Samsung LED C7000 - A New 3D Frontier

Marrying 3D & The Internet

Some say it is a gimmick at best. While others think it's the biggest thing since televisions made that leap from analog to digital. On a larger scale, stereoscopy isn't anything new on the silver screen since it has effectively been around for decades. More recently, however, manufacturers have managed to bring that experience closer to home, and they are undeniably arriving by the numbers. Like it or not, 3D visuals marks yet another landmark for flat-panel displays in the home theater domain. It is a new frontier indeed, thanks to a frame-sequential screen and a groovy pair of active shutter glasses which will change our experience with TVs hence. In fact, DisplaySearch foresees that the distribution of 3D-ready TVs would reach an unbridled 64 million units come 2018. 

True to form, Samsung is capitalizing on the arrival of 3D on home displays as with the rest of the usual suspects like Sony, LG and Panasonic. In fact, a 3D display can be found in each of the Koreans' HDTV segments; namely the LED-lit, LCD and Plasma groups. Without further ado, here's a little overview of our first 3D TV review.

Pegged under Samsung's Series 7 suite, the UA46C7000WM is fundamentally a 46-inch LCD display powered by edge-lit LEDs. Although this model has been available for a few months, we spent some quality time investigating it more thoroughly to present you our truest impressions. One shortfall is that the TV does not offer local dimming like the Series 8 models. Other than its 3D perk, the Full-HD C7000 is also crammed with an army of salivating features. Yes, it is rather savvy with the Internet too. For instance, you can expect  widgets from big names such as YouTube or GameLoft, and if that isn't enough, you can download more from the HDTV-based application store dubbed as Samsung Apps. Oh yes, this TV also flaunts a recording feature too. It certainly looks like we're going to have our hands full. Thing is, will the Series 7's 3D feature fall flat? Or is it a true maestro, after all, at creating an astounding illusion of depth? More answers coming up soon, but first, the C7000's design and features.

Earth Goes Shiny and Mystical 

Design

Our first observation of the 46-inch C7000 is that while it may be slim, the panel is actually deceptively heavy for its size. Still, it is possible to assemble it alone if you can tackle 16.8kg. Out of the box, this TV doesn't come with the base affixed so it's best to keep a screwdriver handy. If you aren't too rosy with rose-colored hues associated with previous Samsung TVs, then we have some good news for you. The C7000 is part of Samsung's redecorated "Crystal Design" which now includes an X-shaped base and polished metallic looks. Nicknamed as "Mystic Earth", we have to admit it is a welcome change from Samsung's previous construct. Like most Edge-lit sets, the new Series 7 is yet another anorexic contender with a lean 26.5mm depth. On the whole, it does exude a more luxurious feel compared to its predecessor from the B-series. This panel swivels as well by the way. Aside from its metallic accents below, the bezel is crafted with a deep shade of brown so it shouldn't be much of a distraction when viewing this TV in a brighter environment. 

Another notable change is the remote which accompanies the LED series. The wand has been given a brushed-metal makeover, and the finicky rotary-dial found on Samsung's earlier iterations has been done away with. Upon inspecting the back panel, we found four HDMI 1.4 jacks as required by Blu-ray's 3D specifications. To maintain its overall thinness, Samsung decided to use special adapters for the "larger" ports, meaning you'll need to connect the adapter if you are hooking up a LAN cable for instance, as we did. The ports are slightly recessed (around 80mm deep), unfortunately. With wall mounts, you might find it hard to insert a USB device if space between TV and wall is tight. If you are using the supplied "quad" stand, on the other hand, we noticed the TV exhibited a fair amount of wobble even when secured with all the required screws.

Aside from the 3D Starter Kit, Samsung is also bundling the BD-C6900 Blu-ray player so you need not worry about compatibility issues, or go on a hunt for a 3D-ready deck. This sort of arrangement, while anti-competitive, ensures best compatibility and will be here to stay for some time until the 3D consumer market matures with more options. Other than these, we have little gripes about the C7000's setup. Based on its looks alone, Samsung's Series 7 does make a classy, handsome living room showpiece.

