Samsung Series 6 46in model - major problems

Kashkai

I'm posting this here as I bought this tv from Richersounds and I remember some other posters on this forum were about to buy it/were interested in buying one so I'd like their feedback.

I bought this tv through richersounds - and this post is in no way a complaint against them - but the picture quality of this tv is abysmal no matter what settings I use. I'm running dvds and blu rays through a ps3 and via a hdmi lead and the picture quality is quite frankly the worst I have experienced from a tv since my granny's old black and white - I'm not exaggerating!.

I got this tv (full 1080p) last Thursday and have spent about 2 hours a night adjusting the settings hoping to get it to display pictures even as good as my 26in samsung (720p) lcd. However, no matter what adjustments I make, I still get washed out and grainy images from DVDs, motion blur on blu rays and DVDs, blotchy blacks etc. This tv is supposed to be one of the best on the market but it is without doubt the worst display I've ever had on any tv I've owned. Am I doing something wrong? Is it a dud tv? Has anyone else purchased one and been happy with it or experienced similar problems?

I got so p!ssed off with it last night that I disconnected it and reconnected my 26in samsung and the improvement in picture quality was evident. Now what to do with the 46in series 6 - lie it flat and use it as a coffee table perhaps? Ok I'm getting sarcastic but after spending €1,400 on it, I expected a lot better.

god's toy

Any chance of a pic of the screen? Also have a look on avforums as i am sure your not alone. Also as its brand new you can return it (if under 14 days from getting it i think) or get on the samsung and they will help you out.

Wiggy

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

...the picture quality of this tv is abysmal no matter what settings I use. I'm running dvds and blu rays through a ps3 and via a hdmi lead and the picture quality is quite frankly the worst I have experienced from a tv since my granny's old black and white - I'm not exaggerating!.

... However, no matter what adjustments I make, I still get washed out and grainy images from DVDs, motion blur on blu rays and DVDs, blotchy blacks etc. ....

I got one delivered last week.

I think there must be a problem with your particular set.

I don't have Bluray. I have been looking at SKY HD via HDMI and upscaled DVD's (480p) via Component on the set.

HD picture quality is excellent - it was even very good from my old SKY+ box via RGB scart before I got the HD box on Friday.

DVD quality is stunning in my view - certainly not grainy. Almost looks like HD.

Only caveat from my point of view is that the viewing angle seems to be very narrow.

Kashkai

Now I'm worred that I have a dud tv. I was hoping it was some magic setting that I was missing out on.

No matter what I've tried, the picture quality is poor from whats supposed to be a top quality tv.

Are you not getting any motion blur on yours or picture breaking up on moving images? I tried several blu rays, including Casino Royal, and in the initial chase scene, the image around the running Bond and the bad guy was breaking up. So much for the 100hz refresh rate. My screen struggles to keep up with a walking image never mind a fast moving one.

Not a happy camper.

rafared

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Now I'm worred that I have a dud tv. I was hoping it was some magic setting that I was missing out on.

No matter what I've tried, the picture quality is poor from whats supposed to be a top quality tv.

Are you not getting any motion blur on yours or picture breaking up on moving images? I tried several blu rays, including Casino Royal, and in the initial chase scene, the image around the running Bond and the bad guy was breaking up. So much for the 100hz refresh rate. My screen struggles to keep up with a walking image never mind a fast moving one.

Not a happy camper.

Hi Dave, Sorry to hear about your problems. I have the same tv and havent had a problem at all. I know thats not what you want to hear but its the case im afraid. I have a sky sd box connected and while its not a hd feed its still a great picture with no motion blur or any artifacts. For dvds im using a new samsung dvd upscaler and it gives a super crystal clear picture. I watched crouching tiger hidden dragon last nite and it was superb bar the sound which im hoping to put right with an Amp and speaker combo soon. Have you got everything connected via an amp or direct to the tv? The reason Im asking this is because some amps are upscalers and they dont give the best resultd compared to the tvs built in upscaler. I used the settings fome HDtv review http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/Samsung-LE40A656/Settings.htm
You may have already tried these but if not I hope they help.

rafared

Oh and I forgot there is a firmware upgrade which is easy to do here.....http://ars.samsung.com/customer/ctry/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?isINPUT=Y&SITE_ID=31&PG_ID=-1&AT_ID=128203&PROD_SUB_ID=0&PROD_ID=154

rafared

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=753927

Is this the problem?

Kashkai

Thanks a mill Rafa.

I've printed off those settings and will put them into the tv tonight to see if theres an improvement - if not, then this tv is going to be the wife's new coffee table!:mad:

As for the firmware, I'll have to buy a usb key. Do I need to do this update or is it an option, i.e. only if you're having trouble like I am at the mo?

