Samsung LN55B650 55" 120Hz LCD HDTV: A Layman's Review

Game Mode: Is it the Second Coming?

Samsung has advertised their Game Mode for some time now but this is the first time we have really taken the time to sit down and give it a good run through its paces. Supposedly, this setting will speed up the display refresh rate, optimize contrast and brightness and eliminate the ghosting, input lag and other issues inherent when gaming on LCD TVs. That’s a tall order of business for one simple setting but according to the documentation, it also comes with one drawback: a loss of image quality.

Considering I spent a good amount of time gaming on the LN55B650, I have to admit that I tried Game Mode for all of an hour before I couldn’t take it anymore. The main issue I saw was exactly what Samsung’s documentation warned about: a massive degradation in image quality.


Unless you need to go and find your glasses, it is more than obvious that the topmost image shows a drastic reduction in picture quality. Not only did Game Mode seem to virtually negate any anti aliasing the Playstation 3 applied to the image but it also made the stunning graphics of Killzone 2 look like a game that was made five years ago.

Granted, the minor ghosting I saw when light objects moved across a black background was totally eliminated when Game Mode was enabled but is such a large breakdown in image quality worth it? I don’t think so. In addition, any input lag I experienced without this setting enabled was due to the Playstation 3’s wireless gamepad since when I used a wired controller; lag was a thing of the past even with this setting disabled.

To me, the Game Mode presents gamers with only one thing: marketing spin. Maybe some consumers will see some benefit from it but I found that it does nothing more than steal the polish away from the best games out there while not offering a perceptibly better gaming experience. As with all seemingly good things, this mode comes with a huge downside: it takes picture quality and throws it to the wolves.