 

Features

Despite its slim figure, this babelicious display does pack some serious firepower in the features department. For starters, it hordes a DVB-T tuner and also does MPEG-4 AVC compression. Blessed with Ethernet capabilities, one of the C7000's big incentives also lies with its Internet@TV portal where Samsung Apps await.  It's basically an online TV store with a multitude of applications you can download at leisure. For now, they consist mainly of news, games, music, social media and video widgets based on what we've found. One annoyance, however, are the prompts urging you to update the application every now and then. In any case, you can now make Skype calls via the TV based on the improved SILK audio codec. Note that you'll require Skype's "Freetalk TV" camera for video chats though.

With a USB drive plugged in, you can similarly enjoy the TV's recording or "Media Play" features. Not only does it save your favorite TV programmes onto a USB drive, but it does Timeshift recordings in the mix as well. There are no major changes to the TV's main UI, except that it has morphed from red to blue this time. The interface is informative, but it can be finicky when it comes to managing its display options. As usual, the same visual presets are there; namely Dynamic, Standard, Natural and Movie. You can also save some pennies by enabling its "Energy Saving" feature which dims the backlights in accordance with the surroundings. Another new additive is the 10p White Balance option, which allows you to tweak the white balance by messing with RGB levels. For now, let's move on to the DisplayMate and HQV tests to see what its video processor and panel are capable of.

Calibration

To maintain a standard across our review units, we calibrated the TV with the Spyder3TV Home Theater Color Calibration kit prior to our tests. This is to ensure we assess the HDTV based on optimal display settings, and not purely on visual estimation alone. At this point, we've also disabled all the necessary bells and whistles, for example, color and edge enhancement features were turned off. Similarly, motion and film mode adjustments were disabled as well. After the calibration process, optimized values were as given as such: Brightness at 25, Contrast at 98 and Color at 50. Additionally, black and white luminance readings were measured at 0.173 and 178.103 cd/m2 respectively. Note that calibration was performed based on the TV's "Standard" preset. 

DisplayMate Tests

DisplayMate is an application which generates a sequence of test patterns to determine the capabilities of imaging devices like color and gray-scale accuracies for example. For our tests, we've hooked up the C7000 to the display test-bed via its HDMI connection. To be fair across the board, we have also disabled all visual enhancements on the TV in order to reduce the variables involved. Here are some findings based on the relevant and critical test patterns:-

 

Circular Geometry, Cross Hatch and Dot

Modern flat-panels shouldn't encounter any issues with this test, and the same applies with the C7000. The TV did not exhibit any misrepresentations with geometry and color registration. Overall linearity is shipshape with no signs of distortion. 

Screen Uniformity

Tested across seven colors, we didn't perceive any discrepancies in colors or tints across the entire screen. Backlight levels were set at mid-range (value of "10"). However, any higher backlight or brightness settings other than what was calibrated would result in an uneven and "splotchy" display.

Dark Gray Scale

Given that it's after all an LCD TV, the C7000's black levels were commendable , although we had to turn up the TV's brightness to a value of "48" before the darker boxes became discernable. Like most LCDs, the C7000 is also finding it hard to strike a perfect balance between deep blacks and picture details. Uniform gradations on the gray scales were rendered without any tint distortion.

Color Scales

This test was a mixed bag. On one hand, the TV did flawlessly in reproducing accurate colors except for white-based variations. However, abnormal "clumping" was well evident at the darker ends of the color spectrum. Additionally, we noticed that the gradients weren't natural as colors faded to black a notch too quickly. Viewing angle stayed true for about 50 degrees from midpoint along the horizontal plane.

256-Intensity Level Color Ramp

Results were similar to the Color Scales test in that color accuracy was spot on. On the flip side, the gradients did fade a little too abruptly to black in the darker regions. Slight periodicities were observed on the green band but they are mostly negligible.

IDT HQV Tests  

IDT's HQV Tests are designed to assess image quality and the handling of digital displays and players through a variety of video signal processing tasks which includes decoding, de-interlacing, motion correction, noise reduction and film cadence detection. We've programmed the Blu-ray player to playback in 1080i in order to stress the TV's video processor. This compels the TV's processor to convert interlaced signals into progressive signals to accommodate the HDTV's panel. Here are the results we noted on two of the most crucial tests:-

 

Digital Noise Filtering

Noise levels were visibly reduced even without the TV's noise filters enabled. As a plus, a greater degree of noise were evened out with little loss in detail when we pushed its Digital and MPEG Noise Filter to the max.