Kashkai

I inputted the recommended settings last night and there was an improvement in picture quality. However, the blu ray of I am legend still seemed a little faded compared to what I would have thought. Maybe I've been influenced by the rich colours of blu ray demos on lcds in shops and this makes the settings I put in last night appear to be a little faded. However, dvd upscaling is vastly improved and 90% of the graininess has gone but there's still some there. Is this normal?

The one thing that struck me last night is that the 100hz refresh setting makes movies appear worse and therefore should be turned off. Perhaps this setting should be limited to watching sports or the like. With it turned on when watching movies, it (a) induces artifacts and (b) makes the images appear to more "life like" i.e. it doesn't feel like a movie but more like a live news report if you know what I mean.

I'm still contemplating putting the firmware update in. Should I do this as a matter of course (liek the ps3 updates) or is it only when experiencing problems with particular sets?

Finally, why did Samsung release sets with standard settings that are quite frankly sh!te. It shouldn't have been necessary for me to have to input detailed settings into the tv to get an acceptable picture out of it. If some testers for a magazine can come up with these benchmarks for standard settings, then why didn't Samsung release th etv with these settings as the standard. I know we all have our preferences in contrast, colours etc but that should involve minor tweaking and not the fairly radical changes that I had to make to about 20 settings last night to get a decent performanaceout of the tv.

rafared

Glad you got an improvement Dave. As for the frimware I would install it for sure. If you read AVforums a lot of people experienced a blurring issue which the frimware fixes easily. The 100hz issue you point out also seems to be a problem with some sources as well....I found it best to leave it off . I have also read that the PS3 can have issues with blue ray playback which can be solved by going into the PS3 settings and changing them.........cant remember exactly what setting 'cause its been a while since I read it but I think it was 100hz, change it to 60hz. Again not sure on that one but AVforums has pages of settings for ps3 blue ray and the Samsung 656. It seems that samsung,as well as the other manufacturers set the tvs with high contrasts and backlighting so they look very bright right out of the box. Every site I researched recommended changing the default settings straight away.....painfull I know but that seems to be how its done.
I have to say Im very very happy with my set, the picture from my upsacler DVD is spot on....no grain, no motion blur, no focus problems. I wish I had a PS3 so I could test it for you but thats not an option at the moment. Do you have a skybox for standard tv pics or have you gone High def? A friend of mine rang sky last week and threatened to cancell his subscription and they gave him a free HD box just to keep him happy! Going to try the same myself I think.

rafared

Oh and one last thing ..........now I know this is a very hot issue as regards High def but I would recommend you check your cables. I bought i good quality scart cable for my skybox to tv connection and the picture quality was night and day compared to the cheap scart I had been using with my old tv. I assume you have the ps3 connected via HDMI cable? Well again Ive read about faulty cables causing problems in picture quality so if you can swop with a different cable thats another thing to check. Page upon page can be read arguing that expensive cables make a difference compaired to the cheaper HDMI cables. Some people will tell you that a digital signal either gets to its source or doesnt, in other words it doesnt degrade like an analogue signal does. Either way i tried both and i found the more expensive cable produced a better picture for me.

Kashkai

Thanks for the advice and info Rafa, or should I thank you on behalf of my series 6 which won't be getting a hammer thrown at it anytime soon after I changed the settings that you recommended:D. As for Sky, would love to get the SKY HD but they won't do me any deals as I was a former customer who cancelled his subscription last year. They appear to only want newbie business.

I too have read the conflicting advice on HDMI cables. I was buying a second one at the weekend as I had thought that my original one was faulty and I was shocked at the difference in prices. They ranged from 20 yo yos to 100 yoyos (the monster cables). My brother is of the opinion that a HDMI cable is a HDMI cable and to pay a fortune for one is just plain silly. I too subscribe to this view but after the problems I've been having, I'm open to correction. What make of HDMI cable are you using and where did you get it?

David

rafared

Yeah theres a major conflict about cables esp those of the HDMI variety. The Monster cables are a ridiculous price and I wouldnt pay anything like a 100 for any cable. I bought my cable from HMV and its an xbox360 cable http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=779465
Paid around 25E for it. The guy in DID wanted to sell me the 100Euro monster cables but I wasnt having that. If you could get a loan of a different cable to try that would be the way to go. I tried a very cheap cable from a skyHD box from a mate of mine and the picture just wasnt as vivid. Now I know some people will say thats just not possible but its what both me and the wife saw with our eyes which afterall is the only opinion that matters.

