Samsung UN46EH6000 Review

120Hz, 1080p Edge Lit LED-LCD Television

by Jack Burden, Reviewer

Strengths

• Color Accuracy and Calibration to D6500K
• Light output from the backlit LED backlighting is bright
• Most premium Internet Movie options with built in feature
• Design Elements are good for price point
• New for 2012 Wide Color Enhancer helps off center viewing (less contrast loss) somewhat
• 120Hz rate panel feature helps with fast motion images and sports
• Full-array LED backlights give good uniformity
• Auto Motion Plus can be a positive if set right
• Matte screen finish good for situations with lots of lights behind viewer.

Weaknesses

• 120Hz frame rate can interfere with natural background in cinematic material
• Semi-Matte screen finish, has flat appearance, lack of depth
• Semi-Matte screen finish viewing angles contrast diminishes
• Black levels not saturated
• 3.7" depth
• Only 2 HDMI inputs
• Does not have Full Smart TV options (Apps)
• No 3D Viewing

Picture Quality Rating: 8.4/10

Semi-Matte Finish Screen

We though the EH6000 was going to receive the clear coat screen, but this is one of the big differences between the EH6000 and the ES6100 series which does have the clear coat screen that we like so much. The matte screen is similar to the ones found on the D650 LCD TVs from last year which we also liked a lot. I guess it's good to have options out there, since the matte type screen finish found on this TV will also be good in some situations - particularly when there is a lot of light from behind the viewer. This is the best application for the EH6000.

A shot from the BluRay of Rocky shows good color and detail in dark areas on the EH6000

Color

Color performance on the UN46EH6000 is strong, both realistic and accurate. Keeping the backlight in check keeps colors from becoming washed out. Keep the backlight dialed back in calibration if you prefer more realistic colors so fans of either look can be satisfied by the EH6000. Blacks are less saturated than many models tested this year, flesh tones look natural but flat. One of the areas you really improve in by purchasing the higher end models is color rendition.

Side Angle Viewing

For an edge lit LED television the side angle viewing performance on the UN46EH6000 is not bad, contrast begins to fade around 30 degrees which is a good result for an edge lit LED television, but is helped in 2012 by the wide color enhancer technology that is built in to the EH6000 series.

Another scene from Rocky shows nice color rendition on the EH6000

Black Levels

Black performance on the EH6000 is not a strong point due to the matte screen finish. This is one of the weaknesses of the picture quality.

Features Rating: 7.8/10

Connect Share

Samsung's Connect Share allows you to access some of the most important premium (paid for) movie services available such as Netflix, Amazon Video-On-Demand, Hulu, VuDu and more. For most people, this is enough without being able to access the full array of Apps Samsung has for 2012.

Appearance

The 46EH6000 has a very thin black bezel of .75" in width. Though this is not one of the more refined or flashy designs on the market it's a good looking set for the price point. The total TV depth though is considerably deeper than we have seen in a long time (due to LED backlighting not being edge lit) and is a hefty 3.7�. However, the depth is well hidden if looking at the TV from the front to sides due to a thin framing bezel on the sides of the TV.

Menu and Remote

The menu is the same as last years D-series menu and is plenty full of options and easy to navigate, while the remote is simple, backlit and complete.

Value Rating: 8/10

At around $1000 I cannot say that I think the 46EH6000 is a great buy. There are many more options out there even in Samsung's own lineup. But if you want a Samsung quality TV with matte finish and none of the extra features then this is really your only option. The matte screen finish is becoming hard to find in quality TVs.

Overall Rating: 8/10