derekrader's Full Review: Samsung HL-56A650C 56 in. HDTV DLP TV
This is actually my second Samsung DLP review. Our first Samsung television was lost in a tragic accident, however, I decided against repair, because a new television was so inexpensive. Therefore this review will not only be based on the current experience, but also in comparison to the proceeding Samsung model.
The Review is organized into the following sections:
SECTION 1: OVERVIEW
SECTION 2: LIKES & DISLIKES
SECTION 3: UPDATES FROM THE PREVIOUS GENERATION DLPs
SECTION 4: FEATURES EXPLAINED
SECTION 5: SPECIFICATIONS
SECTION 6: CONCLUSION
Price: This is part of Samsungs new "Series Six" line of DLP televisions. At around $1300 at various stores you will be hard pressed to find a television with as many features for a similar price. The full 1080p, 120 Hz (24Hz, 60Hz, 120Hz modes), and 3 HDMI inputs create a television that will not be outdated in the near future.
SECTION 2: LIKES & DISLIKES
-LIKE: 120 Hz! The higher frequency offers a higher quality reproduction of movies, which are almost always filmed at 24 Hz and have to be converted at a lower quality on 60 Hz televisions. Also, if you have a game system connected by HDMI or the PC connector you will like the luxury of having them play at the higher frequencies if the game/system supports. Many LCD and Plasma don't offer this and even those that due face blurring issues, which are a non-issue with DLP. Fast motion is NOT an issue and you'll find the price significantly lower than LCD/Plasma sets with 120 Hz.
-LIKE: Very Fast Operation. Start up and shut down are nearly instantaneous, especially when compared to older televisions.
-LIKE: Very Easy to Use. Menu's are much simpler than the old system and you can back up or go forward without having to completely exit what sub-menu you are in. The remote helps as there are less buttons than there used to be as well.
-LIKE: Very Thin. Only 17.4 inches wide at the base and the rest of the television is much thinner.
-LIKE: Very nicely designed. Pleasurable to look at, the appearance is very sleek and it has a nice reflective shiny black exterior. The buttons you need for operation are on the side and recessed so you don't see anything from the front, except for the three status lights (very small LCDs) and the large center power button, which glows a cool blue color during operation.
-LIKE: Very bright screen. The screen is bright, almost too bright. There is almost no possibility to wash out colors in a bright room, even turned down it is incredibly bright.
-LIKE: Brilliant colors and contrast. The current salesmanship is to advertise contrast ratios either beyond possibility like 1,000,000:1 or what the human eye can technically render. Either way, the blacks are entirely so and white is completely that. There is no lack of color or saturation and I found this to be one of the best that I found at Circuit City and Best Buy for color rendition and brightness.
-LIKE: Very Light Weight. At only 56 pounds it only takes 1 adult to move.
-LIKE: User Programmable Modes. Create custom setups like, "PS3", "MOVIE", etc. and select them to have the ideal setup for the task at hand.
-LIKE: Great viewing angle. While not as good as LCD or Plasma, it is enough that you are at such an odd angle that you wouldn't want to watch it anyway before the light fall off is enough that you can't see the screen, so to me it is irrelevant.
-LIKE: Inexpensive Parts. The bulb is the only maintenance and it is incredibly easy to replace. Open the door and put it in, that's it. Also a new screen is just about $200 so if the kids destroy it, you can repair it and it's not catastrophic, unlike LCD and Plasma sets.
-LIKE: Movers will often not move Plasma and LCD for the reasons above.
-LIKE: Sound Reproduction is Good, Just Not Loud. Even though the television is very slim there are six speakers and there is surround sound decoding built into the TV with the TruSurround XT. Works well for most applications, but you'll definitely want the home theater on for movies to get the full affect.
-LIKE: Lots of Computer/Camera Connections. We have a PS3 and a laptop that we will use at various times in addition to a Canon EOS. There is a USB connection as well as a PC VGA style connector on the back. If your laptop doesn't have an HDMI connector you can still use VGA via the serial connector, which is a huge convenience. If you have a digital camera you can view or display content via the the USB connector on your screen. At 1080P and the very high contrast your digital images are spectacular and we now use the television as a kind of modern slide show for guests and family. We love the incredible quality and it really for great viewing of photos that you would never see at that size normally. The quality is so good that I actually use the screen to preview what prints I will want to make later!
-DISLIKE: I found that the TV was exceptionally good in its base state and I turned all the extra functions off. So while they're available I didn't find them to be entirely useful.
-DISLIKE: Remote is once again only good at operating the TV itself and nothing else and it falls off the table due to the shape.
-DISLIKE: Speakers are only 20 watts and not very loud. For most things no problem, but with 3 children it can be overwhelmed occasionally.
-DISLIKE: I would like two optical audio connections, but one is adequate for 99% of people. If you have a receiver with HDMI inputs then this is a non issue, which is what I will be upgrading to eventually as well.
-DISLIKE: There is a textured surface on all Samsung DLP TVs, which unless the image is of low quality you will not notice, however at 480p and below you see it and it can be an irritation in low movement scenes. As soon as analog is no longer available this will be a non-issue, but not sure why Samsung did this, unless it is for light distribution properties.