Kashkai

The one I'm using is a similar variety that I bought for my ps3 (my commiserations on being an xbox 360 owner :D:D). I have another HDMI cable that I bought at the weekend which I'll try tonight. Thanks again for your help.
David

rafared

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

The one I'm using is a similar variety that I bought for my ps3 (my commiserations on being an xbox 360 owner :D:D). I have another HDMI cable that I bought at the weekend which I'll try tonight. Thanks again for your help.
David

He he he. Im not a gamer at all.:D Just happened to be in HMV looking at dvds when I decided to check their cables and got directed to the xbox section.:) I would love to get my hands on a monster cable just to see if I can see any difference between it and the one im using now. Best of luck with your efforts tonite. Report back with what you discover.
And whatever you do dont hit that tv with anything no matter how much you feel like doint it:D

Kashkai

The new cable didn't make any difference, no better or worse. Aldi are doing a deal at the weekend for 2 USB (2GB) keys that I'll buy to use to get the firmware update onto the tv to see if that further improves the picture. I still think the colours are a little bland, especially on DVDs. How do you find it assumming you have the same settings as the ones you recommended to me?

Apologies for thinking that you were an xbox 360 owner. Should have known better as you seem to do your research when it comes to tech items;).

As an aside, how do you find the SKY HD? Is it worth the money seeing as there's a limited number of channels and an additional monthly subscription of €15 (I think).

rafared

He he ....no worries. I find DVDs to be super, this is the samsung player im using to upscale to 1080p............
http://whathifi.com/Review/Samsung-DVD-F1080/

I dont have SKYHD as yet but the missus wants a sky plus box so she can record stuff she cant get to see. Im hoping to get a HDbox instead but im going to ring them up about it and see if they will let me have it for free. I know of a good few people who have been offered free channels, movies and even upgrade boxes when they threatened to cancell their subscription. A friend of the wifes even cancelled their subscription and then took another out under the husbands name getting a free hdbox in the process. I think they will add more channels in time.
Im pleased with the picture from the SD box anyway.....I know its not as good as upscaled dvds but it is more than watchable.
Did u change any settings in the PS3 menus?

Kashkai

Yeah I changed a few of the settings on the ps3 as well as the settings that you suggested. Don't know which ones worked but there was an improvement.

I'm still not 100% about the picture on DVDs. How far back from the screen do you sit? I have a large sitting room but I'm currently plonked only 8ft or so from the tv and so I can still see a little graininess when watching DVDs. I also think I see some kind of very faded white bar running down the middle of the screen. I might be overly critical but as my brother suggested to me yesterday, I started off with a bad experience with this tv and maybe I won't shake my impression of it - give a dog a bad name and all that. I plan to watch Transformers tonight - very funny movie if you haven't seen it - as a test bed. Its a DVD but has strong bright colours and dark scenes as well so should give the tv a good workout.

I have tried to view this tv in Powercity and DID but they were running SKY sports on it and 16 other tvs with a very poor signal. I had brough Casino Royale with me to see if they'd play it as a test picture but they said they didn't have a blu ray player:rolleyes:

rafared

I sit a bit further back....around 11ft but at 8/9ft its still good. When you say DVD do you mean blue rays or standard DVDs? If they are standard DVDs are you using the PS3 to upscale them?
I suppose its hard make definite comparisons because what one persons sees will differ from anothers view. I have watched Spiderman 3, Dead Mans Chest, Crouching Tiger, and I robot recently and I cant spot any hazing, blur, lines, focusing issues at all. A mate of mine watched Crouching tiger with me while the ladies when to Mamma Mia (dodged a bullet there;)) and he was very impressed with the picture quality during the fight sequences. My sister and her boyfriend watched I robot with us and they were blown away by the set.
Are you passing the signal to the TV via an Amp or is it direct from the source?
The reason Im asking that is because the upscaling on all but the very expensive amps is not the best and the tvs built in upscaler would do a better job from what Ive read........again Im no expert just reporting what I read on other forums ect....
I have also read of plenty of people returning this set because of issues they were not happy with.........sometimes even getting a third set before they were satisfied. If you can see lines on the picture after doing the frimware upgrade and checking everything else like cables, PS3 settings, even getting a loan of another dvd upscaler or whatever then I would return the tv and insist on a replacement. Its a big investment afterall and I would want to be 100% happy with it.
I should also add that I installed the firmware almost straight away before I watched a full movie. I did watch the intro to saving private ryan which was fine when I used a good quality scart cable........the old one was pants for both picture and sound.

Kashkai

At the mo, I've connected the ps3 direct to the tv as I too thought that the amp might be interfering with the picture but there was no change for better or worse.

