Samsung UN32B6000 Reviewed from the floor of Comet!

Yeah, you read the titlle right; I stood in Comet for an hour and a half playing with the Samsun UN32B6000 LED TV just to write this review. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is! Unfortunately, I don’t have enough clout to be able to ask a retailer to send a model to my office so that I can do an indepth review (well, not yet ).

Let’s get into it. The Samsung UN32B6000 full HD 1080p LED TV is one the latest 32 LCD televisions to hit the market. The LED technology has been kicking around for some time now but Samsung was the first manufacturer to take a serious stab at the market (Sony produced a model some time ago but Samsung hit the market just at the hype started to turn into real sales). The first thing you notice about this new range of TV’s is the price – typically, around 15% – 20% higher than it’s standard LCD cousins but, in my opinion, this difference is well worth the money.

The UN32B6000 is the least expensive of Samsung’s all new family of ultrathin LED-backlit LCD TVs – prices are hovering at around £900. This is quite a lot of money for comparable televisions in the 32″ range but more manufacturers are entering the market and you can expect to see this price drop as we edge ever closer to Christmas. If you’re happy to take the plunge now you will be rewarded with an extremely attractive TV with a fantastic picture. Any eco-warriors out there who have restricted themselves in the past will be happy to know that the Samsung UN32B6000 is one of the newest ‘Eco TV’s’ designed to consume minimal amounts of electricity and includes an ‘off’ switch rather than just the traditional standby mode.

In terms of quality, there’s little to be desired from the B6000 series of LED TV’s but there are other HDTVs out there that offer equal or better picture quality at a lower price. When you buy the Samsung UN32B6000 TV you’re going for style and hi-tech features.

Design.

Design
I have to say that the Samsung UN32B6000 looks stunning. At only 1.2 inches deep at its thickest point, this TV not only looks great but the light weight and ultra-slim profile make it ideal for wall mounting (without getting the builders in to reinforce the walls!) – it looks impressive from all angles. The front of the flat panel is minimal yet attractive; a slim, subtle red border edges all four sides of the panel, while the outer edge has an almost crystal-like effect (difficult to explain, head on over to your local store and take a look). One point to note: you can only get this series in red.

The stand is colour coded: it’s also edged in red. The pedestal is transparent pedestal which gracefully suspends the thin screen above the stand.

Samsung UNB6000 Menu

The easy to naviate menu system features the same colour coding as the TV’s chassis. Red must be the in colour this year as LG have gone down similar lines with their ‘Scarlet’ models. In terms of functionality, the menu system follows the same lines as that of models launched in 2008. In our eyes, this is good as it’s probably the simplest to use. The menu features large, heavy text on a transparent background that is very easy to ready. When activated, the menu system occupies just about all of screen. Navigating the menu is easy and text explaining your selections is displayed on the bottom of the screen.

The remote control is pretty much the same as that seen on last years models so no change for anyone upgrading the Samsusng TV (thankfully, the scroll wheel is gone). The buttons are big, backlit, and Samsung have differentiated them by size and shape.

Samsung UN32B6000 Features
Samsung has labelled these sets “LED TV’s”. One point to note here is that, in effect, they are LCD televisions that use light-emitting diodes instead of the standard fluorescent backlit panels. The LEDs behind the screen of the UN32B6000 series are classed as ‘edge-lit’; LEDs are arranged around the edge of the screen to produce a varying range of lighting levels and colours.The UN32B6000 features Samsung’s InfoLink service giving you a basic portal-like access to Internet-updated information (displaying news, stock market info and local weather information). Personally, I like this feature but don’t expect it to be able to replace you home computer…well, not yet).

Samsung’s UN32B6000 features a 120Hz refresh rate and dejudder processing (this latter feature is one of the best I have ever seen with a huge range of options for adjusting the on-screen picture). There are four adjustable picture modes, the most impressive of which is the film mode (2:3 pull-down that also works with 1080i sources) with a colour space control that lets you easily modify the 32B6000′s colour gamut.

There are also four aspect ratio modes for HD sources that you can choose from. I didn’t get to test these out in the store but having had a good look around, most people have been pretty impressed by this features.

Connectivity
The UN32B6000 has a pretty good range connectivity options, although analogue seems to be going out of favour with Samsung. There are four HDMI inputs, arranged vertically on the back of the TV, two USB inputs, a VGA-style input port for your home PC and a single component-video input. An RF input for antenna or cable, an optical digital audio jack, and the Ethernet port complete the picture. Anyone wanting to connect more than one analogue device will need to buy and additional switch box or AV receiver (I told you analogue was going out of fashion).

Aside from the Samsung UN32B6000 cracking picture quality and accurate colour rendering, the real highlight for me was the adjustable video processing features. The only downside for me was the way the backlight would fluctuate from time to time. This is a minor grumble as, when compared to LCD TV’s from 2008, the images are quality are far superior to anything I have seen so far. Anyhow, that’s all for now. If you want to get a better view of this LED TV head on over to your local retailers and ask them for a side by side comparsion of a standard LCD alongside the Samsung UN32B6000 – you will be impressed.

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