsung provides a microphone for an auto setup feature and while I never could get it to pick up every speaker every time (it would miss at least one each time), it did seem to get things close enough for me.
This system works flawlessly with my Samsung 46" LCD HDTV and while I don't use the remote (I have a Logitech Harmony remote), it seemed easy enough to use and matched the remote to my TV almost button for button.
For the money, there aren't much better systems out there. Especially if you're looking for rear speakers that are wireless. It's a good starter set or a replacement to an old setup if you just want to add in the all-in-one capability of the box.

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wireless rear and upgraded front speakers,Crystal Amp Pro,Eco Power System,Advanced ASC,Smart Volume

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The 3DTV Glasses (FOUR) - COMPATIBLE with Nvidia,Philips, HP Envy laptops. Review

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(More customer reviews)These glasses work flawlessly on my Samsung 8000 series 3DTV. I actually use these more than I use the Samsung brand glasses I got with my starter kit since they are rechargeable. Ancillary benefit: USB cable charges my Evo Shift, and PS3 controllers. Definitely got more than I bargained for!

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