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

Conclusion

Samsung bills themselves as one of the most popular manufacturers of HDTVs with access to the best technologies available today. While their popularity is open to debate, I personally feel that the LN55B650 builds upon a lot of the lessons learned from past generations and improves upon them in leaps and bounds. No matter what I threw at it, once calibrated to the viewing conditions this set was able to perform above and beyond my expectations again and again. However, this technological tour de force doesn’t mean a complete elimination of all the inherent problems which LCDs have become known for in the past.

Even though the overall looks drew some pretty negative comments from some people (most of them can’t be published here), I found that the Touch of Color quite nice but the small “chin” in the lower bezel does look a bit ridiculous. This is unfortunate since the 650-series costs more than the 640-series but does away with the lower model’s clean lines and neutral color scheme. Other than the slightly jowly look, the mildly reflective Ultra Clear panel didn’t impede much upon daytime viewing as past models but it can be distracting in certain situations.

When it came to watching movies, the LN55B650 really came into its own with an eye-wateringly crisp picture that shows off the three dimensionality in scenes that great HDTVs are known for. Contrast has always been an issue with LCD TVs but this particular Samsung product was able to sweep this perceived limitation away with some of the best gray scale performance I have seen. Granted, the out-of-box settings are a dog’s breakfast but with some care, the help of DVE and Samsung’s intuitive menu design, anyone can achieve settings that will be the envy of their neighbors. Just make sure to properly set the Auto Motion Plus if you want to avoid the “soap opera” look that many complain about when viewing broadcasts on a 120Hz TV.

Gaming was also a high point with very little lag between inputs and the on-screen actions but there were some minor problems with ghosting without some custom AMP settings. On the other hand, the actual “Game Mode” is an unmitigated disaster in terms of picture quality. Think of a head on car accident that gets hit by a high-speed train carrying airplane fuel which then derails and takes out a few city blocks in the ensuing inferno and you will have some idea of what this setting does to an otherwise stunning picture. This is a sad blemish on an otherwise stellar gaming performance.

While we can go on and on about how great the LN55B650 is, this doesn’t mean that it is without faults. We saw that viewing angles suck more than a Shop Vac on steroids but to most people who view the picture face-on, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, it will be a deal breaker if your seating position isn’t well lined up with the center of the TV. The overly hesitant menu navigation that has plagued past Samsung HDTVs rears its ugly head once again as well.

Viewing angles and general menu retardation aside, the main problem we see with Samsung’s 55” 650-series is its availability and its price in comparison to the rest of the 6-series TVs. First of all, finding the LN55B650 can be a lesson in futility here in Canada since stock seems to be impossible to find. We seem to have a huge influx of the 640-series which SHOULD be retailing for hundreds less than the 55B650 but is actually retailing for more. This is a boon for the few that actually find the 650 but shines a poor light on people who shell out more money for the LN55B640 without knowing any better. This is no fault of Samsung but rather a testament to retailers nation-wide who continue to fleece Canadian consumers again and again. If we have one piece of advice, it would be this: watch out for stores that want to rip you off by charging above $3100 for the 640-series and supposedly don’t have the 650-series in stock.

All in all, the LN55B650 impressed me with its huge feature list, amazing picture quality and previously unheard of contrast performance. There are a few things that proved to be bumps along the road to perfection but those were quickly silenced under the overwhelming weight of the positive experiences I had. Is the $3000 asking price for this TV worth it? In the grand scheme of things, I think so and as such it wins out Dam Good Award.


Pros:

- Calibrated picture quality is out of this world
- Some of the best contrast performance I have seen
- Intuitive menu structure
- Good connectivity options
- Features that actually work
- Passable audio performance for a flat panel display
- Price (if you can find it)


Cons:

- Slight ghosting in some games
- Game Mode trashes picture quality
- Horrible viewing angles
- Availability / price gouging from retailers