I've tried blu rays and DVDs on it and while they are better than they were when I was using the factory settings, I just don't think they are as good as they should be. Maybe I'm overly critical but to my eyes, DVDs are still washed out and a little grainy and blu rays are not as sharp as I would have thought despite using the recommended settings.

I think sending the tv back might be the option but I'd love to check another one out first to see if I'm the one who has the problem, i.e. expecting too much.

whiteboard

Guys, Slightly off topic but...

does the model bought from richersounds (UK Model) support UHF and VHF or are you running sky or ntl boxes through it?
Atht he moment I only have NTL in the room where this set may go.
Cheers
Whitey

rafared

whiteboard wrote: »

Guys, Slightly off topic but...

does the model bought from richersounds (UK Model) support UHF and VHF or are you running sky or ntl boxes through it?
Atht he moment I only have NTL in the room where this set may go.
Cheers
Whitey

Im feeding mine from a skybox. I have read that you have to be careful with tvs sourced from England as they wont have the tuner compatable with Irish terestial signals. My tv was bought by the wife (lovely girl...;))
from a local DID. She wouldnt buy online because she was afraid that if the set had a problem it would be difficult to get sorted........I did try to cahnge her mind but to no avail.:rolleyes:

Richersounds.ie: John

afternoon all! Just a quickie - yes the Sammy 46 does have both UHF and VHF tuners and is fully compatiable for use in the ROI - as discussed with Prosperous Richer Sounds is happy to take it back for swap, refund, exchange or whatever else (within reason mind! )

PS - Rafared will you tell your wife that I would love an Lancia stratos - as she is soo nice do you think she would buy one for me? - my nasty wife refuses point blank - I don't think she appreciates me at all...

rafared

johnmc wrote: »

afternoon all! Just a quickie - yes the Sammy 46 does have both UHF and VHF tuners and is fully compatiable for use in the ROI - as discussed with Prosperous Richer Sounds is happy to take it back for swap, refund, exchange or whatever else (within reason mind! )

PS - Rafared will you tell your wife that I would love an Lancia stratos - as she is soo nice do you think she would buy one for me? - my nasty wife refuses point blank - I don't think she appreciates me at all...

He he he. I thought the md of richer sounds would have all the toys a boy could need.

garlad

Hey John,
Slightly off topic, but its still about a Samsung Series 6 telly.
Mailed you a while back looking for a price for a 40" Series 6, but didnt get a reply. ANy chance you could price one up for me?
Cheers
Gar

Kashkai

Tried Transformers on it last night and it did look good, strong colours and blacks. There was some fuzziness in the background but the firmware update might clear that. I'm probably just a picky ba$tard but the last of the hard earned went on this and I don't want the wife sneering at me when I rant that the tv isn't the mutts nuts I thought it would be. To be decided over the weekend.

rafared

The firmware upgrade takes care of focusing problems. The first edition of the tv had issues with the image going in and out of focus and the frimware update was released within weeks of the set going on sale. I think its a plus that the software can up upgraded......at least the problems can be sorted and the process is straight forward and painless.

noodler

rafared wrote: »

Im feeding mine from a skybox. I have read that you have to be careful with tvs sourced from England as they wont have the tuner compatable with Irish terestial signals. My tv was bought by the wife (lovely girl...;))
from a local DID. She wouldnt buy online because she was afraid that if the set had a problem it would be difficult to get sorted........I did try to cahnge her mind but to no avail.:rolleyes:

johnmc wrote: »

afternoon all! Just a quickie - yes the Sammy 46 does have both UHF and VHF tuners and is fully compatiable for use in the ROI - as discussed with Prosperous Richer Sounds is happy to take it back for swap, refund, exchange or whatever else (within reason mind! )

PS - Rafared will you tell your wife that I would love an Lancia stratos - as she is soo nice do you think she would buy one for me? - my nasty wife refuses point blank - I don't think she appreciates me at all...

Is this relevant if you are using Digital TV?

wondering about the
SM2032MW Samsung tv

lewis

I got the series 6 to for about a year or so and I am still adjusting the settings for the Bluray. I always get 60Hz and I`ve heard that there`s no way you can get 100Hz. Some Bluray movies seem different than other so thats why I adjust the pic so much, sometimes its to dark here or its to grainy here, but I think it just mainly happens when people are in the shot, but a distant shot of some buildings or something like that look amazing.
However I do still get that blocky thing when objects are moving can be annoying, I have the motion blur up full so...
I think the 2 main things that make a Good TV are the HZ and the contrast ratio, is there low no matter what size the tv is your at nothing, they do make these things complicated.
Best game I`ve found on the series 6 that looks good is Far Cry 2, oh baby...