Samsung's
UN-B7000 LCD HDTV hits all the right style checkmarks, with
edge-mounted LEDs handling the backlighting and the Touch of Color fascia. The review unit at FlatpanelsHD even managed to score pretty high marks in color accuracy, even illumination and black levels. Unfortunately, a nasty "trailing" effect showed up on the 46-inch model when viewing fast-moving objects and totally ruined the party. Credit the reviewer for trying different settings and upgrading the firmware to get rid of the problem, but to no avail. Chime in below and let us know if you've seen this same behavior, or if the reviewer just got a bad unit; unless your TV-viewing habits include a square of blotter paper, of course.
UPDATE: Samsung has told us that any of the "trailer" visuals are not an artifact of the set. A run through our own comments and various internet message boards does not turn up any consistent complaints about these motion blur-type problems, either.
[Plastikman art courtesy
hyperreall]
[Thanks, Patrick!]
posted Apr 30th 2009 at 1:49PM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cubbiechris @ Apr 30th 2009 2:01PM
I didn't see any obvious trailing on the unit I saw. I'll check it out again and see if I see trails. That's a major bummer if this isn't a defective unit.
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WWW.HIGHDEFJUNKIES.COM
Liam Sevier @ Apr 30th 2009 2:07PM
Wow. Plastikman - Sheet One graphic. I remember that fiasco. I also realize how old I am now. = /
Steven Kim @ Apr 30th 2009 2:30PM
You and me both, but I just had to put some of my younger days in the post. What's amazing to me is that Hawtin is still doing it.
Darwin Smith @ Apr 30th 2009 2:11PM
I spent awhile checking one out at Best Buy and I'm pretty sure the model number starts with 'UN' not 'LN' like the standard CCFL backlit LCDs. I did notice that the video processing seemed to be screwed up and the backlighting is not even close to being uniform.
Steven Kim @ Apr 30th 2009 2:28PM
Right you are, sir -- fixed. Thanks!
LosCA @ Apr 30th 2009 2:23PM
It's Samsung, what do you expect!? I mean, I know that Samsung is a popular brand, but to me I have always seen them as a "cheap" company. Plus, the fact that they make microwaves/appliances just kills it's credibility with me. It is the same category as LG, or Haier, etc. I know it's hard to find a company that only makes TVs, but they shouldn't be all across the board in electronics. Panasonic is the same way for me. They may be a good company too, but they sell electric shavers! I don't want a company that dips into other things like that. Again, these are just my opinions. But people want the most/best they can get for the least amount of money... thus companies like Samsung thrive. Just don't be sooo shocked or surprised when you read about issues like this in the future. But as long as you (the customer) are happy & satisfied, that's the bottom line. For me, I would not ever be happy/satisfied with a Samsung anything. Samsung to me = cheap/plastic products. An issue with lots of electronics today.
mingoochingoo @ Apr 30th 2009 2:33PM
@LosCA
That's a pretty narrow-minded thinking. The fact is, they're all electronics. that's like saying you won't buy a car because that car company makes motorcycles and trucks. Just stupid.
saladin99 @ Apr 30th 2009 3:14PM
The reason that Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and most other TV companies make so many different types of electronics is due to the long tradition of Japanese (and in Samsung's case, Korean) companies seeking to expand, create jobs, and keep their employees working for a lifetime. I mean simply because a company makes many different things does not mean that they can not make them well. If you take a look at their histories, all of these Japanese companies were founded well before computers or even TVs were invented and they all started out making different products. If you don't like it buy an American brand TV, which I can assure you, will not be able to compete.
Jay @ Apr 30th 2009 3:42PM
Just out of curiosity, what brand of TV would you consider buying? It seems like most of the major and most popular brands are out for you.
DrXym @ May 1st 2009 5:34AM
I haven't had any trouble with Samsung computer or monitor hardware but I think their phones are terrible. Like every large electronics conglomerate they're split up into divisions and have their fingers in lots of pies. Same goes for Sony - I love the PS3 but I'm completely indifferent about most of their other goods.
