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Official Samsung PN51E530A3FXZA Owner Thread (No Price)

post #1 of 169
5/8/12 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 
So I searched the forum and didnt see a thread for the TV I just purchased yesterday and was looking to get some tips and tricks and calibration on it. Anyone else own this model?
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post #2 of 169
5/10/12 at 9:06am
I am with you...I have had the set 3 days and so far so good. I am in Movie mode and Warm 2, but beyond that I am looking for any insight. I know we are not getting inky blacks out this set, but I am sure I can do better. Good luck with yours.
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post #3 of 169
5/10/12 at 9:47am
These settings produced a pretty good picture on last year's D530 might be a good starting point:

Movie
Cell light 10
Contrast 93
Brightness 78
Sharpness 10
Color 43
Tint/hue 53/47
adv: gamma ‐2
col sp auto
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post #4 of 169
5/11/12 at 8:12am
The E550 is (I assume) similar but with 3D and a few other features. I calibrated using the Spears & Munsil disc. I came up with:

Cinema
Cell Light = 15
Contrast = 77
Brightness = 42
Sharpness = anywhere from 10-20
Leave color and tint alone

This is for a darkened theater-type environment
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post #5 of 169
6/6/12 at 2:51pm
Subscribed as I too have this TV. Overall, very happy with it. Currently using Dynamic Mode, which seems to work for me. Thanks!
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post #6 of 169
7/5/12 at 11:09am
I just bought this TV yesterday and LOVE it (despite the limited inputs but I plan on getting a nice A/V Receiver so its a moot point in the long run). After getting the base screwed on, I was surprised it didn't swivel. No biggie. But then I noticed on Best Buys website it said the stand should swivel. It's not a big deal or anything but is it just stiff and needs to be loosened a bit or is it not supposed to swivel. I check the documentation that came with it and didn't find any mention of it.
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post #7 of 169
8/5/12 at 1:55pm
I got this TV recently and really love it but my only complaint is when the screen is mostly white, the color looks a little dim and grey. I've tried to mess around with the settings to see if I can get it the way i want. Anyone else notice this?
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post #8 of 169
8/6/12 at 9:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by king of k1ngs View Post

I got this TV recently and really love it but my only complaint is when the screen is mostly white, the color looks a little dim and grey. I've tried to mess around with the settings to see if I can get it the way i want. Anyone else notice this?

Yes I notice the exact same thing. I've also tried messing with settings but not luck. Certainly not a deal breaker, I love the TV and will keep it but any ideas on how to fix this one issue would be appreciated.
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post #9 of 169
8/6/12 at 1:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by king of k1ngs View Post

I got this TV recently and really love it but my only complaint is when the screen is mostly white, the color looks a little dim and grey. I've tried to mess around with the settings to see if I can get it the way i want. Anyone else notice this?

This works great on my E450.
Cell light should be set to max of 20 and left that way.
Brightness and Contrast are the main two to fiddle with.

Mode - Movie
Cell Light 20
Brightness 50 daytime / 40 for evening and 35 for a dark room (Blacks look amazing at 35!
Contrast 100 daytime / 98 for evening and 93 for a dark room
Sharpness 0
Color 55
R/G Tint 50/50
Color Space - Native
Gamma -1 for night (0 for daytime
Dynamic Contrast - off
Black Tone - Darkest
Flesh Tone - 0
Color Tone - Warm1
Size - Screen Fit
Digital Noise Filter - Off

White Balance Calibration

RO - 21
GO - 25
BO - 22
RG - 20
GG - 25
BG - 23
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post #10 of 169
8/7/12 at 7:31am
I've just been posting in the E550 thread... The only thing I'd add is changing the cell light to 20 and I've run the break-in slides a few times during the night but have mostly stuck to watching full screen content - a lot of Olympics and no IR issues so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAd13 View Post

Picked up a 51E530 on Saturday and so far I'm loving this set. It replaced a Sam 46" DLP 720p that I thought had a decent picture before, but compared to the E530 it's not even close! It was between the Pan U50 or the E530 but the store I went to was out of stock of the U50 so it made the decision that much easier.

