THE FRONT LINE: APRIL 25, 2008
Samsung 2008 Spring Fever Showcase
Samsung’s new HDTVs have futuristic designs and are calibrator-friendly.
The annual Samsung line show took place on April 23 and 24 at the Helen Mills Studios on West 26th Street in New York City on two picture-perfect days. And “picture perfect” could also be used to describe what Samsung is shooting for on its new line of DLP, plasma, and LCD products.
A wall of flat panels greeted guests as they entered the showcase, which was not surprising as Samsung unveiled 20 new LCD HDTVs and 7 plasma models, along with 6 DLP rear-projectors.
Figure 1. This wall of flat panel HDTVs stood at the entrance to the showcase.
LCD FOR 2008
The myriad of LCD models covers Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, and Series 7 designs with screen sizes ranging from 19 inches to 52 inches. Series 4 LCDs are available with piano black and white finishes and feature hidden speakers, three HDMI inputs on 26-inch, 32-inch, 37-inch, and 40-inch sizes, and new enhanced picture modes for gaming and viewing sports. SRPs range from $429 for the 20-inch model to $1,299 for a 40-incher.
Series 5 LCDs are available in 32, 37, 40, 46, and 52-inch sizes, all with 1080p resolution. They include Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer 2, Anynet (HDMI+CEC) control, three HDMI inputs, and down-firing hidden speakers. Piano black finish is standard and prices range from $1,100 to $2,800.
Series 6 LCDs step up to a new bezel design that is difficult to describe. They claim it matches a sunset, what I saw was an interesting mix of red and black shades that is certainly different from any other LCD HDTV out there, and definitely plays to the decorator in a house. This process, called “Touch of Color,” takes place during the forming of the plastics used, embedding the color into the material. It’s pretty cool, actually.
Series 6 LCDs also add InfoLink, a single-button RSS service that gets content from USA Today. Text and graphics overlaid around the edge of the image show real-time news, sports, stock ticker into, weather reports, and other goodies. (Probably OK during a sitcom, but distracting during a movie!) High contrast and improved color rendering are possible with Ultra Clear Panel and Wide Color Enhancer 2 processors, and there’s a 3-level Auto Motion Plus 120Hz option for reducing LCD motion blur. You’ll see these tagged as low as $480 for a 19-inch model and $3,200 for a 52-inch version.
Figure 2. The InfoLink data service as displayed on a LN46A750 1080p LCD HDTV.
Figure 3. The colors on this 50-inch Series 6 plasma really popped!
The top-of-the-line Series 7 sets build on all of that with internal flash memory preloaded with video content and still graphics, networking for downloads of movies and TV shows, and compatibility with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certified products. A new touch-sensitive remote is standard with this line, which includes 40-inch, 46-i9nch, and 52-inch models priced at $2,600, $3,200, and $3,500, respectively.
PLASMA FOR 2008
On the plasma side of things, there are two Series 4 plasmas, 42 and 50 inches, both with 720p resolution. Each is 3D-ready, using an optional 3D accessory kit, and both employ Samsung’s FilterBright anti-glare coating. Three HDMI connectors are standard, as is HDMI+CEC and 18-bit color processing. The 42-inch model will sell for $1,199, while the 50-inch offering will be tagged at $1,699.
Figure 4. 3D on plasma works about as well as it does on a DLP HDTV.
Series 5 plasmas are 1080p models and come in 50-inch ($2,299) and 58-inch ($3,599) sizes. They add Samsung’s DNIe processor, false contour reduction, factory Sports/Cinema/Game video and audio presets, and are compatible with the Samsung Digital Media Adapter, coming later this year.
Series 6 plasmas are the top-line models and come in 50, 58, and 63-inch sizes with 1080p pixel resolution. They also incorporate the “Touch of Color” bezel style used on Series 6 and 7 LCDs, add the InfoLink RSS feed (can be done wirelessly with the Wireless LinkStick adapter), and provide 4 HDMI connections. The 50-inch model will sell at $2,600, the 58-inch version for $4,000, and the 63-inch panel for $5,000.
RPTV FOR 2008
Although rear projection continues to fade from the scene as flat panel HDTVs take over, RP sets still offer the best value in terms of screen size and resolution. Series 6 DLP RPTVs come in four sizes (50, 56, 61, and 72 inches), are 1080p displays, and can handle fast motion without breathing hard. A new CinemaSmooth 120Hz processor makes it happen. Three HDMI+CEC inputs are standard, and estimated selling prices are $1,299 (50-inch), $1,499 (56-inch), $1,799 (61-inch), and $3,000 (71-inch).
Figure 5. This 61-inch DLP set (HL61A750) made some beautiful pictures.
Series 7 DLP RPTVs ditch the traditional short-arc mercury vapor lamp for LEDs that are rated for over 60,000 hours of operation. CinemaPure 120 Hz is standard as are a new remote with hot keys, an overhauled menu design, and compatibility with the Digital Media Adapter mentioned earlier (Series 6 sets also support this feature). ESPs are $2,100 for the 61-inch model and $2,500 for the 67-inch version.
ODDS AND ENDS
Yes, you heard correctly — there is a new Blu-ray player to go with all of those HDTVs. The BD-P1500 (price to be determined, so I’ll boldly predict $299 when it appears in June) provides 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 playback, has HDMI 1.3 + CEC interfaces and also supports BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View and is BD Live-ready when that function becomes available. Firmware upgrades are easy to do via a LAN connection or a USB 2.0 port.
Now, about the installer and calibrator features: Samsung has added a hidden Expert Calibration menu that gives full control over every image parameter — Gamma, white balance, and even color coordinates. These adjustments can be made to an existing picture mode (Movie was used for my demo) or saved as the default setting in Custom mode, inaccessible without a service remote.
Figure 6. Here’s a look at the new calibrator menu.
Notice the Expert settings (outlined and highlighted in red).
With a colorimeter, it’s possible to set red, green, and blue points close to standard specifications like BT.709 with luminance and phase settings for each color channel. Color temperature settings are done by adjusting the red and blue channels, leaving green untouched (not the best way to do this). There’s also a six-step gamma control, multiple levels of 120 Hz motion blur correction, and a new blue screen for setting color saturation and phase without an external filter.
While Samsung does support the standard BT.709 color space coordinates, its HDTVs (like those of other prominent CE manufacturers) do not have a default setting for the digital cinema P3 color space. This space, which has been standardized for a few years, is used to master a movie for digital projection. It would be a simple matter for the post-production house doing Blu-ray mastering to use this wide color gamut, so hopefully Samsung will add P3 support to future products.
As for 3D, making it happen with DLP technology isn’t exactly a new trick. In contrast, Samsung only showed 3D plasma for the first time at CES 2008. Now, it’s available across the new line of plasma HDTVs, and it works very well, based on my observations. 3D is a walk in the park with DLP technology because DMDs can refresh at very fast rates (I’ve seen demos at 240 Hz!).
Well, so can plasma display panels, and they have the advantage of wider viewing angles in a slimmer package. Samsung’s demo used an HP desktop PC with third-party software to show 3D games, video clips, and even enhanced 2D content to make it look like “pseudo” 3D. You’ll need active shutter glasses to make it all work — the 3D add-on gives you an IR blaster to active the LCD eyewear shutters and a connection to the panel for vertical sync.