On top of that, the electronics industry is so incestuous that Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips have all sorts of OEM partnerships, spin-offs and other subsiduaries that just because a TV says one brand on the front doesn't necessarily mean much since it might be assembled by a different plant and sourced with completely different components than another TV, possibly even one in the same range.
Mitch @ May 1st 2009 10:21PM
I suppose you'd be happy to know that Samsung didn't start as a electronics company, I think they started as a fish store and in the 50's they produced sugar, they've also done insurance, started a newspaper, a tv channel, and that was in the first 30 years before they started electronics in the 60's. They now are one of the worlds 3 largest ship builders as well as the company that built the currently tallest building in the world, along with one of the Petronas Twin Towers, and they are also one of the companies working on the next worlds largest building. Oh yeah, they are also the worlds largest tv producer. What kind of TV do you have?
cubbiechris @ Apr 30th 2009 2:45PM
LosCA
Most companies sell more then just HDTV's. Panasonic and Samsung are two of the top HDTV companies on the planet. It's not like the same engineers that make HDTV are making razors. They have different engineers per product. Do you think Sony or Pioneer just makes HDTV's?
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WWW.HIGHDEFJUNKIES.COM
LosCA @ Apr 30th 2009 2:56PM
Sorta missed my point there Mingoochingoo. According to your analysis, then car companies should also make aircrafts, boats, trains, etc. It's all transportation! I know I wouldn't get on an aircraft made by Hyundai. But my point was, when I look at a Samsung product, I just don't see any value in it. It just looks/feels cheap & plastic-like. Again, what I see as "value" may be different to others. I'm not knockin' on anyone that owns Samsung products or Hyundai's for that matter. It's just not for me. I don't see the value in it. So when issues like this arise, talking about the Samsung TV buggin' out, I'm not shocked.
Donnie @ Apr 30th 2009 5:51PM
FYI.....
BMW originally made aircraft engines (dont know if they still do)
Rolls Royce currently makes jet engines
SAAB makes fighter jets
Subaru's owner Fuji Industries is in the aircraft industry
I am sure that I am missing a few more....
LosCA @ Apr 30th 2009 3:02PM
Cubbiechris: I agree with your comment. But it's like I told the other reviewer, in my opinion, I just don't see the value in Samsung products. What I see "value" in will be & should be different than others opinions. But when companies get big, like Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Pioneer, etc, it's easier for them to lose focus and quality & value. It just becomes a numbers game or competition between the companies to crank out the newest product first. They don't take the time to perfect it. They want to be first to make more money. Can't blame them, but that's where the problems begin to rise. That goodness for warranties, huh? Anyway, again, I'm not bashing on anyone here that owns any of these products! It is just my opinion on what I feel is value in a company.
Achilles @ Apr 30th 2009 3:10PM
No blur here............ :) Nor do two other units that my neighbors have. I have the UN-B6000 though, not the 7000. My neighbors have both 6k&7K and no trailing.... :)
saladin99 @ Apr 30th 2009 3:18PM
The reason that Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and most other TV companies
make so many different types of electronics is due to the long
tradition of Japanese (and in Samsung's case, Korean) companies
seeking to expand, create jobs, and keep their employees working for
a lifetime. I mean simply because a company makes many different
things does not mean that they can not make them well. If you take a
look at their histories, all of these Japanese companies were founded
well before computers or even TVs were invented and they all started
out making different products. If you don't like it buy an American
brand TV, which I can assure you, will not be able to compete.
cubbiechris @ Apr 30th 2009 3:19PM
LosCA:
I respect your opinion and if that's the way you feel that's cool. Pioneer sold more then just TV's and yet their HDTV division still remained cutting edge, if not the leaders of the HDTV techworld. I can see your point, but that doesn't apply to all companies.
