Home Theatre/TV: Samsung B7000 46-Inch LCD Tv – Review – 77

Samsung’s Series 9 telly may have been the only LED-backlit model in the company’s stable for 2008, but in 2009 those clever Koreans have wasted no time serving up a bevy of LCD beauties, one of which I was lucky enough to check out for your reading pleasure.

Unpacking the B7000 impressed on two fronts. First there was the B7000′s red-on-glass crystal design and its glass-necked base. Not only did it look stunning in my lounge, the base also made the B7000 appear as if it was floating above my AV cabinet. Second and most impressive of all, however, was the B7000′s screen depth. Where most LCD TVs are relative chubbers thanks to old-school backlighting, the B7000 uses edge-lit LED backlighting, making it positively skinny next to other LCD TVs.

About the only downside with the edge-lit system is that the B7000 can’t deliver the same intelligent LED backlight dimming technology that awed reviewers in the Series 9. That said, the B7000′s ultra-slim profile makes it a perfect candidate for wall mounting, and then there’s the side benefit of Energy Star 3.0 energy efficiency, meaning the B7000 uses up to 40 per cent less power than many other similarly sized LCD TVs.

Specs-wise, the B7000 also looked pretty impressive on paper. The B7000 packs a boatload of network and AV connectivity options. Toss in an Ethernet port for networking and four HDMI inputs, as well as composite, Component and analogue/SPDIF audio hook-ups, and about the only thing missing is the kitchen sink.

After powering up the B7000 and calibrating it using the THX optimiser from a Star Wars DVD, I subjected the B7000 to an extended viewing test. The Blu-ray of the BBC’s Planet Earth had my eyes out on stalks. No matter where I sat, the B7000 delivered even brightness, contrast and colour levels. Samsung’s PR blurb may have bandied about terms such as “Mega Contrast” but this time the hyperbole wasn’t too far from the truth, and the stated dynamic contrast ratios of 3,000,000:1 were in evidence, with the B7000 delivering brilliant whites and solid, inky dark blacks.

As with previous Samsung tellies, the B7000 features a simple configuration menu with detailed options available for ample amounts of tweakability.

Besides built-in Freeview, recipes and games, the B7000 can also stream digital media and comes with the ability to go online via a bunch of bundled widgets. Plugging the B7000 into my router and hitting the internet button on its remote saw YouTube and weather widgets appear on the screen.

Both worked like a charm, with YouTube allowing me to catch clips while the weather widget gave me forecasts at a glance.

Samsung has taken no prisoners with the B7000 TV. It’s glamorously slim, power efficient and doesn’t skimp on peeper-pleasing HD goodness. If you’re in the market for a stylish and functional telly, or simply want a wafer-thin screen for wall mounting, the Samsung B7000 is definitely worth serious consideration.

PAT PILCHER

Tech Specs

B7000 46-inch
LCD TV
$6499

Screen Size: 55, 46, 40 inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Backlight: Side-illuminating LED
Contrast Ratio: 3,000,000:1
Refresh: 100Hz
Speakers: Down-firing 15W x 2, subwoofer
Networking: DLNA network streaming
Tuner: Built-in Freeview
Inputs: USB 2.0, HDMI x 4, SPDIF x 1, VGA PC Input x 1, Component x 1, composite x 1, Ethernet x 1

Pros

• àœber stylish

• Unbelievably skinny

• Rock-solid HD output

Cons

• No intelligent backlighitng

Verdict

• What’s not to like?

Contact

www.samsung.co.nz

This Review is from Tone Issue #77.