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"Top notch picture is the best I've seen on LCD" on by calcarine_sulcus
Pros: Great picture quality. No blur/grain @ all - likely due to screen coating.....but
Cons: Screen coating is glossy and shows reflections of everything in the room.
Summary: I have been comparing the Sony KDL-52XBR5 with the Samsung LN52A750, and have been for about the last 2 months. (I'm sure the local stores aren't pleased with my analysis paralysis.)
Anyway, I have read all of the consumer reviews for the Sony, but there are few to none to read for the Samsung. Everyone who bought the Sony describes it as the best thing that has ever happened to TV and they all boast about how happy they are with the picture quality. I don't know if these are written by actual customers who have viewed both sets, but I wanted to offer my take for anyone willing to listen.
I just can't get myself to buy either one quite yet, and I want to tell you why. Hopefully this will help someone else to pull the trigger on their purchase in a more timely fashion than I have been able to do.
First, I'll start with the Sony. It's absolutely beautiful! The set design is awesome and it would look great hanging on my wall. My problem is that the picture is grainy as hell. I watched a program on discovery in HD using direct TV as the source. There was a big and very noticeable problem on the Sony when looking at edge detail on an airplane/ultralight. I was standing with my head @ 12 ft. from the TV (yes, I actually brought my tape measure) and it was impossible not to notice this.. even at that distance. I asked the sales guy if this is something that you just get used to. His reply was that if you see it now and it bothers you, you will continue to see it and be bothered by it @ home. Next was hockey on the Sony...un-watchable. Instant headache. The puck was a blur. Then finally, blu-ray. The picture was so good on this that I thought I was going to fall into the TV. It was stunning.
Now for the Samsung. The TV is not as visually appealing. The TOC (touch of color) is the lamest attempt I have ever seen to make a TV look more fashionable. I don't know if this comes in other colors,...but red??? What the hell is that about?
I found the picture on the Samsung to be hands down better. No comparison. No blur and no grain on the same HD source/channel. I don't get it though! They both have 120Hz refresh, so what gives? I asked the sale advisor about this. He said that the Samsung's screen is coated with something that makes motion look more real. I thought the picture was flawless on this set.
So what's the big deal then right? Just buy the Samsung and shut up, right?
Wrong! Whatever material is used to coat the Samsung screen, it makes the screen have a glossy appearance. This is could be a HUGE problem in a room with windows (like mine). Once I became aware of the neon "Stereo" sign reflected in the set, I could no longer focus on the picture. I could even see myself and the salesman standing there too. If you have a room with windows, you need to be aware of this.
Take a small pen-light or flashlight and point it at the screen. If it reflects the light, like the Samsung does (the Sony hardly does), you may have a problem in a well lit room.
So what do I do? I want to fall in love with a TV like the other people who review, but I just can’t. You have to take the room into account as well. I would have bought the Samsung yesterday if I didn’t have to research room darkening blinds. On second though, maybe I’ll just leave that to the wife.
For pure picture quality, it’s the Samsung for me. I just don’t know if it will work in this room. -
"I would not recommend this LCD" on by BioTexas
Pros: very nice picture quality
Cons: Bad sound. The capacitors go out in the power module after only 14 months of use. Thousands of customers have had this same problem, and Samsung denies it. Please research this issue for yourself before you purchase an Samsung LCD TV.
Summary: Customer service for Samsung is horrible. Nothing but problems with my 52" LCD only 14 months old. A known issue, and they refuse to acknowledge it. Buyer Beware!