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www.highdefjunkies.com
LosCA @ Apr 30th 2009 3:28PM
Hi again... maybe I should have just posted, if you like a product, then buy it! If you don't like it (for whatever your reason is), then don't buy it! :) There is no right or wrong here. It all comes down to personal preferences, money (what you can afford), any perhaps brand loyalty. Again, no hard feelings towards anyone here. And I do respect all opinions posted from my first posting. But I think we should be writing about the TV itself from this point forward. Keep things relevant to the actual topic at hand.
Kind regards,
Los
Gallo @ Apr 30th 2009 3:38PM
We're all very curious, which set do you own.
cubbiechris @ Apr 30th 2009 3:42PM
I'm guessing not a Sammy. Are there any HDTV companies that only make HDTV anymore?
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www.highdefjunkies.com
Kevin G @ Apr 30th 2009 4:54PM
There are still two companies I know of that make only high resolution displays:
Sim2: http://www.sim2.co.uk/frameset_video_enter.php
Runco: http://www.runco.com/about.html
neither of them are japanese.
as far as LosCA's original comment, I'd say Sim2, Runco, Pioneer, Panasonic and Samsung are the top 5 brands of HDTVs. Like Jay asked, what brands do you like?
John Nemesh @ Apr 30th 2009 3:49PM
LosCA, your perception is SEVERLY skewed! There is not one single company that makes TVs exclusively. Sony has about a billion different divisions, Mitsubishi has chemical, aerospace and a hundred other industries its involved in. Panasonic makes cameras, security systems, phones, SHAVERS (lol), and many other products. Samsung does appliances, cell phones, cameras, etc. Same for LG. I would challenge you to name a single company that does ONLY TVs (and not just a re-worked product like Runco!).
Also I should point out that over the past few years, Samsung has taken themselves from being a "value" brand to a top tier competitor. They are outselling all other brands and had a 25% market share last year. The reviews on the picture quality of the sets have been steadily improving, as has their reliability.
I would humbly suggest that you re-evaluate your bias and shop based on how current generation products compare to one another.
(P.S. I have a UN55B6000 on display in my showroom and it looks FANTASTIC! Even with sports and fast action...)
LosCA @ Apr 30th 2009 3:52PM
Haha, ahhh, I knew that question was coming.. and I feel it is only fair to answer it & then let the bashing begin on me! All in good fun of course. Okay, I own 2 HDTVs. My first one I bought late last year, was actually a Sony. The KDL-46XBR8 (LED). Not a bad set, for not being a plasma HDTV. My second, more recent purchase is a Runco. The Runco PlasmaWall XP-50DHD. I know, some are going to bash away about my choices, but it was what I found value in, and what I liked! After all, I was the one buying it, not anyone else. But seriously guys, shouldn't we be posting comments about the Samsung listed above? Or has everyone lost interest in that now, haha, just kidding!
Best regards,
Los
corey smith @ May 1st 2009 12:25AM
holy shit!!!! i think i just busted a gut!!!!! i thought you were gonna say you onwed a vizio or insignia!!! a Runco and XBR8?! they do make samsungs look like pieces of plastic! too funny! i bet these guys are all on google searching spec seets for your sets!!!
Mitch @ May 1st 2009 10:41PM
Aren't Runco plasmas made by Pioneer?
corey smith @ May 2nd 2009 2:16AM
depending on size, either pioneer or NEC makes runco panels.
Mike @ Apr 30th 2009 4:15PM
Ghosting on an LCD.... that's unheard of! Seriously... engadget... all LCDs exhibit motion artifacts to various degress.... silly rabit!
Steven Kim @ Apr 30th 2009 4:48PM
Yeah, but if you click through and take a look at the video, it's especially bad and not "normal" LCD ghosting.
