jerry28 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) Does anyone know when the 2009 plasmas are set for release here? Has anyone seen one in the wild? Interestingly Samsung Australia website listed a firmware update for the PS50B650 today.. http://www.samsung.com/au/function/search/...ord=PS50B650S1F Edited May 14, 2009 by jerry28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I)ickie Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Does anyone know when the 2009 plasmas are set for release here?Has anyone seen one in the wild? Interestingly Samsung Australia website listed a firmware update for the PS50B650 today.. http://www.samsung.com/au/function/search/...ord=PS50B650S1F I was told mid may by the JB-Hifi guys. I'm not sure how reliable the info is though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stroltz Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 My understanding is 1-2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazzad Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Sorry mate, should have been more specific. I meant when you created the AVI movie, what sound & video options did you use? Most of mine are off the web mate. Pretty much standard divx/xvid videos. Ive had the odd one that wont play thus far but i find that nearly nothing but a Popcorn hour plays those as they have wierd audio streams(eg. wma audio in a divx). The screen really doesnt like to work with anything but the Sammy software. TVersity and MP11 just produce an error when you start wiselink. So there must be something specific about how the tv works with DLNA software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest texinick Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Most of mine are off the web mate. Pretty much standard divx/xvid videos. Ive had the odd one that wont play thus far but i find that nearly nothing but a Popcorn hour plays those as they have wierd audio streams(eg. wma audio in a divx). The screen really doesnt like to work with anything but the Sammy software. TVersity and MP11 just produce an error when you start wiselink. So there must be something specific about how the tv works with DLNA software. Ah thanks hazzad. So much for DLNA Servers being a 'standard'! :^) I have one running on my Mac (Rivet) that streams to both PS3 & 360, but I got incorrect format on everything I looked at on the TV, inc normal jpeg photos. If the Sammy's only work with their DLNA server, then all us Mac users out there are SOL! :^) I guess I'll start with encoding a few movies into varying formats and sticking them on an external drive, or a USB stick to see what works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rajat Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) Backing up DVDs on comp, the best format atm would be H264 video and AAC audio (neroencoder is th best one) in a mp4 container. That would give you best compatability and also allow you to make rips varying anywhere from small 700mb rips that are under dvd quality, to 1 gig rips that are dvd quality depending on length, and even if you want you can rip Blu Rays at 720p for an approx 3-4 gig file size. Divx and XviD are old and outdated. That was MPEG4 (part 10), AVC/H264/x264 is MPEG4 Part 14. Bascially the 264 format gives u better quality to size ratios. Eg the quality/res from a 700mb DivX/Xvid rip can be achieved in a 300-400 mb 264 rip and a 700mb 264 rip gives the quality of a 1-2 gig xvid divx rip. If you are backing up DVDs a 2gig 264 rip (or even smaller sometiems) will give u a file indistinguishable from the original dvd, and thats including 5.1 audio. Keep the vid bitrate >1000 (>2000 will be really good) and the audio 350 for 5.1 and 128 for 2.0 and you will get great results. If you are backing up blurays obviously use higher settings mkv is a container used that allows u to put any combination of formats intogether, withough having to adhere to a convention, eg the mp4 where u have to use certain formats. mkv is good purely for convenience in that you can dumb stuff together, but that creates problems of compatibility. Dont know how the sammmys handle mkv, but i do know that if u use properly created/downloaded mp4s they work awesome and if its a 5.1 encoded file, ull get that from teh digital output too Edited May 15, 2009 by Rajat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusktildawn Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Wow, some keen pricing on the new Sammy's right off the bat without even haggling. Like the 50B650 for $2709, 58B550 for $3929 and the 58B850 for $4929 i'm interested in the 50B850 for $3529 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Backing up DVDs on comp, the best format atm would be H264 video and AAC audio (neroencoder is th best one) in a mp4 container. That would give you best compatability and also allow you to make rips varying anywhere from small 700mb rips that are under dvd quality, to 1 gig rips that are dvd quality depending on length, and even if you want you can rip Blu Rays at 720p for an approx 3-4 gig file size. Divx and XviD are old and outdated. That was MPEG4 (part 10), AVC/H264/x264 is MPEG4 Part 14. Bascially the 264 format gives u better quality to size ratios. Eg the quality/res from a 700mb DivX/Xvid rip can be achieved in a 300-400 mb 264 rip and a 700mb 264 rip gives the quality of a 1-2 gig xvid divx rip. If you are backing up DVDs a 2gig 264 rip (or even smaller sometiems) will give u a file indistinguishable from the original dvd, and thats including 5.1 audio. Keep the vid bitrate >1000 (>2000 will be really good) and the audio 350 for 5.1 and 128 for 2.0 and you will get great results. If you are backing up blurays obviously use higher settings What size