Samsung - 52" Class / 1080p / 120Hz / LCD HDTV

"I tend to put alot of weight to the Consumer Reports ratings on alot of products I buy. In particular, the 52A650 was top rated by CR in 2008 within the 52" LCD class. At 1080p with Auto Motion Plus 120hz processing, the picture is one of the best I've seen with an LCD. Great for sports viewing! Even the picture presets are right on the money, I wouldn't recommend changing them. At this point, I'm only using component video connections, which only delivers 720p picture quality and its still fantastic. I'll upgrade to HDMi soon! The 'touch of color' red pigment in the TV frame is barely noticeable in a dark room, the set looks great in my living room. This set has an abundance of connections (HDMi, Component Video, Composite Video/Audio, TosLink, PC Input, S-Video and headphone jack). Plenty to choose from. This TV is very energy efficient compared to most similiar LCD's at this size (Enery Star Compliant). Its also pretty lite at about 76 pounds (97 pounds with stand). The Remote is pretty simple and easy to use. Although the iPod like track wheel is a little unresponsive, it could use some improvement. The remote also lights up at night. This set does have a night sleep timer, but I have not tried that yet. I know some people have complained about glare on the screens of many Samsungs, which CR left out of its review on this set. It's true, it does have a little, but that can easily be compensated for by careful placement within the room and/or covering any bright window sources. Near flawless picture during night viewing! 'The Dark Knight' was amazing on this set! I also did not purchase any extended service warranties. CR and other similiar magazines do not recommend these overpriced warranties due to the good maintenance track record thus far on LCD sets. Most wanted as much as $250 to $350 (Best Buy) for a 3 year extended warranty. No thanks! The only review I cannot give on this set is durability. My last set (Sony) worked for 27 years...that's a pretty tall order to live up to. I'd be happy with 10 or 15 years of solid operation! I also know you can combine remote functions when buying Samsung equipment (TV, A/V system, DVD/BlueRay Player, etc.) May be worth a try! I highly recommend this set to anyone looking for an LCD TV. Samsung is top rated in almost every LCD size catagory according to CR in late 2008. Only LG and Sony seem to compare in quality. Sony however is a little over priced! Best Buy does put this set on sale periodically. Good Luck!"

I've had this TV since very early March. I've watched HD, SD and Blu-Ray and can not find a flaw. The 650 handles motion extremely well to where blurring and other artifacts are vitually non-existant. The AMP is a very cool feature that brings a realism to film making it seem more life-like, or as if it were originally shot on HD Video. Some have said this gives off a "soap opera" effect. I can see that description, but to me it makes film based DVD's and movies look more like your watching a real-life play, viewing it through a window. It's a very cool effect! ********** I understand people's concern's with the glossy screens found on plasma and some LCD's. This screen is slightly less reflective than Samsung's 71 series but can still be a problem for some. It would be nice if there was an easy solution for this but there's not. Sony and other makers use a matte type of screen that certainly helps or eliminates the problem but introduces other negatives. I find colors and blacks just don't "pop" on matte screens and tend to wash out more for off-angle viewing. The 650 has a picture with great depth and color from any angle, greatly adding to the immersion effect. ********* Much talk has been about the TOC bezel. I think Samsung has hit it out of the park with this. I absolutely love the red. I think it adds just a touch of class. It sets this tv apart from all others(though the picture quality already does this) while still being very subtle and retaining the ability to blend in with any decor. Most people who've come to my home do not even notice the red until I point it out. I'm a little tired of every set looking the same with either a piano black bezel or flat black. This is a very welcome change. *********** I like many other suffered the shut-off issue. As has been mentioned on other sites it appears Samsung has fixed the issue with a firmware update. I've updated the FW and so far so good. It was annoying but not a huge deal to me. Samsung should be commended for how quickly they addressed the issue. I received several calls from upper level officials that were very concerned with my problem. I've never had this level of service from any other manufacturer. Well done Samsung! A side effect of the FW update is that the AMP processing received a boost. Before the FW update I usually had AMP on low at all times and would occasionally put it on High. Now, I still use it at the low setting most times but will put it on Medium occasionaly, and find the High setting a bit much for me. I can put it on High without most of the annoying artifacts people have desribed the 71 series has, which is nice, nut the actual effect is bit much for me. ************ Overall, this is best the LCD on the market. I can't see Sony or any of the other manufactures making a better TV this year. They may match it perhaps, but certainly won't surpass it. For those that were on the fence waiting to buy until the shut-off issue was fixed, your wait is over. Buy with complete confidence and enjoy one of the best TV's out there!

