Scott Wilkinson

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CES 2012
Samsung OLED TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 19, 2012
No doubt about it, the 55-inch OLED TVs from Samsung (shown here) and LG stole the show for me. (Yes, there were a lot of 4K flat panels as well, but without 4K content, they are not all that important except for passive-glasses 3D.) This is the first new TV technology to become a real commercial product in many years, and it beats LCD and plasma in every way. Both manufacturers claim to have solved OLED's longevity problem, but only time will tell if they actually have.

No pricing was announced—nor was a model number in Samsung's case—but I've heard rumors from $5000 to $10,000. If it's closer to $5000, that will be a home run right out of the gate; if it's more like $10,000, these TVs will be a niche product until the next generation brings the price down.

Samsung Plasma+1
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 06, 2011
In the realm of plasma, Samsung has reduced the size of the bezel while increasing the standard screen sizes by 1 inch, calling this development Plasma+1. Screen sizes are now 43, 51, 59, and 64 inches, while the outer dimensions remain the same as last year's models. Pictured here is the D6500, a super-slim 3D plasma with full Smart TV capabilities.
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CES 2011
Samsung Plasmas
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2010

I'm very happy to report that Samsung is still bullish on plasma, introducing three new slim lines and two standard-depth lines. All five lines feature a new Clear Image Panel, in which the outer filter glass is affixed directly to the plasma panel with no air gap. This allows them to be thinner and achieve lower black levels in the presence of ambient light.

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The Big Picture
Samsung Reviewers' Workshop
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 23, 2011
Last Thursday, Samsung held a day-long workshop for TV reviewers on the campus of DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, California. About 25 journalists assembled in the studio's motion-capture stage, which is painted the same Munsell gray as our own video-testing lab and ringed with cameras to capture the motion of actors wearing bodysuits with reflective dots all over them. Fortunately, we were not asked to wear such suits!
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CES 2012
Samsung Smart Content
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 17, 2012
One of the most important themes from CES this year is the continuing development of Internet-delivered content, which is quickly maturing into a viable alternative to cable and satellite. For example, the ES7500 LED-LCD TV (shown here), ES8000, and other premium Samsung TVs provide Smart Content, which offers over 1400 apps from providers such as CNBC Real Time, ESPN ScoreCenter, Hulu Plus, MTV Music Meter, Netflix, and Time TV. New apps in 2012 include Bravo, Technicolor M-Go, and The Daily as well as Media Hub, which was previously available on Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tabs. This powerful app offers a diverse selection of movies and TV shows the day after they air as well as past seasons of the shows; some movies are available the same day they are released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Another important new app in the Samsung suite brings Verizon FiOS live TV directly to its Smart TVs and Blu-ray players. This app allows FiOS subscribers to watch 26 live TV channels and access more than 10,000 video-on-demand titles through Verizon's Flex View service without the need for a set-top box. Also provided is a full web browser.

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CES 2010
Samsung SP-A900B
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 11, 2009

When I heard that Samsung has a new Joe Kane-designed single-chip DLP projector, I had to check it out. The SP-A900B boasts 35% better contrast than the SP-A800B, mostly due to lower blacks thanks to the DarkChip 4 DMD and other refinements. To help Samsung sell the projector—which it has been unable to do in any volume with previous models—Kane is helping to set up a real distribution channel that will make the projector available only through dealers who install and calibrate it. The SP-A900B should be available next month for $15,000. The demo is using the new Da-Lite Affinity screen, which Kane also helped design, and the result is spectacular—the best video image at the show in my view.

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Projector Reviews
Samsung SP-H700AE DLP Projector
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 22, 2005

I first saw the Samsung SP-H700AE almost two years ago at the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) convention in Las Vegas. The company had hired video guru Joe Kane to help them design a single-chip DLP projector that would meet his exacting standards, and he invited me to come see the result (admittedly, in prototype form).

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TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Samsung UN40EH6000 LED-LCD TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 04, 2012

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $850 At A Glance: Superb detail & color • LED-array backlighting eliminates uneven illumination • LEDs turn off momentarily in some dark scenes

In my quest to find good-performing flat panels under $1000, I was eager to try the Samsung UN40EH6000. The company's entry-level EH-series LED-LCD TVs are available in several lines, of which the EH6000 is top of the heap, and each line includes several sizes, ranging from 26 to 65 inches. (Not all sizes are available in all lines.) At 40 inches, the model reviewed here is the smallest of the EH6000 line.

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TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Samsung UN46D6000 LED LCD HDTV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 08, 2011

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1300 At A Glance: Exceptional color and detail • Deep blacks • Non-uniformity clearly visible in letterbox bars and dark scenes • Smart TV functions well implemented

The Samsung UN46D6000 LED-edgelit LCD TV is among the best-selling flat panels from several retailers, and for good reason—it's a superb performer in almost every respect. Out of the box, it turned in the most accurate measurements of any TV I've ever reviewed (that is, after I selected the Movie picture mode), its color and detail are exquisite, its blacks are very deep, and the Smart TV online content looked better than I've seen from most displays. The only real fly in the ointment is the non-uniformity of illumination in dark scenes and letterbox bars, which is endemic of just about all LED-edgelit LCDs. But if you can get past that, the UN46D6000 is an exceptional value I would recommend to anyone looking for a flat panel on a budget.

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Ask S&V
Samsung UN46D6000 vs. Panasonic TC-P50ST30
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 04, 2011
Can you recommend a TV for a small living room? The room is 18 feet wide, and current viewing distance on a standard-definition 35-inch TV is about 12 feet. I'm looking at the 42-inch size range for $1500 or less. I think I need an LCD TV with 120 or 240Hz refresh rate; I watch a lot of sports, and I'm not sure that 120Hz would be enough. Also, I think I want an Internet connection as well. I know from listening to you that this can update the TV, but can it access shows like what Leo Laporte and you do on twit.tv?

Tim Smith

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