Samsung UN60ES7500FXZA Review

60" LED 3D HDTV 1080p Smart TV

by , Senior Editor

Strengths

  • -Stunning Clear LCD Screen yields depth, clarity and color
  • -Fast Motion Displays well
  • -Appearance – super thin frame almost non-existent – very sexy
  • -3D Viewing and even 2D to 3D conversion
  • -Samsung Smart TV selection/Built in Wifi/Full Web Browser

Weaknesses

  • -Some reflection off the screen from in room light
  • -Though the web browser is a true full browser it is still slow to use despite the dual core processing – typing in searches with the included remote is slow
  • -The Smart TV Apps are sometimes slow to load/glitchy

Picture Quality Rating: 9.3/10

Clear Coat Screen

This edge lit UN60ES7500 LED's picture is characterized by the clear coat screen which allows for better transparency than many other manufacturers LED models which have a hazier, more opaque anti-glare screen. It does create a few issues with in-room lighting reflection as the Samsung LED TVs do not do as well with absorbing ambient light as, say the top tier Panasonic Plasma TVs. However, the clear coat screen technology from Samsung is one of the reasons for increased depth perception, better black levels and better contrast. It also helps with 3D viewing clarity and depth

Color

Color information from the UN60ES7500 is not as spectacular as contrast, brightness and black levels but it is much improved from last years model. The important thing is to keep the backlight toned down a bit to avoid blowing out the colors. Otherwise, colors can be muted post calibration partly due to the extreme side angles of the edge lit LED backlighting. Having the backlight set too high can also produce screen uniformity ill effects.

Samsung ES7500 LED TVThe 60ES75000 model is new for 2012 and has lots of the left over features from last years UN60D7000 series. It has built in Wifi and all of Samsung's new Smart Hub, Smart TV features with 3D active matrix technology with a couple of pairs of active shutter 3D glasses included in the box (2 pairs).

Since the Ultra Clear coat traps much of the in-room light inside the twisting crystals in the panel - you get great 2 dimensional depth appearance in this 55" edge lit LED-LCD Television without a lot of glare.These new 2012 LED models are very impressive to us as they are so different from anything else in the market at the present time in terms of both contrast and depth appearance.

Micro Dimming Plus

The UN55ES7000 has Samsung's Micro Dimming Plus (Samsung's word for Edge Lit local dimming). This technology separates the picture into hundreds of pieces to optimize the LED backlighting and provide better detail and contrast to each portion.

This is accomplished by creating a video signal for each area or piece in real time, by increasing whites in areas of lower gradation. The effects give you a brighter more 3 dimensional image even in 2D.

Back Light

Background light in scene images from the sun or on-scene light sources present an excellent contrast in the ES7500 due to the great light flowthrough caused by the LED backlighting combined with Samsung's newer LCD panel overlays.

This is also assisted by the clear coat screen. One of the side benefits of this is incredible picture quality in older 480p type signals (standard definition TV or DVD). In some scenes you would think you were watching a 1080p high definition signal - even with standard def.

Black Level

Contrast and Black levels are one of the primary strengths of this 2012/2013 offering. The predecessor UN55D7000 model measured incredible contrast readings no matter which light meter reader we used. The UN55ES7000 follows with the same high contrast, deep black level characteristics.

Samsung ES7500 Series 3D LED TV
The ES7500 shows stunning detail and clarity in this night desert scene

3D Viewing Quality

As 3D enters more homes and is featured in more TV models (as prices come down) more content is being developed and more people are giving the technology a try. You will not be disappointed by the 3D performance on the UN60ES7500. Clarity, depth perception, and contrast are all clear strengths of this TV regarding 3D viewing.

All Samsung TVs use active shutter 3D technology (and come with 2 pairs of 3D glasses) with so-called active shutter glasses which allows for battery powered "shutter" glasses. The drawback is some flicker from the glasses when there is light coming from the front (either on the sides of the room or in the front near the TV). Keeping room light low will maximize 3D enjoyment on the ES7000.


Samsung's new 2012 active 3D glasses tested with the ES7500 are light and comfortable

Features Rating: 9.1/10

Smart TV

In the TV world, Samsung is making great strides in enhancing family home entertainment with the Smart TV line. The Smart TV possesses a dual-core processor for speedy web searching and video streaming. No longer do users have to wait for one program to close and another to close—the Smart TV allows users to multitask and search the web while other programs load.

Multiple programs are kept open with tabs and a clean, pleasing interface. Samsung is also increasing its app collection, which already includes over 1,400 to choose from. New apps for 2012 include Angry Birds, Bravo, M-GO from Technicolor, The Daily and VH1's 'I Love the 80's Trivia'. With so many apps and programs to choose from, families will never run out of entertainment options.

Parents will be glad to know they can monitor and control what their children access, and kids will be happy with the wide selection of children-friendly entertainment fare.


Samsung's Smart Hub, Smart TV menu system. It's more complicated than it needs to be.

Smart Interaction

The UN60ES7500 Samsung's latest and greatest feature in Smart Interaction. This feature incredibly allows for facial, voice and hand control recognition. "Control," may be a stretch but it's an interesting feature and fun to play with. You can say, "Hi TV" to turn the TV on, wave your hand in front of the TV to prompt it to display lots of menu choices at the bottom of the screen and squeeze your hand to choose one.

All this is enabled by the small built in front facing camera on the top of the TV. That said, it's a feature that you will likely use little after initially trying it out. It's slow and clumsy and can be frustrating with its limitations, but we'll give Samsung credit for trying something new.

Web Browser

The included full Internet web browser in the UN60ES7500 allows for search the way you would on your computer. You can easily dial in free television programming from Hulu, Vudu or similar or check out videos from Bloomberg or any other site you want. It gives you a lot of flexibility.

The web browser is slow to use unless you get an optional keyboard. The UN60ES7500 has a dual core processor that allows you to view the browsing screen at the same time you are viewing content or another App. However, what makes browsing slow is the tedious operation with the remote control.

Dual Core Processor for Multiple Apps

The UN60ES7500 has a Dual Core Processor which allows users the ability to watch TV programming and pull up Apps at the same time using a split screen. It makes chatting via the TVs social Apps very easy and users can chat while searching other Apps or watching programming on the other half of the TV. That said, Apps can be slow to load due to limited memory.

Skype

Has a front facing camera built in at the top of the screen which enables Skype although it does not included the premium Smart Interactive Feature which allows for facial and voice recognition.

Appearance

This super slim TV features a black front .5" wide bezel frame with shiny chrome side edges. The entire panel is a mere 1" deep and the 4-legged chrome stand is included.

Bang for the Buck Rating: 8.9/10

The UN60ES7500 will not likely win award for best value this year due to those pesky well priced Panasonic (and Samsung) Plasma TVs. The picture us different, it's much brighter and has exceptional contrast which will display better in brightly lit rooms.

The TV sells for around $2700. There are not many 60” top quality models in LED, but on is the Sharp LC-60LE847U which sells for less however the picture depth is much better on the 60ES7500. Panasonic's TC-P60GT50 is also a good comp.

Overall Rating: 9.1/10



Robert Wiley Having reviewed and written about Television Technology for over 10 years, Wiley never tires of researching the newest qualitative trends related to the technology. Most people do not get excited about possibilities behind the latest video engine...Wiley does. Read more about Robert

 



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