Samsung UN46C7000 1080p 240 Hz 3D 46-Inch LED HDTV broadcast show
Recently, I spent some time with the new, 3D-ready, Samsung C7000 series 46-inch LED LCD.
Appearance & Performance.
The UN46C7000 is very sleek looking. It has an extremely thin profile. However, the reflective screen shows a bit of glare in a well-lit room. The LED backlight extinguishes once the set has a 0% black signal for just a few seconds. When it happens, blacks are amazingly dark. Anything above the 0% signal, such as for just a small area of the screen, the LEDs light up and make the blacks glow in a light controlled room.
Samsung UN46C7000 1080p 240 Hz 3D 46-Inch LED HDTV remote control
Black Levels.
The main disadvantage to the C7000′s is its edge lit LED technology, as opposed to the local dimming LED technology of the B8500. One small area of the picture causes the entire screen to glow black levels. Ideally, it should just be the area near the picture, as with the B8500.
When the LEDs on the C7000′s are lit, there is a bit of unevenness across a black screen. The corners are slightly brighter than other areas. There are a few cloudy or milky looking areas. Overall, it was not as severe as in last year’s B7100.
White Levels.
Whites are basically uniform across the screen, yet not quite perfect. I noticed a very slight cooler tone to the whites on the screen’s left side. It’s not noticeable enough to be seen by most home theater enthusiasts, including picky ones. However, if watch a lot of hockey, it could be noticeable.
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Off-axis viewing.
The C7000′s poor off-axis display could bother some owners. Colors and contrast wash-out noticeably only a few feet from dead center.
Adjustment Options.
The C7000′s picture adjustments in movie mode has many controls that give you an incredible amount of choices for fine-tuning the picture. For instance, the advanced menu has an optoin called “shadow detail”, which boosts dark objects. It does not “wash-out” the overall image. “Wash-out” was a real weakness of earlier models.
Stand-out Options.
“Expert pattern” has useful test patterns. If you own a good test disc, this option is not a big deal.
“RGB only mode” sets color isolation. It is a better way to set color adjustments than with the colored filters on test discs.
10-point white balance & Gamma
The most outstanding setting is the 10 point white balance/gamma adjustment. It works with the familiar white balance cuts and gains. First set gamma, brightness, contrast, shadow detail, and conventional white balance adjustments. Then, use calibration gear to set color emphasis at certain brightness levels and improve the brightness ratio as the set adjusts from dark to bright images.
Samsung UN46C7000 1080p 240 Hz 3D 46-Inch LED HDTV windows xp desktop
10 point adjustment changes work reasonably well. It is more predictable and less quirky than LG’s 10 point adjustment. The Samsung’s problem is its steps are too coarse at lower adjustments. From 1 through 3, a 1-click adjustment makes too large a shift in actual output. This left some uneveness at the low end of the grayscale tracking. Still, it was still a BIG help. When you combine it with shadow detail control, it produces much better visibility in dark scenes than anything seen from a Samsung flat panel.
CMS Adjustments.
Full CMS adjustments were available when color space was in “custom” mode. These adjustments work as expected and are a model for the industry to follow.
Motion Options.
“LED Motion Plus” and fine tuning 240Hz Clear Motion are available. They could provide the right balance between smooth panning and that unwanted soap opera look.
3D Mode.
The C7000′s special processing can show regular programs in 3D. When 3D mode is used, movie mode is unavailable. So, when in 3D, colors and overall image calibration will not be as accurate.
Watching the TV.
After calibrations and adjustments, it was time to watch some movies in Blu Ray 1080P/24 in a dark room. The picture is very impressive with great contrast. There is lots of “pop” and impact during brighter scenes. Colors looked reasonably natural and vibrant. Skin tones looked a bit purplish. This can be eliminated with an adjustment to the red CMS.
After a changing one last setting, the Samsung C7000 made a tremendous impression. Images are as smooth and natural as any seen on a Samsung LCD. Colors are true and rich. Images had great depth, without considering the 3D processing.
Contrast is good, cannot match a local dimming LED model like the B8500 or a Kuro plasma. The contrast ratio of 2220:1 compares to a Sharp 700un, which is impressive for an LCD. Shadow detail is superb, basting the B8500 significantly. Comparing a Pioneer 9G Elite Kuro, the best flat panel display ever IMO, the image is smoother, and the colors are very slightly richer. The Kuro has better contrast and more pop in dark scenes. So, the Samsung UN46C7000 compares very well to the Kuro.
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