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Official Samsung 81 Series LNT-xx81f Owner's Thread Part II - Page 6

post #151 of 2272
8/31/07 at 12:28pm
I just got back from Best Buy and this TV is unbelievable, it was right next to the sony xbr and had just as much pop but better blacks. The XBR had better colors sometimes and sometimes the 81 had better colors. I tried to purchase but my hatred for credit cards, has ended up biting me back as i couldn't get enough credit to comfortably cover the purchase.

I hope everyone with their 81's are enjoying them this weekend watching football and all that stuff I am mising
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post #152 of 2272
8/31/07 at 12:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaserEdge View Post

More observations while gaming in HL2: Episode 1.

This panel can display shadow detail very well. I still haven't finished tweaking, but I was able to see details in the dim lit areas in the game. I want to recalibrate my Diamond Pro 2070 when I get a chance to do a side by side shadow detail comparison with a CRT monitor. I will take some pics with my Cannon 30d for comparison. The only area of the screen that had typical LCD black haze when doing so was in the bottom left of the screen where the health/energy meter was located. The rest of the screen did not have the black haze and you could easily make out details in the areas that were dimly lit. Some gamers may find that black haze halo around the health meter while in dark areas of the game distracting. It did not distract me in the least bit. Your milage may vary.

The LD tech adjusts appropriately in game. I have yet to see LCD black haze in an of area the screen whose content is pretty much near/all black. IE if I spin fast with a light source next to black there is no black haze trail left by the light source. The light source itself does not become dimmer either because of the panning. Will try to take some pictures later to demonstrate.

Have you thus far had better success with Game Mode on or off?
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post #153 of 2272
8/31/07 at 12:52pm
I was also wondering where all of these settings are as i couldn't find an hdmi black level setting or a motionflow setting or an xvycc setting. These aren't in the service menu are they?
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post #154 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brackhar View Post

Have you thus far had better success with Game Mode on or off?

I can't tell a difference with game mode on or off. Game mode is suppose to reduce source to screen lag, but I did not notice any difference either way. The lag feels exactly the same to me. Very little lag if any as compared to my cloned CRT monitor. I will take pictures with my camera to confirm.

Note enabling game mode forces the panel into standard mode for the rest of the settings. You can't enable LED motion plus in standard mode. Because LED motion plus makes a big difference in motion blur I want to enable it. So I have been using game mode off with the panel in movie mode for gaming.
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post #155 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaserEdge View Post

More observations while gaming in HL2: Episode 1.

This panel can display shadow detail very well. I still haven't finished tweaking, but I was able to see details in the dim lit areas in the game. I want to recalibrate my Diamond Pro 2070 when I get a chance to do a side by side shadow detail comparison with a CRT monitor. I will take some pics with my Cannon 30d for comparison. The only area of the screen that had typical LCD black haze when doing so was in the bottom left of the screen where the health/energy meter was located. The rest of the screen did not have the black haze and you could easily make out details in the areas that were dimly lit. Some gamers may find that black haze halo around the health meter while in dark areas of the game distracting. It did not distract me in the least bit. Your milage may vary.

The LD tech adjusts appropriately in game. I have yet to see LCD black haze in an of area the screen whose content is pretty much near/all black. IE if I spin fast with a light source next to black there is no black haze trail left by the light source. The light source itself does not become dimmer either because of the panning. Will try to take some pictures later to demonstrate.

Look forward to seeing a comparison between CRT and this set. If it comes close I'll be impressed.
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post #156 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigjohns1997SS View Post

I was also wondering where all of these settings are as i couldn't find an hdmi black level setting or a motionflow setting or an xvycc setting. These aren't in the service menu are they?