I haven’t run the slides yet (not sure if I will…) but I’ve watched a few minutes of some Blu-Ray movies with high PQ ratings and the first thing I noticed were the black levels and how much more detail I was missing before. Followed that up with some Olympics and the Foo Fighters at Wembley concert that was airing on Palladia. WOW… again, the level of black detail from Dave’s shirt, pants and guitar were amazing. There was also a Pizza Hut commercial that I never noticed until now (it’s one with a couple sitting in front of an all red house and everything else is red. The color jumped off the screen.)

Faint buzz – only heard it when setting up the bias light behind the set and my head was a few inches from the back.

The only thing I wish was better was the level of glare. It’s very noticeable but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. The TV is set up in the family room and it’s an open floor plan so there is light coming in from every direction… Even with the blinds closed there are some reflections but it’s much less and it’s only noticeable when the screen is dark.

During the day – Standard, Warm 1
During the night – Movie, Warm 1
Contrast 80 and Brightness 45, everything else off or left unchanged.

I’m sure I’ll play around with the settings after some more hours.

For what I spent I think it’s more than worth it. A great performing set without the bells & whistles that I didn’t need or want.

& the "who got a new plasma thread"
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAd13 View Post

1. The "Model" you have. Samsung PN51E530
2. What convinced you to purchase this particular "Model". 5+ year old 720p DLP died and wanted to upgrade to a Plasma. With a young family and another baby on the way it cuts into the budget a bit, but I wanted a good performing plasma at a decent price. It was between the Pan U50 or the Sam E530 but the store I went to was out of stock on the Pan U50 so I went with the E530
3. What you like best about your Plasma. Black level and the amazing color
4. What you don't like about your Plasma. Glare – quite a bit more than the DLP but it’s not terrible.
5. What "Feature(s)" you wish your Plasma had. Maybe additional HDMI inputs, but for the money it has everything I wanted.
6. What advice or suggestion would you make to the "Manufacture" about your Plasma. The owner’s manual is weak, but other than that it’s what I expected.
7. What was your biggest "Surprise" after you received your Plasma. How much better HD cable and Blu-Rays look.
8. What "Problems or Issues" have you had with your Plasma. None
9. Do you really think that todays "Prices" are worth it. YES… for <$700 I got a 51” 1080p Plasma. I paid $1100 for my 46” 720p DLP 5 years ago.
10. Any additional information that you want to add is encouraged. No problems with buzzing on my set. I could only hear a faint buzz when setting up bias lighting behind the set with my head being a few inches away from the back panel.
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post #11 of 169
8/7/12 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandman512 View Post

Subscribed as I too have this TV. Overall, very happy with it. Currently using Dynamic Mode, which seems to work for me. Thanks!
Dynamic is way too blue and bright for me (and most on here).... try using Movie mode and your eyes will adjust to the more accurate colors it produces. Within a day or two you'll never want to go back to Dynamic - at least I didn't.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch2025 View Post

I just bought this TV yesterday and LOVE it (despite the limited inputs but I plan on getting a nice A/V Receiver so its a moot point in the long run). After getting the base screwed on, I was surprised it didn't swivel. No biggie. But then I noticed on Best Buys website it said the stand should swivel. It's not a big deal or anything but is it just stiff and needs to be loosened a bit or is it not supposed to swivel. I check the documentation that came with it and didn't find any mention of it.
Doesn't swivel - websites aren't always correct
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post #12 of 169
8/7/12 at 9:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAd13 View Post

Dynamic is way too blue and bright for me (and most on here).... try using Movie mode and your eyes will adjust to the more accurate colors it produces. Within a day or two you'll never want to go back to Dynamic - at least I didn't.
Doesn't swivel - websites aren't always correct