 

Diagonal Filter Test

Samsung TVs seldom had trouble with this particular test, and the C7000 proved the same when de-interlacing a 1080i signal. Smooth revolutions with minimal "jaggies" were observed on the rotating bar. The only caveat is that minor ghosting can be seen at the tail end of the block.

 

Film Resolution Loss Test

Strobing on the test pattern's boxes were visible initially, but not after enabling the television's Film Mode (Auto 1). Its inverse cadence process in decoding a 1080p24 source was exemplary. Simply put, the C7000 demonstrates one of the best inverse telecine algorithms we've seen so far.

So Begins The Visual Onslaught

High Definition Tests

Using the TV's "standard" preset and calibrated values, we placed the C7000 through its High Definition paces with our customary Corpse Bride, Batman Begins and Vantage Point Blu-ray discs. Here are some of our observations. Black levels were deep enough essentially with minimal backlight bleeds. However, there's an apparent deficit - a perceptible loss of details. This was compounded when we attempted to view the display with the room lights on. In a darkened environment, however, things were visibly better, even though we had to increase the brightness (to a value of "39") before the finer specifics began to show. This is a common juggling act with LCD panels dependent on a light source. Of course, the unit's uneven lighting also became more obvious in the process. On another note, there were little signs of abnormal motion judders with Samsung' strobing backlight feature, otherwise known as LED Motion Plus. Additionally, enabling its Dynamic Contrast also helped increase the display's vibrancy, although colors became unnaturally saturated in turn. There are many dark and fast moving visuals on "Batman Begins". The plus side is, the C7000 managed to cope very well with all that abuse without messing up the details.

Pictures and contrast levels were deliciously crisp on "Vantage Point", and the video processor didn't break a sweat when we enabled a bulk of the advanced settings, such as Samsung's 200 Hz motion interpolation feature and Edge Enhancements option. More importantly, skin tones were naturally rendered, and viewing the TV without all the fancy enhancements could work just as well too. While Samsung did indicate that increasing the TV's Shadow Details would increase the brightness of dark images, we didn't notice any visible changes with different values. Audio wise, this TV comes with SRS TruSurround HD which mimics a 5.1-channel effect. If you aren't happy with its integrated down-firing speakers, you can tap the audio from its S/PDIF jack with PCM or Dolby Digital options.

Standard Definition Test

We'll be using "X-Men: The Last Stand" instead of our usual "Lord Of The Rings" test disc since the supplied BD-C6900 player does not handle "Code 1" DVDs. Also, to simulate a typical DVD player, we've set the Blu-ray player to output in 480p instead of its maximum 1080p yield. Apparently, the up-conversion process has taken a minor toll on the TV's video processor to suit its 1080p native resolution. Panning images did suffer from motion artifacts and unnatural judder, and the scene with Scott Summers (Cyclops) on his bike is one example . Thankfully, enabling the panel's Motion Plus feature did smooth things out by a fair bit. On the bright side, the C7000's engine had just enough muscle to upscale all 480 to 1080 lines of watchable content with comfortable details.

3D And Beyond

Before we kick start our 3D fest, let's run through the basics first. As mentioned, Samsung will be bundling a 3D Blu-ray player and a starter kit with the C7000. Available only for a limited period of time, the kit consists of two pairs of active-shutter glasses and a 3D "Monsters vs Aliens" Blu-ray disc, credit to Samsung's collaboration with Dreamworks Animation. Flat-cell batteries are included for the glasses, of course.

Now, let's look at the C7000 itself. Based on the menu, there are various 2D to 3D modes this TV supports:- 2D to 3D, Side by Side, Top & Bottom, Line By Line and so forth. The C7000's 2D to 3D conversion also comes with an allowance for depth adjustments. For direct 3D sources, the C7000 is friendly with formats as follows: 1920x1080p@24Hz x 2, 1280x720p@60Hz x 2 and 1280x720p@50Hz x 2, aside from standard HDMI 1.4 3D specifications.

The 3D Experience

There are a few aspects we'd like to highlight with 3D content. Of which crosstalk (when left and right eye images aren't ideally isolated), flicker, and sharpness are some of the visual aspects we'll be tackling. To begin with, a niggling degree of "flicker" appeared on the periphery of the lenses when the shutter glasses were powered on. Things improved drastically, fortunately, when the room lights were switched off. According to Samsung, such flickering occurrences may happen in the presence of 50-60Hz fluorescent lamps, so it's best for you to get your 3D kicks in the dark. Although if the area of use were wired for a three-phase lighting system, flicker from fluorescent lamps would have been greatly reduced. Alas, such lighting isn't a norm for homes.

