Samsung UN50F5000 Review

50 inch 1080p 60Hz LED TV

by Jack Burden, Reviewer

The Samsung UN50F5000 is a 1080p full HD option for those not looking for all the bells and whistles of LED TVs higher up in the Samsung lineup. This one goes without 3D playback and smart TV functions of any sort. If you aren't going to miss those, this one is worth a look. It does only have a 60Hz refresh rate, so you'll have to decide if the slower panel will inhibit the sort of programming you mainly want the TV for. At north of $1,000 it may seem a little steep for an LED with the lack of features, but a solid picture quality in a nice package really make it worth it.

Picture Quality

LED Backlighting

Strong LED backlighting happens to be one of the better features of the UN50F5000. Picture quality gets a great push due to the light throughput but compared to some of the top tier models, the picture is much dimmer. The image on the F5000AFXZA bright and saturated compared to similar LCD CCFL value TVs. That gives this one a great advantage. Another thing to be impressed with is the black levels. Now, color is an area to pay attention to if you are wondering. Saturation compared to plasma and other LED manufacturers is lacking. The backlight can wash them out so we recommend keeping backlight setting in check. This setting can easily be found in the picture controls menu.

Full HD Resolution and 60Hz Refresh Rate

The 1080p resolution is an important feature for many buying a new TV. It serves as a sort of future proofing since many broadcasts and video games are still 720p, but that is bound to change down the line as technology ceaselessly advances. Native 1080p content is found few and far in-between, but it looks fantastic on this display. The 1080p spec also makes this a nice TV to hook a computer or laptop up to to take advantage of the resolution. It would even be a nice big screen monitor.

The 60Hz refresh rate seems a little low, but it surely keeps the cost down on this one. Motion blur and judder are not going to be highly noticeable on a screen this size as well. Those who are looking will see it, but only the most sensitive to the issue will be bothered by it.

Side Angle Viewing

Side angle viewing on the UN50F5000 is on par for a TV in the value category. Contrast and color begin to degrade at about 30 degree. This is typical for LCD/LED TVs and this one is not plagued by terrible viewing angles.

Appearance

The F5000 looks just like the F5500. For a value model like this one, the look is pretty good. Bezels measure in at .75 inches thin to give the TV an updated appearance. The square stand is nothing new. The profile is a bit thinner compared to the 5000 series from the previous year. Everything is a glossy black plastic. It's nice to see the low end TVs looking so good.

Jack Burden has been reviewing and writing reviews in the consumer electronics category for 7 years with CEAG. He considers grayscale gradation, film patterned retarders, and focus field drives to be fun topics. Read more about Jack