# Comparing Samsung LED TVs



## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

Hello,

Hard time comparing Samsung UN55C6300SF and UN55C6500VF.

I can't go any more expensive then these models.

Question #1:
The 6500 offers 5,000,000:1 vs. the 4,000,000:1. Does this make a big enough difference?

Question#2:
The 6500 offers internet connectability. But, does that matter if someone has a Blu-Ray device that can hook up to internet. Isn't that the same thing?


Question #3:
Any reason to buy a brand other than these 2 models?

Thanks


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## mdrake (Jan 31, 2008)

First welcome to the shack!! Is this tv going to be in a dedicated theater or in the main room of your home? If in the main room is there a way to control ambient light in the room?

Matt


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

I would never select a TV using the manufacturer's stated contrast ratio as a criteria. It's usually inflated or just plain made up. It's almost certain that it would be nowhere near that after adjusting your white and black levels properly. :T I bought a 52" Sony LED TV a month ago. I'm extremely happy with it and I see nothing of the ills that have been written about this TV.

How did I choose it? I stood in Best Buy for somewhere near an hour and a half looking at the LED/LCDs. The only time I'd talk to one of the salespeople was when a set interested me and I wanted to look at the remote to see if I could adjust it properly. After a while NHL Hockey was being shown on all of the sets. I was standing in front of the Sony (120Hz) at the time and it looked a lot better than the 5 other TVs around it - 3 of which were 240Hz sets. 

So my advice is to not buy your TV from the spec sheet but to go out and look at them. :T Then again, you may have already done this. :huh:

Good luck and let us know how it turns out. :bigsmile:


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Excellent advice mechman, but that may only work well if he knows how to adjust them properly, I've often felt there's not much sense in comparing how sets look out of the box in torch mode...
I agree, contrast ratios mean nothing. Internet capability may be a plus if it will make your life easier for firmware upgrades. Otherwise, the IP content you can get through internet connections can usually be gotten by an external box (such as Roku) for less incremental cost. 
If you're married to LCD, look at the Sony.
I think mdrake wants to try and steer your towards a plasma instead... if you have control over the light in your room (nothing wrong with that, I just bought one myself...)


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## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

Thank you for the responses and advice.
A few issues about lighting.
Immediately behind the sofa are the windows. Light is blocked out as necessary with blinds. Directly above the livingroom (centrally), is a light that has a dimmer switch. So, the light power can be controlled 20%-100% power output on light.

Adjusting. I know how to do it, but can be tricky. I was just at best buy, and sometimes you can tell even the flesh color of a person's skin is out of whack on the settings, make it difficult to appreciate the differences?


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## event horizon (Nov 12, 2009)

alewisdvm said:


> Question #1:
> The 6500 offers 5,000,000:1 vs. the 4,000,000:1. Does this make a big enough difference?
> 
> Question#2:
> ...


1. When a contrast ratio of 1,000,000 gives an almost pitch black black there honestly won't be any noticeable difference between 4 & 5 million :T

2. Probably yes thinking about it. Though there might well be differences in each devices capabilities. For instance the blu ray can update it's firmware & access internet content pertinent to blu rays with online content for extra stuff on movies. I'm not sure what if anything else they could do. A TV on the other hand might do similar stuff to what my TV could if i connected it to the net. You can access web TV & youtube content & display it on the TV, i'm not sure the blu ray player could do this at all :nono:

3. That depends on if you prefer other manufacturers wares


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

alewisdvm said:


> Adjusting. I know how to do it, but can be tricky. I was just at best buy, and sometimes you can tell even the flesh color of a person's skin is out of whack on the settings, make it difficult to appreciate the differences?


Ask them for the remote. I did and they gave it to me. You can then go into the menu system and try to make it look how it should by eye. The only thing you can compare realistically at the store on the generic settings are sporting events.


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## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

AT Bestbuy, the salesman was pretty strongly pushing for a ISF adjustment also be made to my television after I get it. Of course, with a nice fee. How important is it? Can it be done by a person without the computer analysis, etc...I have seen other comments doing it yourself with THX glasses and a THX DVD?

Comments.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

It's one of those things that will depend on who you talk to. It will also depend on your TV. 
For me, a calibration is a necessity. I once preached that everyone should do it or have it done. I now recognize that it's not for everyone. It depends on what you want out of your TV. If you like that blown out, bluish, super edgy look that so many TVs have out-of-the-box, then calibration may not be for you. I, on the other hand, prefer to know that I'm looking at, as closely as possible, but the director (or whatever artist) intended me to see. It goes back to the whole "Willing suspension of disbelief" thing. That is what a calibration is intended to do. When your TV gets a certain instruction, you are assured that the TV follows that instruction as closely as it is capable. If it's a well done calibration.

Now, regarding ISF calibration, technically, there's really no such thing. What does exist is a calibration done by someone who is ISF certified. There are also calbrations done by people who are THX certified. There are calibrators who are certified by both. There are calibrators who are certified by neither. In all these categories, there are calibrators who are good at what they do and care about what they do, and those who do not. Have to go... be back in a second to finish.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

So... I recommend that if someone intends to hire a calibrator, they should treat this as hiring any contractor, talk to several individuals, get quotes, compare they're services and experiences, talk to references. This is one reason I don't recommend BB services... although I know people who are very happy with what they got, I also know people who were not. As I understand it, when you hire BB you don't know exactly who you're getting. It may be someone who attended ISF classes, or someone who got a crash course from someone else who may or may not have attended the ISF classes. As I understand it, ISF teaches science, and (possibly up until recently) left it up to the individual to actually learn the calibration process on their own after taking the class. As I understand it, THX focuses a bit more on hands-on calibration itself.

Different TVs will be different out of the box depending on what the MFR intended, and your viewing environment, sources, etc... and they will have different calibration controls, so some will benefit from a calibration more than others.

If you want to see the benefits of calibration first-hand without investing a lot, the best bang for the buck would be to use the THX Optimizer found on any THX Certified disk. It has test patterns (and instructions for using them) to allow you to set Brightness correctly by eye, as well as Contrast (a little more involved, and I'm not sure the instructions do that one justice). If the disk didn't come with them, you can buy blue filter glasses from THX that will help you (pretty close) set color and tint as well for just a few $. For just a little more, DVE (a disk of test patterns) will get you closer. Anything more than those 4 settings (and the sharpness control) and you should invest time to learn and buy test equipment. But the DVE disk would probably get you 75% of the way there.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

All that being said, a THX DVD will be of limited usefullness if you mainly watch BD, and the color spaces are different. Not completely useless, just not as good as test patterns coming from a BD.


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## videobruce (Jul 11, 2010)

Samsung was sued for the 'light tunnel' problem with some of their DLP RPTV's .
They now should be sued for false advertising. 

These are _*not*_ "LED TV's". 

They are LED _*driven*_ LCD TV's. HUGE difference! And if you are looking at a 'edge lit' set (thin panel), these suffer from hot spotting or the flashlight effect.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Don't forget to sue Sony at the same time.


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## videobruce (Jul 11, 2010)

The green blob??  (You have to own one first.........)
Different subject, different manufacture, different lawsuit (thou more famous).
LCoS was the best technology of the four (DLP, LCD & Plasma). JVC had initial issues with CR that made them give up.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Please focus the commentary on the topic that the OP posted and his subsequent questions.

I don't have direct experience with these models, but what little I have seen of them looks pretty good.

BB calibrators have typically used Sencore colorimeters that may not be capable of properly aligning color on LED backlit sets. I suggest you contact other calibrators in your area to find one who will provide better service than BB has in this area and who may have the right equipment.


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