Johnny Neat @ Apr 30th 2009 6:37PM
I own a Samsung LN52A750, and even though the thing is a beast everything it does (God I love it so) it has its minor artifact issues in extreme quick movement even if rare. But these edge lit LED LCDs, they have some horrible old-school ghosting issues. I think for my replacement I might be leaning more toward the LN52B750 unless the price is better on the upcoming B9000, which I doubt as it replaces the A950s and there local dimming LED tech, tech I hope has come light years ahead from even the decent A950s.
I never was able to get a Pioneer Elite although that might have been the holy grail. Still I have high regard for what I'm hearing the B750s are doing and from my experience with my A750 I can't wait to see it all myself.
Chad @ Apr 30th 2009 6:41PM
All LED TVs at this time have trailing or ghosting effects. If any of you want to see this effect, I recently watched a Disney's movie, 'Bolt' where there were a few scenes that were very prodominant. If you skip to the scene where the dog and cat (and hampster) are in that house on the back of the truck. That is where you notice it quite a bit.
I guess I should first explain how the LED TV's work before I finish with what happens in the film. The LED lighting in the TV constantly turns off and on in sections in the TV, giving you DEEP blacks and bright whites. So when you have dark scenes with white objects or visa-versa (contrast) you can see the transition of the lights leaving ghost images on the screen. Thus, in this scene of bolt, this white dog moving around on screen actually leaves imprints on the screen but not really giving a true trailing effect. Also, if you also turn the 120hz on, then you see it a little more because you don't have any judder.
I hope that kinda helps with any confusion.
Just for reference though I was watching the Samsung UN46B6000 which is a step below the 7000. It shouldn't make a difference in this situation though.
Spanbauer @ Apr 30th 2009 7:18PM
I've been following the Samsung 6000/7000 thread at AVS forums for a couple of weeks and no one has made any mention of trailing objects. Plenty of talk about flashlighting and auto-dimming backlights though.
HDpurist @ May 1st 2009 3:00AM
I have a plasma....no problems with trails, lag, purple blochy blacks, low color gamut, and other crappy LCD issues at all!
Sean @ May 1st 2009 9:39AM
I noticed trailing the day my local Fry's first set up the 55-inch 7000-series about a month ago. I also noticed a slight lack of uniformity in color and brightness as you move away from the edges of the screen. Funny that... My two year old Panasonic plasma displays neither of these issues. :)
People need to stop buying into the hype. Even with all their recent improvements, top shelf LCD panels still trail middle of the road plasmas in PQ. With SED defunct, I presume plasma will remain the PQ king until long life, big screen and affordable OLED screens show up in another 5-7 years.
Chris @ May 1st 2009 3:06PM
I just bought a UN55B7100 last night and I am absolutely having no problems at all with anything. No problems with XBox 360, PS3, BluRays, or DirecTV. I am extremely impressed with the TV and I am not having any buyer's remorse whatsoever.
Joseph @ May 1st 2009 5:47PM
I've had the UN46B7100 for 3 weeks without a problem. My 17 year old son had command of it for a whole evening playing XBOX 360 the entire time with no problems whatsoever. I'm extremely happy with it.
EUSEBIO @ Jun 11th 2009 12:18AM
I HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM I HAVE THE UNB556000 FOR THREE WEEKS NOW. I WAS WATCHING THE MOVIE VALKYRE WITH TOM CRUISE AND I SAW SOME TRAILING WHEN HE IS IN THE CAR DRIVING TO KILL HITLER. I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SETTING WAS CAUSING THE TRAILING SO I STARTED TO MESS WITH IT I FIGURED IT OUT IF YOU TURN OFF THE 120HZ IT WILL STOP THE TRAILING BUT THEN YOU LOOSE THE 3D EFFECT AND IT DOESENT LOOK AS GOOD. I WANTED TO KNOW IS THIS A DEFECT AND CAN I TAKE IT BACK BECUASE I DONT LIKE THAT EFFECT IF ANYBODY KNOWS LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE TV AT BESTBUY AND BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY . OTHER THAN TRAILING PROBLEM THE TVs PICTURE IS OUTSTANDING