Samsung UN55B7000 Review

It’s no secret that Samsung has the market cornered when it comes to LED backlit LCD TVs. They have no fewer than 3 complete lines that feature LED. The Samsung UN55B7000, like its older brother the 8000 series, features a simple design. The high gloss bezel that surrounds the LED TV gives a sense of class to the set. The Samsung logo is displayed in its usual location, centered below the screen. The screen is supported by a matching pedestal base for those who choose to not wall mount the screen.

By using LED backlighting the Samsung UN55B7000 is only able to claim a 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio which is quite below par for an LED TV. The latest TVs released by Vizio and LG are both able to claim up to 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio which leaves the 7000 series far behind.

One of the biggest differences between this model and its bigger brother the 8000 series is the minimal 120 Hz refresh rate. Whereas the Samsung UN55B8000 features a 240 Hz refresh rate and the LG INFINIA 55LX9500 a 480 Hz which is top of the line when talking refresh rate. 120 Hz may be twice as fast as your typical LCD TV, which allows the TV to reduce or eliminate motion blur that can occur while watching anything with fast motion, but in the long run it just doesn’t add up.

The UN55B7000 is only 1.2 inches thick which, is a huge plus for a slightly older modeled LED TV. When combined with the optional Samsung wall mount it is possible to hang the TV and have it protrude less than 2 inches from the wall. Being able to hang your LED TV from the wall may not be a new idea but it sure is a nice way to take up a lot less space in a living room, bedroom or anywhere else in the house.

Up until recent this was one of the slimmest sets most people had seen. The Samsung UN55B7000 comes with two remotes, a small one used for primarily changing channels and a larger one that controls all other functions. The sound quality was adequate but not quite as good as other LCD sets. However, the overall picture was right around where we would have expected it to be for the price. When used with an external home theater system this delivers quite well but lacks a few image stability features and bright room performance.

Users were very impressed with the Samsung UN55B7000. The dark detail was simply amazing. The glossy screen seemed to help the picture quality although those who put it in a bright room were not too pleased. The menu system was a little cumbersome. There are a minimum of 3 buttons to press to simply change inputs, not a big deal but annoying.

Summary:

The Samsung UN55B7000 is on the lower end of Samsungs LED TVs but still packs a punch when it comes to an LED TV. It may not have all the bells and whistles found in our high end LED TVs but overall does what it is meant to do.

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