screen do you have and far away from it do you sit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rajat Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 What size screen do you have and far away from it do you sit? Dun have one yet gonna be gettin one of the new sammys soon I know what you are getting at, that ripping movies onto computer will give bad quality on large screens close distances etc. All I was suggesting to the poster was that if he chooses to do some ripping, those formats would give optimal quality Having said that, I plan on getting a 46" and sitting 3-4, possibly more, meters back Technically, wouldnt even need 1080p res for that viewing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complectus Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Backing up DVDs on comp, the best format atm would be ... ...not transcoding at all, given that 1TB sata hdd's can be bought for $125 online & 1.5TB versions are available for less than $200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I know what you are getting at, that ripping movies onto computer will give bad quality on large screens close distances etc. All I was suggesting to the poster was that if he chooses to do some ripping, those formats would give optimal quality Ripping movies to a PC is not a problem, transcoding is. For DVD’s you can save heaps of disk space by just ripping the main title with only one sound track in there original format, I would not recommend reencoding if picture quality is important. You can do much the same for BlyuRay disks, but again transcoding is not recommended, no need with hard drives so cheap. Backup is impractical and expensive for large amounts of data, so I recommend setting up a fault tolerant RAID 5 server; if you get a HD failure you don’t loose data. As for media streaming compatibility with the Sammy, better to use a dedicated HTPC connected to the TV’s HDMI port, no compatibility issues then and a PC is a LOT more functional and almost certainly better quality then any streaming solution. Having said that, I plan on getting a 46" and sitting 3-4, possibly more, meters backTechnically, wouldnt even need 1080p res for that viewing For 3 to 4 meters a 70” to 90” screen is in order, a 46” is certainly not going to be taxing on video quality. You can probably get away with reencoding to a more compressed format without degrading quality too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake07 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Divx and XviD are old and outdated. That was MPEG4 (part 10), AVC/H264/x264 is MPEG4 Part 14. Actually, DivX/XviD are MPEG4 Part 2 and AVC/H.264 are MPEG4 Part 10. The MPEG4 container format is Part 14. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpeg4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake07 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 As for media streaming compatibility with the Sammy, better to use a dedicated HTPC connected to the TV’s HDMI port, no compatibility issues then and a PC is a LOT more functional and almost certainly better quality then any streaming solution. I tend to agree. While it's nice to have a built in media player that supports a lot of formats, the downside is that you become reliant on vendor (Samsung) firmware rather than being able to pick and choose your own software (the latter usually being much more flexible). That said, it's not like you're paying a premium for the built in media player in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rajat Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Was just giving my opinions, those solutions you proposed are excellent for quality, but do require a lot more equipment, time and effort, money etc. Depends on the person. Personally, I dont do any ripping at all, as, like you said, quality is lost, and also too much effort, just keep the original. It also comes down to the fact that at the most common screen size/viewing distance ratios, most people wouldnt be able to tell between a high quality rip and the original. More acute people such as yourself, Owen, will be able to tell the difference and therefore a solution requires more effort money etc. Personal choice is all im saying, and the more options the better. Anyway, Jake07, I stand corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpaL Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Back to the topic at hand fellas, i'm seriously considering the 55" Series 6 (UA55B6000). I saw them at Harvey Norman QV (Melbourne City) last weekend running the BluRay demo disc and I thought they blew the doors off everything else in the store, including Plasma. I thought the picture quality was stunning: deep blacks, eye popping colours and retina searing brightness. I've always been a Plasma fan but after seeing these I could really be pursueded! I'm not all that interested in the 200hz capability of the 8-Series nor the media streaming capabilities of the 7 and 8s. Can anyone see a reason other than those things to get a 7 or 8-Series? Would the picture quality be noticably better with 200hz? I'm going to head into HN again today to see what they can do on price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daft009 Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 please let us know how you go EpaL.. I'm tossing up between the 6 and 7 series LED LCDs too... mainly because of the widgets & video streaming etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest texinick Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 please let us know how you go EpaL..I'm tossing up between the 6 and 7 series LED LCDs too... mainly because of the widgets & video streaming etc. Are you specifically looking at the LED's because