I've had this TV since very early March. I've watched HD, SD and Blu-Ray and can not find a flaw. The 650 handles motion extremely well to where blurring and other artifacts are vitually non-existant. The AMP is a very cool feature that brings a realism to film making it seem more life-like, or as if it were originally shot on HD Video. Some have said this gives off a "soap opera" effect. I can see that description, but to me it makes film based DVD's and movies look more like your watching a real-life play, viewing it through a window. It's a very cool effect! I understand people's concern's with the glossy screens found on plasma and some LCD's. This screen is slightly less reflective than Samsung's 71 series but can still be a problem for some. It would be nice if there was an easy solution for this but there's not. Sony and other makers use a matte type of screen that certainly helps or eliminates the problem but introduces other negatives. I find colors and blacks just don't "pop" on matte screens and tend to wash out more for off-angle viewing. The 650 has a picture with great depth and color from any angle, greatly adding to the immersion effect. Much talk has been about the TOC bezel. I think Samsung has hit it out of the park with this. I absolutely love the red. I think it adds just a touch of class. It sets this tv apart from all others(though the picture quality already does this) while still being very subtle and retaining the ability to blend in with any decor. Most people who've come to my home do not even notice the red until I point it out. I'm a little tired of every set looking the same with either a piano black bezel or flat black. This is a very welcome change. I like many other suffered the shut-off issue. As has been mentioned it appears Samsung has fixed the issue with a firmware update. I've updated the FW and so far so good. It was annoying but not a huge deal to me. Samsung should be commended for how quickly they addressed the issue. I received several calls from upper level officials that were very concerned with my problem. I've never had this level of service from any other manufacturer. Well done Samsung! A side effect of the FW update is that the AMP processing received a boost. Before the FW update I usually had AMP on low at all times and would occasionally put it on High. Now, I still use it at the low setting most times but will put it on Medium occasionaly, and find the High setting a bit much for me. I can put it on High without most of the annoying artifacts people have desribed the 71 series has, which is nice, nut the actual effect is bit much for me. Overall, this is best the LCD on the market. I can't see Sony or any of the other manufactures making a better TV this year. They may match it perhaps, but certainly won't surpass it. For those that were on the fence waiting to buy until the shut-off issue was fixed, your wait is over. Buy with complete confidence and enjoy one of the best TV's out there!

I'm one of those geek types who has to research research research before buying a sourdough bagel, so you can only imagine what went into my buying this amazing TV. Over on the avsforum.com this Samsung is very highly regarded, preferred slightly over the Sony 120hz LCD equivalent. The main argument seemed to be about the glare from the shiny Samsung screen vs the matted Sony. Shiny = reflection, matted = less vibrant picture. But almost everyone who had compared the two side by side (people actually buy two TVs and then return one! I know!) sided with the Samsung as the much better picture with much darker blacks (the contrast ratio of this TV is much higher than the current competition). I considered the 750 model also, but was a little concerned about the so called 'halo' effect where people had complained about light leaking from the screen, through the frame and making little light patterns on the outer edge of the frame. I never actually saw this in the store, and it apparently depends on how dark your room is and how bright the scene on the TV, but as the only other meaningful feature of the 750 was the built in subwoofer (which I didn't need as I play sound through my awesome Denon 889 amp), I decided to stick with the 650. The 9 series is incredible, but way too expensive for me, the 8 series is thin but doesn't seem to have a better picture than the 6/7 series. So, we got the TV home, got it set up, and spent the next few days saying OMG, this thing is HUGE. We had been used to our 32" tube for so long, this TV seemed to take up the whole room. It's two weeks later now and oh how naive we were; we now look at it and say, yes it's huge, but huger would be even better! The moral of this part of the story is there's no such thing as too big when it comes to TV. Now, about that glossy screen issue. I was worried about the shiny because my living room is fairly well lit, with lights that reflect on the TV screen, but in reality I never see any reflection unless I try really hard to gaze through the screen (like you would with those 3D puzzle pictures). What we do see is the most incredible picture; bright, stunningly sharp, stunning clarity, stunning color, stunning blacks. Did I mention STUNNING? One setting we changed early on was to turn off the 'auto motion plus 120hz', although setting it to 'low' is also tolerable. I know it seems counter-intuitive to turn off a 'feature', but it doesn't seem to need it. Don't confuse this with the 120hz of the TV panel, that is always on, it's part of the TV. The motion feature is supposed to remove the jerkiness of fast action (like sports and action films), but what it also does is make the so called 'soap opera effect' where everything looks like it was filmed with a hand held camera doing close ups; it really does make everything look like you are watching a soap or a documentary. The 120hz of the TV handles the motion so well on its own, I don't think you'll be needing this motion feature much. I could nitpick about not being able to rename digital channels (yet oddly it lets you rename analog channels), but really there is nothing not to love about this TV. HD channels are unbelievable, digital channels are great, and even lowly analog looks pretty good. Other than the 9 series, I think this is THE best LCD TV currently available. If you've been putting off your purchase for 5 years like I did waiting for the latest technology and low prices, it's time to give in, just do it, right now! You can thank me later.