As for the TV's settings, there isn't much we can do via the 3D menu, except fiddle with its 3D View Point values. After spending a few moments with the animated "Monsters vs Aliens" in stereoscopic form, we'd have to conclude, sadly, that its 3D experience wasn't as punchy as we'd like it to be. Let's start with the good tidings, shall we? There were a handful of scenes where images appeared crisp with little signs of crosstalk. For example, a 'researcher' was hitting a ball (strung to a bat) towards the camera in one of the early scenes. Sufficient depth was rendered with decent sharpness, and it did achieve that desired 'in your face' effect, which is the aim of 3D visuals after all. Now, for the bad news. Crosstalk or "ghosting" surfaced throughout a good length of the film. Take an instance where Susan Murphy (as a giantess) was on tour around the prison facility. The pillar on the right was supposed to be in the foreground, meaning that's where dual 3D images would be most prominent if you were to check them out without the glasses. However, due to a less than perfect crosstalk reduction, the ghosting effect persisted, and sharpness and fidelity around the edges were largely compromised. Based on what we've seen, there's still room for improvement with Samsung's M5 panel and 3D HyperReal Engine. Other observations include a notable decline in brightness levels, and you might need to re-sync the shutter glasses a few times for optimal results. Also as advised by Samsung, the TV puts out better 3D performance once the TV has been 'warmed up', which is about after 20 minutes. To add further, 3D only works with the C7000's Standard and Movie presets.

From 2D To 3D

For this test, we converted the contents of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" from a Blu-ray disc to 3D via a 1080p output. To achieve this on-the-fly conversion on their televisions, what Samsung did was to implement a "10-step 3D depth map" algorithm to make this possible. Fancy, yes, but we'll see if it checks out.

While there was an inkling of spatial depth in certain scenes, overall results were still relatively flat to our eyes. There was a scene where a gazillion Oompa-Loompas were dancing around rather disturbingly. The 3D conversion did help with the visual perspective, but we did not experience the desired 3D punch in effect. Results were subtle. Moving on, tweaking the TV's "depth" setting did help by a fair bit, where the degree of separation between the foreground subjects and background was improved and varied, but not by much. Well, unless this feature can be bested in the near future, we'd rather stick to old-school 2D on any given day with a popcorn in hand.

Our Verdict

It's time to round up the LED C7000, and we have nothing but praise for Samsung's revitalized looks. The Series 7 looks mighty impressive with its stylish X-shaped stand and renewed Crystal Design. What's more, Samsung's implementation of Edge-lit LEDs also ensured that the C7000 stays razor thin. One downer is that the Korean juggernaut had to resort to customized adapters for some of its ports to maintain the panel's slimness. With 1080p sources, the C7000 showed great potential in delivering crisp and detailed pictures although you'll need to strike a balance between its black levels and finer details onscreen. It also performed relatively well with a standard DVD source. One observation is that display enhancements such as Motion Plus was needed to eradicate visibly traces of motion judder from a 480-line resolution sources. Best of all, this slim beauty also offers a wholesome blend of features such as web-based widgets, recording and networking features.  

 

On the 3D frontier, Samsung's Series 7's delivery was a mishmash of hits and misses in general. For example, we discovered that the TV works best in a darkened environment (else the flicker will drive you nuts), and that its stereoscopic depth isn't always apparent, more so with its 2D to 3D conversion. To be fair, we do understand that this technology is still in its infancy, and it is also Samsung's first stab with 3D TVs at the consumer level. However, we are certain the almost consistent crosstalk tendencies is bound to detract user experience in some way. Additionally, its 3D implementation along with its use of LED edge-lighting has raised its retail cost to a rather hefty sum of S$4,999. Yes, you do receive a 3D Blu-ray player in return, but if you want our advice, we can only say it's best to play the waiting game if you're keen to install a 3D AV setup at home. Samsung's LED C7000 is undoubtedly a better than an average LCD display, but as a 3D derivative, it still has much room for improvement.

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