Dynamic has to be on the 'Standard' not 'Cool' setting and Contrast no highter than 90.
I can see why some would like it in a bright room or show to off to others how bright the set can go.
It can be seductive in it's own way, it is torch mode.
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post #13 of 169
8/7/12 at 10:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAd13 View Post

I've just been posting in the E550 thread... The only thing I'd add is changing the cell light to 20 and I've run the break-in slides a few times during the night but have mostly stuck to watching full screen content - a lot of Olympics and no IR issues so far.
& the "who got a new plasma thread"

This works great on my E450.
Yes Cell light should be set to max of 20 and left that way.
Brightness and Contrast are the main two to fiddle with.

Mode - Movie
Cell Light 20
Brightness 50 daytime / 40 for evening and 35 for a dark room (Blacks look amazing at 35!
Contrast 100 daytime / 98 for evening and 93 for a dark room
Sharpness 0
Color 52
R/G Tint 50/50
Color Space - Native
Gamma -1 for night (0 for daytime
Dynamic Contrast - off
Black Tone - Darkest
Flesh Tone - 0
Color Tone - Warm1
Size - Screen Fit
Digital Noise Filter - Off

White Balance Calibration

RO - 21
GO - 25
BO - 22
RG - 20
GG - 25
BG - 23
Edited by sonyfan - 8/16/12 at 11:30am
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post #14 of 169
8/8/12 at 7:36am
Has anyone installed the firmware update yet? I'll give it a shot tonight but wanted to see if you saw any noticeable improvements... probably not though.
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post #15 of 169
8/8/12 at 8:24am
ive been looking at this tv for the past couple of days! it has gotten great reviews so far.....is this a 2012 model?? im just wondering how the reviews will be in once ppl have had it for a year or so...... also, the panny 50" plasma thats very similar to this is supposed to be great as well. is this panny a 2012 model? (the tcp50u50)
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post #16 of 169
8/16/12 at 8:38am
So I'm about to pick up this set from Best Buy tomorrow....Sound like you guys are happy with it. My question is this: How does it stack up to the mighty Panasonic Plasmas? They do have the P50U50 and P50UT50 plasmas that apparently have the best displays for the money. But I hear lil things about brightness and some lateral lines in texts being issues. I also like that this set is 1" bigger display and has a thinner bezel and is also about 10 lbs lighter.

What do you guys think?
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post #17 of 169
8/16/12 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Z mann R2 View Post

So I'm about to pick up this set from Best Buy tomorrow....Sound like you guys are happy with it. My question is this: How does it stack up to the mighty Panasonic Plasmas? They do have the P50U50 and P50UT50 plasmas that apparently have the best displays for the money. But I hear lil things about brightness and some lateral lines in texts being issues. I also like that this set is 1" bigger display and has a thinner bezel and is also about 10 lbs lighter.
What do you guys think?

Depends on your viewing habits.
If you watch mostly cable/dish then the sammy.
If you watch mostly dvd/blue ray then the panny.
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post #18 of 169
8/17/12 at 1:42pm
I have the pn51d535,is your blacks grey black?becaus on my set it sucks,the picture PQ is awsome,but the black level is grey not black.i use the cnet settings for the d550 and i like cnets settings very good.
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post #19 of 169
8/17/12 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shield1280 View Post

I have the pn51d535,is your blacks grey black?becaus on my set it sucks,the picture PQ is awsome,but the black level is grey not black.i use the cnet settings for the d550 and i like cnets settings very good.