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"The Best of the Best" on by mouseclick
Pros: Solid Picture and Excellent 120Hz Feature
Cons: Speakers are Hallow
Summary: After researching and viewing content on several LCDs from numerous manufacturers, I cut it down to the Samsung 71 series LCD until the LN52A750 came out and beat it (if someone is going to beat your product, best that it’s you). The 71 series is excellent but the new 7 series just about perfects the 120Hz technology feature, and so I bought this bad boy right away. There’s a lot said about this feature, including on CNET, as to whether it is good or bad. It’s really as simple as this… 120Hz adds a new element to TVs, almost giving life-like depth perception to 1080i or better video content. 120Hz has even been described by some as the “new” 1080p, and it really does add that much quality to video. Some argue things like it robs you of “director’s intent” in certain movies, shows, etc. But it’s as simple as – so what, if you don’t want to use it, turn it off when you want and use it for content where it is ideal, like sports, gaming and some movies, etc. The 7 series truly does the best job at 120Hz of ANY LCD on the market today, and I can’t see it getting much better (next step would be to actually do 3D HDTVs). Some also have criticized a red border around the TV but, it is hardly even noticeable. In fact, everyone who’s seen the TV in my house hasn’t even noticed it – until I told them it was there and then they still didn’t care that it was there. The picture quality is superior overall. This is an excellent TV. The only gripe I have about it so far is the sound. The speakers are in the back and so the sound comes across a bit hallow, despite my repeated attempts to compensate for it by trying to customize the equalizer. Still, this is just minor to me since, if I really want to hear good sound, I’d turn on 5.1 audio. This is the best LCD HDTV available, and the fact I got it brand new for $2,600 at a local large retailer made it even sweeter.
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"Great picture, but a few glaring flaws keep it from being the best." on by Tovarisht
Pros: Great picture, good motion, cool extra features.
Cons: "Halo" effect, purple haze, and wacky remote.
Summary: I recently got Sharp to refund me the purchase price of my 52" 62U (banding) after three sets. So I narrowed my search down to the Samsung 650, 750, or the Panasonic 800U with THX certification. I finally decided on the Samsung 750 because I play a lot of Madden and was worried about burn in. I took it home, hooked it up, and was amazed by the picture clarity, superb motion, and color accuracy. This TV also has a lot of nice features (my wife and her girlfriend oohed and aahed over the recipes and artwork). I think the design of the TV is cool and the red border is not nearly as pronounced on this set as the 650.
However...I had read on AVS forum about the so called Purple Haze some of these sets have. As long as I was sitting on my couch directly in front of the set, deep beautiful blacks; however, as soon as I moved slightly off center (I'm not talking 180 degrees, more like 75), the blacks turn purple. The further off center, the more purple. I put in Revenge of the Sith, with dark space scenes and was really disappointed. Space should be black, not purple.
I took that set back immediately and picked up another. Got it home, same problem. In addition, I noticed that the very edges of the bezel are at a 45 degree angle and reflect portions of the screen back to you which is quite distracting. I believe some call this the "halo" effect. What is wrong with Samsung? Couldn't they see this problem in testing. All that would be necessary to fix it is to paint the inside edge of the bezel so that it would not allow light to pass through.
Also, the screen is very glossy. When the screen is black/purple its like looking into a mirror.
Despite the great picture (from dead on) I would not recommend this TV unless they change the name to Vizio and lower the price 1,500. I'm going back to CC today to buy the Panasonic 800U. -
"Simply breathtaking" on
Pros: Extremely Sharp and plenty of Contrast
Cons: None- nothing to discredit or complain about
Summary: I almost bought the Samsung LN52A650 but decided to go for the best in this class, called a series 7 unit. After owning this for 2 weeks now, I feel confident to say that this set is nothing short of spectacular. I had been examining and comparing sets from every maker. There's probably not much difference between this unit(the 750) and the LN52A650 (the 650). They're both excellent units. The picture is very definable, nearly every aspect of the picture can be modified, but standard settings are probably the best. This comes as close as you'll ever get (with an LCD) to a plasma. Even the two small woofer speakers, mounted in the back of the set are good (being internally mounted).
This is a huge set. You need to be 15-20 feet away from this set to take advantage of its size (you need 2 people to carefully set this unit on a Flat Panel table - it's that big).
Other brands came close, but this unit (as of this writing) had the best and most features. There are also some really neat installed programs on it's internal computer - gorgeous slideshows with beautiful music, childrens' games, recipes, workouts. You can even upgrade your own system software with a USB flashdrive.
Upconverted standard DVD movies are nothing short of impressive.
The Ten Commandements with Charlton Heston was unbelievable. I never saw so much detail before. The colors....spectacular.
Even cartoons (for grandkids) never looked so good.
I highly recommend this set (or the 650-depending on your budget).
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