The HDMI black level setting is under Setup from the top level menu selection.

xvycc and LED motion plus is under Detailed Settings which is under Picture from the top level menu.
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post #157 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:10pm
Yep my 5281F is going back today to Vann's. After one week of playing and tweeking my conclusion is: way to TOO MUCH money for medicore performance. Yes black are deep but when you have them set up to LOW you loose all shades of gray. Sure LED backlight,but when You turn off option Smart Led backlight you'll soon discover never ending CLOUDS on your screen,that might be nice for people who like to stare at the sky looking for a falling star. Conclusion. NOT EVEN close to all specullations. Time to check Sony XBR5...and if that fails....hmm then is time to stop watching TV or play Video games,peace.
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post #158 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:11pm
Did any of you buy your 81F tv from ABT Electronics? If so,was the tv in good condition-cosmetically..no scratches,no loose nails,etc-when you got it?
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post #159 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PanamaMike View Post

Look forward to seeing a comparison between CRT and this set. If it comes close I'll be impressed.

Sure thing. I need to calibrate the CRT monitor first. The 4081 is definitely has much more wow factor than the CRT. The main draw back for me is still motion blur being there. It is better than any other LCD I have seen in this regards, but the CRT remains very detailed even in motion where as some detail is being lost with motion on the 4081.
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post #160 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fafarafa View Post

Yep my 5281F is going back today to Vann's. After one week of playing and tweeking my conclusion is: way to TOO MUCH money for medicore performance. Yes black are deep but when you have them set up to LOW you loose all shades of gray. Sure LED backlight,but when You turn off option Smart Led backlight you'll soon discover never ending CLOUDS on your screen,that might be nice for people who like to stare at the sky looking for a falling star. Conclusion. NOT EVEN close to all specullations. Time to check Sony XBR5...and if that fails....hmm then is time to stop watching TV or play Video games,peace.

Sorry to hear the 5281 does not meet you tastes. I hope you find the panel that fits what you are looking for.

Also not really sure about what you mean by blacks set to LOW. There is no intention here to get you defensive. It is just that you are not really helping anyone here without more details. So if you could please provide more details of what you exactly tried to help everyone else out. If you are referring to HDMI black level I found that it offsets the entire grayscale by about 16 steps (out of 255) up towards white when it is configured to LOW. From my testing I see no reason to ever set HDMI black level to LOW. Doing so causes some serious black crush. If you really want a black screen without effecting the maximum number of greys that can be displayed the energy saver option along with backlight setting is the best choice.
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post #161 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:51pm
Does this tv have the horrid gloss black frame? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen and I'm interested in seeing this lcd.
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post #162 of 2272
8/31/07 at 1:53pm
When my set comes I plan to have it calibrated and also I'm going to try some things other's have done on their 81F's to tweak it.I'm open to anything.
Calibration is suppose to be done by a pro atleast after the tv has been on for 100 hours.
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post #163 of 2272
8/31/07 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CadJoe View Post

Something I just read in the book in regards to xvYCC, is that if it is ON, it disables the PIP.

Hehe good thing I don't use Picture in Picture.

Quote:
Originally Posted by phigment View Post

Strange. Do you have an xvYCC source?

No I do not. Which is strange... but it does seem to look better with it on.
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post #164 of 2272
8/31/07 at 2:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Bley View Post

Does this tv have the horrid gloss black frame? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen and I'm interested in seeing this lcd.

Yes. It has a glossy black bezel.
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post #165 of 2272
8/31/07 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Bley View Post

Does this tv have the horrid gloss black frame? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen and I'm interested in seeing this lcd.

No but it does have a beautiful gloss black frame.
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post #166 of 2272
8/31/07 at 3:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaserEdge View Post

Yes. It has a glossy black bezel.

Thanks, that rules out this lcd
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post #167 of 2272
8/31/07 at 4:31pm
Anyone know where I can see this in person in Seattle? In particular, compare to XBR4? The Bellevue CC has XBR4 but not the 81 series, and my local Magnolia AV won't have either for a couple weeks.

Also, is the LN-T4681 the same as the LN-T4681F? I can get it through one of my company's vendors for a nice employee discount, but they list it as LN-T4681 without the F. I assume it's the same though?
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post #168 of 2272
8/31/07 at 4:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raptor007 View Post

Anyone know where I can see this in person in Seattle? In particular, compare to XBR4? The Bellevue CC has XBR4 but not the 81 series, and my local Magnolia AV won't have either for a couple weeks.

