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  • Introduction

  • Design

  • Smart TV Features

  • Picture Quality

  • 3D

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Color

  • Viewing Angle

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Design
  • Smart TV Features
  • Picture Quality
  • 3D
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Color
  • Viewing Angle
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Fortunately for consumers, Samsung backed up this great design with extremely solid performance scores and features galore. There are plenty of ports, colors look good, and Samsung’s Smart TV platform is one of the best out there. Even the 3D experience on this TV is well executed.

While there were some bumps along the way, like a not-so-great viewing angle, the Samsung ES6500 is mostly a delightful experience.

Design

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A sleek offering from Samsung.

Everything about the Samsung ES6500 says sleek. The black bezel and clear trim help to make this TV an attention grabber. The most interesting aspect about the ES6500 is the stand it rests on. Instead of the usual slate of metal or plastic, this TV is sitting on four “legs” that resemble a bird’s foot. The stand blends in well with the rest of the TV—the Samsung design team should be commended for this one.

The connections are located on the left-side of the TV's back. There are enough ports to connect almost everything in your living room, including; three USB ports, three HMDI ports, an Ethernet connection, an ex-link, analogue and digital audio ports, an antenna port, a DVI audio port, and the standard component connections although Samsung neglected to include a VGA port. This will not affect those that have an HDMI port built into their computers, but for consumers who still swear by their trusty Video Graphics Array port, it is something to consider.

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Smart TV Features

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A robust and intuitive internet platform.

The menu on the Samsung ES6500 is easy on the eyes and a pleasure to use. The interface is divided into six categories: Picture, Sound, Channel, Network, System, and Support. Once an option within one of these categories is selected, text will pop up in a box to the right of the menu explaining what each option does. This is actually quite helpful to have.

Like the menu interface, Samsung’s smart TV platform has a lot going for it. There is a robust selection of apps (for a smart TV platform, that is), an easy-to-use layout, and performance that is smooth, with very little lag. The colorful hexagon in the middle of the remote whisks you away to the Smart Hub, Samsung’s base of operations for their internet TVs.

The included internet browser feels useless.

As good as Samsung’s smart TV platform is, the included internet browser feels useless. The layout is clean but finding a webpage and then navigating it is completely unintuitive because the remote that is bundled with this TV is not optimized for smart TV features. Using arrow buttons on the remote to control an on-screen cursor feels too slow to be of any use.

{{photo_gallery "Software and Internet Landing Page Photo", "Internet Features 1 Photo", "Internet Features 2 Photo", "Internet Features 3 Photo", "Browser 1 Photo", "Browser 2 Photo", "Browser 3 Photo", "Apps 1 Photo", "Apps 2 Photo", "Apps 3 Photo", "Local Media Playback 1 Photo", "Local Media Playback 2 Photo", "Menu Main Photo", "Menu 2 Photo"}}

Picture Quality

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The ES6500 produces stunning picture quality thanks to its color accuracy.

The results from our color tests show that the Samsung ES6500 can produce very accurate colors and does so consistently. Colors matched up nicely with the industry standard range of colors, known as Rec. 709. The contrast on this Samsung is also quite good, with a respectable black level that will show plenty of detail in darker images.

As far as motion performance goes, artifacting was kept to a minimum on the ES6500. Jerkiness was very minor and jaggedness, seen on fast-moving lines and edges, was not too bad. Motion processing is included in two forms on the ES6500: Auto Motion Plus and LED Motion Plus. The effects from both (with just their base settings) were mild enough that we recommend simply turning them off. If Auto Motion Plus is set to smooth, however, there is a noticeable Soap Opera Effect.

3D

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The ES6500 treats consumers to good 3D with comfortable glasses.

3D technology in TVs is becoming more common and less of a gimmick. Samsung seems to take 3D seriously—they package two pairs of their surprisingly comfortable 3D glasses with the TV. It is a nice gesture and it feels like Samsung is inviting their customers to try out this technology.

...a pleasant, crosstalk-free 3D experience.

The technology in question is active 3D, which involves an image being shown to each eye in an alternating succession. The active glasses that are worn must sync up with the TV so they know which images to show each eye. When done correctly, the illusion of 3D is created. In the case of the Samsung UN46ES6500, this mind trick is reproduced successfully and consumers are treated to a pleasant, crosstalk-free 3D experience.

Conclusion

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Whether it be features or picture quality, the ES6500 delivers.

The Samsung UN46ES6500 (MSRP $1,729) is loaded with great features like smart TV functionality, 3D, and media sharing via USB. Samsung deserves credit for not only implementing these features, but doing them very well.

The picture quality was excellent on this TV. Blacks were very dark and whites were modestly bright. Colors were accurate and made movies and TV shows look splendid. While the viewing angle was nothing to brag about, the great motion performance made up for that.

With so many good things to say about the Samsung ES6500, recommending it is a no-brainer. If 3D, internet functionality, and great picture quality are what you want in a TV, the ES6500 is worthy of your attention.

Science Introduction

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The Samsung ES6500 delivered an impressive performance. Contrast and color quality were both very good, while motion performance was no less impressive. The one complaint we had with the ES6500 was the narrow viewing angle.

Color

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The ES6500 displays an accurate range of colors.

The colors that the ES6500 is capable of producing are highly accurate. Greens match up perfectly with the Rec. 709 industry standard and so does the white point, which can affect color temperature. Blues and reds are slightly oversaturated—these two colors will appear a little more vivid than usual. More on how we test color performance.

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Viewing Angle

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The ES6500 does not shine when it comes to viewing angle.

The 35° total viewing angle of the Samsung UN46ES6500 is not great and gets trumped by the LG 47LM6700 and the Panasonic TC-L47DT50. This means that viewing the ES6500 from an angle of about 17° or larger will noticeably degrade the contrast. More on how we test viewing angle.

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Other Tests

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Meet the tester

Josh Fields

Josh Fields

Staff Writer

@reviewedtech

An enthusiast of all things tech, Josh is one of Reviewed.com's resident television experts. When he's not looking at bright TV screens in a dark room, he's probably reviewing a laptop or finding a new snack at 7-11.

See all of Josh Fields's reviews

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