E450
I got better blacks with Black Tone - Darkest
and Dynamic Contrast - off

Mode - Movie
Cell Light 20
Brightness 50 daytime / 40 for evening and 35 to 30 for a dark room
Contrast 100 daytime / 97 for evening and 95 to 90 for a dark room
Sharpness 0
Color 52
R/G Tint 50/50
Color Space - Native
Gamma -1 for night (0 for daytime
Dynamic Contrast - off
Black Tone - Darkest
Flesh Tone - 0
Color Tone - Warm1
Size - Screen Fit
Digital Noise Filter - Off

White Balance Calibration

RO - 21
GO - 25
BO - 22
RG - 20
GG - 25
BG - 23
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post #20 of 169
8/17/12 at 1:58pm
Yea if i have it on darkest and brightness at 40 it crushes all the detailed in the picture.so the question is should i crush the blacks to get better blacks or not.
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post #21 of 169
8/17/12 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shield1280 View Post

Yea if i have it on darkest and brightness at 40 it crushes all the detailed in the picture.so the question is should i crush the blacks to get better blacks or not.


how many hours on your set?
40 is way low for daytime I keep mine at 50.
with mine I had crushed blacks until I hit 500 + hours.
now I have a normal looking shadow detail.
these sets need a lot of time to age.
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post #22 of 169
8/17/12 at 2:23pm
Iam on 400+ hours,so you think when i hit the 500 marker it will get better?
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post #23 of 169
8/17/12 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shield1280 View Post

Iam on 400+ hours,so you think when i hit the 500 marker it will get better?

it should, it did with mine anyway but I'm not sure if it was at 500 hours could have been 600 to 700.
last night I was able to turn down Brightness to 30 for a dark room and Contrast to 90 without crushed blacks.
I was never able to do that before.
leave yours on 24/7 for 10 days. that's what I did when it was new and bellowing out tons of heat.
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post #24 of 169
8/17/12 at 2:50pm
Oki i will do that.can i runn the slides on the tv when i go to bed?
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post #25 of 169
8/17/12 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shield1280 View Post

Oki i will do that.can i runn the slides on the tv when i go to bed?

at 400+ hours your way past the need for slides.
run the b&w screen wiper from settings >picture options
it's habit forming.
if people ran it on a daily basis or overnight IR complaints would be way down.
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post #26 of 169
8/18/12 at 12:20am
Well I did end up buying this set.....I love it so far. My first Plasma. I have always been such an LCD/LED guys but the viewing angle thing just bothers me now. Glad I chose this bad boy
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post #27 of 169
8/21/12 at 6:34am
Just picked one of these up last night! I'm happy with it - renamed the input to "PC" and enjoyed some amazingly lag-free gaming. Blacks are pretty lousy, though - do they get any better with time?

Pretty great set for the pittance it sells for!
Edited by tommyv2 - 8/21/12 at 7:25am
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post #28 of 169
8/21/12 at 9:14am
Side note - I tried the 1013.A firmware upgrade - but it says I already have 1014 installed and asks me to overwrite it? Isn't that awfully new for a retail purchase? Anyone else run into this?
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post #29 of 169
8/21/12 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tommyv2 View Post

Just picked one of these up last night! I'm happy with it - renamed the input to "PC" and enjoyed some amazingly lag-free gaming. Blacks are pretty lousy, though - do they get any better with time?
Pretty great set for the pittance it sells for!

Try this:
Dynamic Contrast - off
Black Tone - Darkest
Also set contrast at 100 and then dial it down
slowly if you want.
Be sure Cell Light is on 20
How is Shadow detail?
Mine was poor but is finally looking normal on my E450.
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post #30 of 169
8/21/12 at 1:35pm
I've been through every setting - as you may or may not know, putting it into "PC Mode" by renaming HDMI to PC disables most of the picture options completely. This process drops the input lag to 16ms, and it feels amazing for 2D gaming. I'll try all the settings with PC Off and see, but the blacks... they ain't black! Either way, nice blacks are not more important than input lag to me, otherwise I wouldn't've bought this TV in the first place. Just more of an observation than anything. The only time I've seen worse blacks is on entry level LG plasmas - those are just wretched.

Shadow detail is a little crushed, but I bumped up the gamma a bit and now it's awesome. I checked - it doesn't change black levels on things that are supposed to be black. I'm only focusing on all-black fade out screens or letterboxing. The intra-scene contrast is excellent.
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