We have had the TV since May 08 and LOVE IT. It is our 2nd HDTV (other is 3 yr old Sony) and it is amazing how much more you get from a 1080p over a 720p. When viewing Blu Ray, it can almost be a 3D experience! When watching regular tv (non high def), the TV does an excellent job of cleaning up the picture. The picture is so clear that the TV has caught my dog's attention a little too often. He wants to chase anything on Discovery HD. Some movies are so clear, it is like you are watching the actors through a window. No joke. We compared the Sony XBR side by side over a month period and there truly is no comparison. Easy to update the firmware via USB. SIMPLE! At first, I was hesitant with the Touch of Color, but it truly differentiates it from other - now boring - standard black TVs. Depending on how much light hits it, the amount of red changes throughout the day. Many friends have commented on how nice it is with the touch of color. SUGGESTION: Make sure you turn down your Auto Motion Plus 120Hz setting to Medium (or lower) on most programs. Only use the highest setting on sports. If you don't, sometimes you'll see the jarring motions mentioned by other reviewers. Bumping it up and down only takes a few seconds and makes a noticeable difference. NOTE: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY - This TV does not need the calibration (my opinion!). We bought one and had it calibrated and it did not change the picture much to our liking. In fact, the calibrated picture was so dark that you couldn't see some images (Batman Returns, and the tunnel scenes in Ratatouille, were too dark!). Also, the screen ended up with alternating shadowy images (we were told this is not common - less than 1% of calibrated TVs and it is the TV, not the calibration). We disagreed because the TV was perfect before the calibration, and not after. BUT - Best Buy replaced it with a new one and we did not calibrate it. WE ARE BACK TO BEING SATISFIED WITH THE SAMSUNG DELIVERED - UNTOUCHED BY BEST BUY - VERSION OF THE TV. You will be too!

I finally stepped into the modern world for TV's. I held back until they fixed that "Darned Motion Problem". I'm as techno-savvy as anyone but held out on the TV until I found the 6 series Samsung. Went through all to plasma/LCD gyrations, size calculations, yadda yadda yadda. I have standard cable and found I get a bunch of digital stations, plus music channels and a half dozen local HD stations too. Now I know why they keep raising std cable rates-with a built in tuner, you don't need digital cable! This thing set up easily and pretty much plug and played out of the box. Oh, and it was so easy to get this monster out of the box too! Light enough for my wife and I to easily lift onto the mount. As for quality of image-None better. We were able to see this one side by side with it's competitors. Hands down, no comparison. We do like the touch of color because it's just a little different from all the rest. Haven't noticed any problems with glare in our bright family room yet but we haven't been home during the day much so far. Sound-People in past reviews knocked the sound but who really uses this type of TV without a full blown home Theater? Use the Optical Audio output if at all possible. If I had to note a negative, it's that now, I need to get a Blue Ray DVD player to maximize the TV's abilities-DARN! ;-)

I have been researching high definition TVs for well over two years with the intention of purchasing something that would deliver uncompromising quality the minute the set was powered on. After reading review after review (from professional reviewers and consumers alike – with well over 95% of them that were very positive) and traveling to the local Best Buy store on at least four recent visits to observe the video output of this set and to look over its physical characteristics, I came to the conclusion that this was the TV set for me. I ordered it online from the Best Buy website and the set was delivered promptly on the scheduled delivery date. I had it unpacked and up and running within an hour. The picture quality looked fantastic in the store – but it looks OUTSTANDING in my house – with vivid colors, unsurpassed sharpness, contrast, brightness, and overall realism. I have never seen a hi-def TV with the comparable quality like this incredible Samsung model provides – it simply rocks! The TV setting and adjustment controls are extremely easy to use and very intuitive. And at first I thought that the Touch of Color (TOC) finish on the outer edges of the TV might be undesirable – but now that I’ve had it sitting in my living room for a few days I definitely feel that it enhances the overall appearance of the set – making it look much more like an upscale, stately piece of furniture. So if you are looking for the ultimate HD TV and appreciate superior video quality – then look no further – this is the television set for you!

My initial purchase was a Sony Bravia W series, but after installing it at home I was not happy with the fact that it did not have the 120hz feature and I could see some blur while watching the basketball semi finals so I took it back after 3 days and exchanged it for the Samsung 650. The Samsungs colors are so much vivid and richer the picture quality is amazing when watching HD channels that even my wife was intrigued. I have received compliments on how cool the bezel looks, its a nice subtle red with black background that does not stand out to much. I love the internet features where you get stock and weather updates, you can customize those to your preferences, plenty of HDMI inputs to connect all of your components and the USB slots will allow you to plug in a stick and play a slide show. I have owned this TV for 2 weeks now and I have no doubt that I made the best purchase, the Samsung that I purchased already came with the software update that corrected the TV from turning off and so far I have not encountered that problem. The only turnoff is the wheel on the remote, I would much rather have buttons but its no big deal the quality of the TV compensates for that. I also purchased the Calibration which will get done in about 2 months I was told that it improves the picture details and makes your TV last twice as long not sure if its true or just a sales gimmick but it sounded good to me, I will update my review once it gets done and let everyone know if in fact I saw a difference.