of the widgets & streaming? They are also on the non-LED 2009 LCD's too. I just bought the LA46B650, and it has the Internet options (i.e. Youtube etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpaL Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Are you specifically looking at the LED's because of the widgets & streaming? They are also on the non-LED 2009 LCD's too. I just bought the LA46B650, and it has the Internet options (i.e. Youtube etc). Nope, in fact i'm specifically looking at the 6 Series because it doesn't have that. I already have Tivo, Apple TV, Foxtel IQ2 and a Mac Mini hooked up so I'm pretty much covered there; figured I can save a few $$$ by not getting those options (the only difference between 6 and 7 series as far as I can see). I went in the Hardly Normal today and checked them out. They don't have the 55" available as yet; he said early June release date. They do have the 40 and 46" and they look great. The guy I spoke to said the new Sammy Plasma range is due out soon, as is the 2009 Pioneer range so I think I might hold off for a little while and see what they all have to offer. The LED Sammy LCDs are very tempting but im still not convinced they're an overall better picture than Plasma... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daft009 Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Are you specifically looking at the LED's because of the widgets & streaming? They are also on the non-LED 2009 LCD's too. I just bought the LA46B650, and it has the Internet options (i.e. Youtube etc). No, was mainly looking for the 120Hz refresh rate. I imagine blu-rays will look slightly jittery at 100Hz? I went in the Hardly Normal today and checked them out. They don't have the 55" available as yet; he said early June release date. They do have the 40 and 46" and they look great. The guy I spoke to said the new Sammy Plasma range is due out soon, as is the 2009 Pioneer range so I think I might hold off for a little while and see what they all have to offer. The LED Sammy LCDs are very tempting but im still not convinced they're an overall better picture than Plasma... Any idea on pricing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazzad Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 No, was mainly looking for the 120Hz refresh rate.I imagine blu-rays will look slightly jittery at 100Hz? Any idea on pricing? 120 hz doesnt exist here. We use 100 hz. I have mine set to 1080/24p and notice no jittering. Be aware that 100 hz will create an almost un-natural look to the image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazzad Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Nope, in fact i'm specifically looking at the 6 Series because it doesn't have that. I already have Tivo, Apple TV, Foxtel IQ2 and a Mac Mini hooked up so I'm pretty much covered there; figured I can save a few $$$ by not getting those options (the only difference between 6 and 7 series as far as I can see).I went in the Hardly Normal today and checked them out. They don't have the 55" available as yet; he said early June release date. They do have the 40 and 46" and they look great. The guy I spoke to said the new Sammy Plasma range is due out soon, as is the 2009 Pioneer range so I think I might hold off for a little while and see what they all have to offer. The LED Sammy LCDs are very tempting but im still not convinced they're an overall better picture than Plasma... Series 6 does have the yahoo widgets and Media 2.0. Same as the series 7 and led range. I saw the 55" B650 yesterday at JB. So they are out there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpaL Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 No, was mainly looking for the 120Hz refresh rate.I imagine blu-rays will look slightly jittery at 100Hz? Any idea on pricing? Sorry, forgot to mention that. They're quoting $4999 for the 55" LED 6 series right now. The 7 series will be a few hundred more than that. Note that these panels only have a 12 month warranty, unlike Samsung's in the past so I would be angling for an extra 2 years thrown in at that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EpaL Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Sorry, forgot to mention that. They're quoting $4999 for the 55" LED 6 series right now. The 7 series will be a few hundred more than that. Note that these panels only have a 12 month warranty, unlike Samsung's in the past so I would be angling for an extra 2 years thrown in at that price. Looks like I spoke too soon! Looks like the 55" is now available on thebargainhunter.net.au for $4,360.00 plus shipping. That's certainly alot better than HN managed yesterday ($4999). I've just emailed to confirm availability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizmox Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hi All, I'm looking at buying a 50" Samsung Plasma. Can anyone explain to me the difference between PS50B650 vs PS50A650. Is the 'B' just a newer revision? Does it make any difference? Also, I might at a stretch be able to afford the 7 series. Is it worth it? Cheers, Nizmox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest texinick Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Looks like I spoke too soon! Looks like the 55" is now available on thebargainhunter.net.au for $4,360.00 plus shipping. That's certainly alot better than HN managed yesterday ($4999). I've just emailed to confirm availability. Not sure what the shipping is via the Bargain Hunter mob, but JustMonitors have that set at $4399, plus Australia Wide delivery of $45. http://www.justmonitors.com.au/samUA55B6000.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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