SECTION 3: UPDATES FROM THE PREVIOUS GENERATION DLPs
My largest complaints in the older HL-S5086W 50 inch have been corrected, except one. The following are problems with the older DLP TVs that are now fixed and some that aren't.
-FIXED: Slow Start Up, now only takes 2.8 seconds to start or turn off the television. The older DLP TVs would have to "warm up" to get a decent picture, it is now instant.
-FIXED: Audio Echo. Previously when you left the TV main speakers on with a home theater the audio would be out of synch and it would create an echo due to the delay. This no longer exists and the result is a much more pleasurable experience if you forget to turn the TV off after you turn on your home theater system.
-FIXED: Lack of HDMI Inputs. With 3 HDMI inputs you have much more freedom to connect items such as a PS3/XBOX, BLU-RAY player, and your HD Cable/Sat input. I can't imagine what a person would need 4 inputs for and I think this has just become a topic for "salesmanship" between manufactures.
-FIXED: Noise & Power Consumption. The old TV could become very loud when used for video games or after a long movie, however the new set is absolutely quiet and the fan, even if it does come on is not noticeable. Also the new Samsung is EngergyStar Compliant as well, so there is a utility bill improvement from the previous version.
-FIXED: Up-Convert Quality. The previous generation had terrible picture quality with anything lower than 480p signals. Even analog broadcasts look good on the new Samsung and we enjoy it much more. While everything will be going digital, that doesn't mean that the source signal will always be of high quality. It's good to know that the TV can up-convert to a level that is still acceptable to the eye.
-NOT FIXED: Remote Ergonomics & Functionality. The old remotes had no compatibility with current Samsung products, and this trend continues. Our Samsung products still do not work despite being from the same manufacture (limited functionality only) and the new remote has solved the problem by simply removing any buttons that could mislead you into believing they would. The up side is that the remote is incredibly simple to use and straight forward with very few buttons. The down side is that while it fits your hand (curved nicely) it will slide ride off the table or anywhere else unless the entire remote is supported. Also the remote is quite long at about 9-10 inches. I'm not sure why you need such a large remote for only a few buttons, however the remote is back lit so in darkness you can see everything, which is very nice.
-NOT FIXED: Lack of Picture In Picture (PIP). Still a feature not seen. My assumption is that DLP cannot project multiple images simultaneously and may be a limit on the technology itself. Regardless, it is a feature that I would like to have, but for many a non-factor because of the lack of use it typically gets.
SECTION 4: FEATURES EXPLAINED (From Samsung.com)
Some time should be taken here to explain what features are found in the Television. The major items are listed below.
-Digital Noise Reduction: Reduces undesirable digital noise (grain etc.) found while viewing.
-TruSurround XT: As signals are processed with TruSurround XT, Dialog Clarity is applied first. TruSurround then render multi-channel signals in such a way as to take advantage of the human hearing system and create an
encompassing sound field.
-CinemaSmooth: Delivers a wide range of brilliant colors, with bright images and crisp definition. Make action-packed images much faster, smoother, and flicker-free with our new line of 3D-Ready DLP® TVs.
-3-D Technology: Gives you the benefits of both a flat-panel set and 3D movie viewing and gaming.
-Wiselink USB Connection: Easily hook up your MP3 player or digital camera to your TV with the USB 2.0 connection. A simple user interface lets you scroll through and view play lists and pictures. You can zoom, rotate or play photo slide shows and even add music.
-DNIe™ Technology: DNIe is made up of a Motion Optimizer, a Contrast Enhancer, a Color Optimizer, and a Detail Enhancer to produce life-like images that rival reality.
-Dynamic Contrast: Automatically controls the contrast to avoid excessive levels.
-Edge Enhancement: Sharpens edge detail.
-xvYCC: Expands the color space to ensure improved picture quality.
-Digital Noise Reduction (NR): Reduce noise of picture to avoid distracting noise.
-Auto Volume: Automatically equalizes the volume level when switching to another channel.
-Software Upgrade: This is done via your USB thumb drive to load software updates for the TV. An option that was not available on older models.
SECTION 5: SPECIFICATIONS
Video Screen Size: 50"
Aspect Ratio: 16 : 9
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Contrast Ratio: 2,500:1
DNIe: Y
Digital Noise Reduction: Y
AUDIO Sound Effect System: TruSurround XT
Sound Output(RMS): 10 W x 2
HDMI: 3
composite (AV): 2
S-Video: 1
PC input (D-sub): Yes
Picture-in-Picture: N
System Tuners: NTSC / ATSC, Clear QAM
Package size(WXHXD): 49.6" x 36.8" x 17.4"
Television Weight: 55.8 lb
SECTION 6: CONCLUSION
A great TV, with incredible features and at 120 Hz your 24 Hz movies will look better, which should be the goal. The shortcomings are few and the biggest is probably not being able to mount it on the wall. This is a great bargain and a terrific looking television. When you compare features with other televisions you will find that you are looking at much more expensive options.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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