Also, is the LN-T4681 the same as the LN-T4681F? I can get it through one of my company's vendors for a nice employee discount, but they list it as LN-T4681 without the F. I assume it's the same though?

It is the same... go for it!
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post #169 of 2272
8/31/07 at 5:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Valkyrie-MT View Post


WARNING: There is one flaw with this TV model, that really bothers me. The PIP. Sure it has PIP, but it only works with the Off-Air source! No component, no HDMI, no svideo. ONLY -ATSC or NTSC off-air coax. After discovering this, I almost packed it back up and brought it back, but then I thought of a workaround. I use the Composite video out on my HR-20 HD Satellite receiver and pass it through an old VCR and connect the Coax out to the off-Air input on the TV. OMG, I can't believe I have to do that! My pervious TV could use any source in PIP (Samsung HL-R4667W), so why not this new, state-of-the-art TV? What a screw-up! I hope this will get fixed in a firmware update, but I'm not holding my breath...

In my locale, a QAM tuner can bring in all unscrambled local digital cable stations.

So my plan A was to split my cable before the Comcast HD box, using HDMI for the main window and the split-off coax cable connected to the RF input, so the QAM tuner could bring in unscrambled local digital stations for the PIP window.

Also, in my locale, I can pick up all local OTA digital stations with an amplified loop antenna from towers 30 miles away. So, my plan B was to use the antenna connected to the RF input and the ATSC tuner in the Samsung to get digital stations in the PIP window.

But, ever since the xx65, the Samsung manuals say "Analog broadcast only" in the PIP window (around p. 31). Months from now, analog PIP will be pretty useless.

In general, since the Comcast box is actually one tuner sending digital signals via HDMI, why can't the QAM and ATSC tuners in the Samsung pick up a digital signal for the PIP window?

But now you give me some hope with the statement "ONLY -ATSC or NTSC off-air coax. " Could you try my plan B, using a loop antenna for OTA, to allow digital stations in the PIP window?

Reading the XBR4 manual, I think both my plans would work on that model. Can someone tell me if I'm out of luck there, too.

Thanks
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post #170 of 2272
8/31/07 at 5:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrjgkelly View Post

It is the same... go for it!

Well if I go with this discount option, I won't really have a return policy to speak of, so I absolutely must see it in person (somewhere near Seattle) before I buy. I'd especially like to compare it to the Sony XBR4 side-by-side.
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post #171 of 2272
8/31/07 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fafarafa View Post

Yep my 5281F is going back today to Vann's. After one week of playing and tweeking my conclusion is: way to TOO MUCH money for medicore performance. Yes black are deep but when you have them set up to LOW you loose all shades of gray. Sure LED backlight,but when You turn off option Smart Led backlight you'll soon discover never ending CLOUDS on your screen,that might be nice for people who like to stare at the sky looking for a falling star. Conclusion. NOT EVEN close to all specullations. Time to check Sony XBR5...and if that fails....hmm then is time to stop watching TV or play Video games,peace.

Well, sorry to hear that. Before you sign off, can you give us a list of things that you liked or did not about the set. A list of the pros and cons, if you will.
Thanks.

Since you are going to take a look at the Sony product, here is a recent professional in depth test report review on the KDL-46XBR4.

http://hdguru.com/?p=131

...
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post #172 of 2272
8/31/07 at 6:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyehill View Post

No but it does have a beautiful gloss black frame.

Classic
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post #173 of 2272
8/31/07 at 6:58pm
I have bought two TV's from ABT's and no problems at all.My 5281 arrived in perfect condition and the box was in perfect condition,also.
Enjoy!
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post #174 of 2272
8/31/07 at 7:55pm
After viewing the set at the samsung showroom, I could not wait to see this now at local dealers in Nyc. They had it in the Magnolia section, which just opened up at 23st.

They also had a 5271 series which (my eyes can just tell its a 71) contrast...not as...punchy.

Speaking of punch, I don't know what other users have been reporting but these 81 tvs sure are a thing of beauty. Down right blew my iris out . hehehe I love how the button glows. touch sensitive, nice techy sound, clean design. The set handles fast motion pretty well and blacks were....urrr. BLACK melting into the bezel. I did not see any floating blacks or other artifacts. amazing.!!!!!!

