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

Uniformity

The uniformity of our panel was good but still far from perfect. If you have the contrast set correctly on the monitor you are using to read this, you should be able to see that the corners of the screen display a slightly lighter color than the center. This effect -called “flash lighting”- seems to vary in severity from one set to the next so your results may not be as good as you see here. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be any clouding (faint areas throughout the screen which are lighter than others) as seemed to be a frequent occurrence on Samsung’s A-Series sets.

Viewing Angles

Up until this point, Samsung has been near the top of our list when it comes to picture quality so it seems a bit contrary to say that the LN55B650 is cursed with poor viewing angles. When you are viewing the picture straight on, contrast is near-perfect but even a few feet off center and the picture quality suffers tremendously. Once you get to about six feet away from the optimal viewing position, the picture becomes washed out to the point that it is unwatchable for more discerning viewers.