I could not keep my eyes off this thing. considering I saw it before, but this was my chance to see this in a dark environment. short to say.....I was blown away.

The 4681 was set above of a projector telly, dont ask why, that clunky thing just got in my way. It did not seem to be fully calibrated, I asked. they said, They were still setting up the magnolia. which is cool. i will come to drool at a later point.

No remote was around so i did not get the chance to mess with settings.

I had the chance to snap some shots, before a charming boy in blue told me not to. mmmm , urrrrr Right.... I have to feed my avs sharks who are hungry for info and pix. I don't think he knows how badly i needed those shots

The only pioneer I had interest in there were the receivers, ( I want that VSX-94TXH ).ok ok I lied, I drooled over the kuros too. after leaving the magnolia room, other sets besides offering from the new pioneer lines all look...well...meh. This sammy has done things to me...and I love it. this tv truly is in a class by itself. Great colors, amazing contrast.

here are my shots ( which dont do the set justice ) seriously, i URGE you guys to see this set before you form any opinions. Now I cant wait to see this thing fully calibrated....in my home!!! hehe.

enjoy



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post #175 of 2272
8/31/07 at 7:58pm
shinraven, where did you see it in nyc. what best buy location
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post #176 of 2272
8/31/07 at 8:02pm
slumpey326 The best buy at 23 street, They just added a new magnolia section.which..opened up today I believe.
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post #177 of 2272
8/31/07 at 8:08pm
okay, may swing by tomorrow aftrnoon
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post #178 of 2272
8/31/07 at 8:09pm
when you buy the 81 or 71 series tvs, does the stand come already attached to tv or do you have to put it together at home.
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post #179 of 2272
8/31/07 at 8:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinraven View Post

After viewing the set at the samsung showroom, I could not wait to see this now at local dealers in Nyc. They had it in the Magnolia section, which just opened up at 23st.

They also had a 5271 series which (my eyes can just tell its a 71) contrast...not as...punchy.

Speaking of punch, I don't know what other users have been reporting but these 81 tvs sure are a thing of beauty. Down right blew my iris out . hehehe I love how the button glows. touch sensitive, nice techy sound, clean design. The set handles fast motion pretty well and blacks were....urrr. BLACK melting into the bezel. I did not see any floating blacks or other artifacts. amazing.!!!!!!

I could not keep my eyes off this thing. considering I saw it before, but this was my chance to see this in a dark environment. short to say.....I was blown away.

The 4681 was set above of a projector telly, dont ask why, that clunky thing just got in my way. It did not seem to be fully calibrated, I asked. they said, They were still setting up the magnolia. which is cool. i will come to drool at a later point.

No remote was around so i did not get the chance to mess with settings.

I had the chance to snap some shots, before a charming boy in blue told me not to. mmmm , urrrrr Right.... I have to feed my avs sharks who are hungry for info and pix. I don't think he knows how badly i needed those shots

The only pioneer I had interest in there were the receivers, ( I want that VSX-94TXH ).ok ok I lied, I drooled over the kuros too. after leaving the magnolia room, other sets besides offering from the new pioneer lines all look...well...meh. This sammy has done things to me...and I love it. this tv truly is in a class by itself. Great colors, amazing contrast.

here are my shots ( which dont do the set justice ) seriously, i URGE you guys to see this set before you form any opinions. Now I cant wait to see this thing fully calibrated....in my home!!! hehe.

enjoy




Please Shin. Give me their settings. Plus, bring it home, and watch it in the dark while calibrating the set to do 0ftl at a black screen. If you don't see floating or local dimming anamolies... good for you. But I totally agree with you. Once you get a set that perform with blacks like the 81 and that other tech... it's really hard to go back. Finally I can give CRT fanatics the big bird. My flat screen can do black better than yours... muhahaha.
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post #180 of 2272
8/31/07 at 8:23pm
were online can i buy one of these things, who besides vanns and abt has them
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