2009 Samsung Range

[purpleninja]

yep saw one this afternoon... rrp is $6999

That's good to know. I didn't know they'd come to stores yet. I might try to check one out soon.

Digital Centre are selling them for $5899

http://www.digitalcentre.com.au/p/888057/s...-plasma-tv.html

Do you know which retailers have them?

Edited June 25, 2009 by purpleninja

[jakiman]

anyone getting good prices on the PS63B680 yet?? im looking at getting one!

Well, expect at least 20% discount off RRP in shops after a good negotiation with salesman.

So you should be able to get it for around $5600. Even on interest free finance if you talk well.

Usually, Myer seems to be the cheapest. Also, you get Myer one bonus points for vouchers.

[Recusant]

FYI. here the supported formats for DLNA.

Supported Movie Formats

I don't get DLNA - does the software on the PC dictate that format support, or the TV hardware? It's not a bad list, but i've got a Beyonwiz so indend to run everything through that anyway. Not sure if it's a worthwhile feature for me.

[-DaNieL-1503562284]

I don't get DLNA - does the software on the PC dictate that format support, or the TV hardware? It's not a bad list, but i've got a Beyonwiz so indend to run everything through that anyway. Not sure if it's a worthwhile feature for me.

I believe it's the tv's support for that format.

I plugged my external HD and played quite a of videos off it without any problem. There were only 2 mkv files which didn't work tho

[Recusant]

I believe it's the tv's support for that format.

I plugged my external HD and played quite a of videos off it without any problem. There were only 2 mkv files which didn't work tho

You'd think if it was streaming from the PC, the PC could just 'convert it' on the fly to the format the TV could accept. Which means the software on the PC is the critical factor (which i believe is supplied with the functionality). If you're right, it means unless the TV firmware is upgraded it's a constant battle to keep up with internet 'standards' (i use that term loosly ).

With the 2 mkv files that failed, did other .mkv files succeed?

cheers.

[-DaNieL-1503562284]

You'd think if it was streaming from the PC, the PC could just 'convert it' on the fly to the format the TV could accept. Which means the software on the PC is the critical factor (which i believe is supplied with the functionality). If you're right, it means unless the TV firmware is upgraded it's a constant battle to keep up with internet 'standards' (i use that term loosly ).

With the 2 mkv files that failed, did other .mkv files succeed?

cheers.

Yeah I kinda understand what you mean. But if the files were converted on the fly, that's a whole other level for the software. Wouldn't that be quite resource demanding from the computer. However I'm not too familiar with these software..this is my first venture into the world of HDTV. Really impressed so far with the picture quality...but I think I may have a bright pixel! Argh, it comes and goes I think. Should I get the tv replaced?

I tried another mkv file and that worked beautifully and it was a 720P vid. Played from my HD smoothly and no glitches at all.

[Recusant]

Yeah I kinda understand what you mean. But if the files were converted on the fly, that's a whole other level for the software. Wouldn't that be quite resource demanding from the computer.

I tried another mkv file and that worked beautifully and it was a 720P vid. Played from my HD smoothly and no glitches at all.

Yeah, i think you're right. Maybe "one day" Good news re the .mkv file.

[rubber johnny]

That's good to know. I didn't know they'd come to stores yet. I might try to check one out soon.

Digital Centre are selling them for $5899

http://www.digitalcentre.com.au/p/888057/s...-plasma-tv.html

Do you know which retailers have them?

gameon.net.au have them advertised for $5499. Their 5yr warranty is slightly more expensive than digital centres but it still works out cheaper.

Digital Centre had them at $5489 up until a few days ago. Seems like they put the price up to $5899 when Samsung announced the free 22" promotion They also offer a free HDMI cable with the tv *shrugs*.

I'm pretty keen at these prices especially with the free tv.

[rubber johnny]

Yeah, i think you're right. Maybe "one day" Good news re the .mkv file.

.

[skbh]

Well just to let u guys know, I managed to get the LA46B650 + 5yrs warranty down to $2950 from Myers. I think thats a pretty decent price, right? Receiving it tomorrow. Can not wait to play with my new toy!

that really is a great price!

I am looking to get that tv too, but at myer today the best i could do was $3100..

is it possible for you to upload your receipt just so i could use it for price matching?

[complectus]

You'd think if it was streaming from the PC, the PC could just 'convert it' on the fly to the format the TV could accept. Which means the software on the PC is the critical factor (which i believe is supplied with the functionality). If you're right, it means unless the TV firmware is upgraded it's a constant battle to keep up with internet 'standards' (i use that term loosly ).

With the 2 mkv files that failed, did other .mkv files succeed?

cheers.

PS3 Media Server (Windows software for watching video files stored on a computer through a PS3) transcodes all formats a PC can play into a highly compatible format the PS3 can handle easily. You can choose different formats & bitrates to best utilise the capabilities of both your network & the processing power of the host computer's CPU. It's also a DLNA server so it would be interesting to see if other devices (like TVs) could take advantage of the software's transcoding abilities - it might take some fiddling to find the most compatible output format, but it could be worth the hassle.

[Johannes]

hi im new to this forum so please excuse my noobness.i cant post a new topic for some reason so hopefully someone can help me here

ive been waiting over 2 years to buy a LCD tv...but new models keep coming out so i keep delaying.

i eventually bit the bullet to day and purchased a samsung series 7 LCD LA46B750 ($3974AUD w 5year warranty + delivery) which i can also hopefully get a free 22inch samsung if i can get online and claim the offer in time.

it gets delivered on thursday so have to wait! so whilst im waiting i have these questions.

i have a HT setup already which comprises -

Cambridge Audio Azur 540 V2 AV receiver (no HDIM...will upgrade in near future)

Cambridge audio DVD89? with Hdmi

B&W speakers (602 mains, forget the center mode but its the matching one and 303 surrounds)

ill will be hooking up the DVD to the LCD via co-ax until i get a Blu-Ray which will be very soon just to make sure i get the right HDMI cable.

is it better to get a samsung blu ray (if yes any suggestions on models? price is no issue just want to get hte best bang for buck and to experience 1080p but also be good for DVD/cd 2 channel audio)

also...i bought this model as i want to be able play movies/picture files off a external harddrive.is it as easy as plugging my external hardrive into the lcd and chosing the files from an on screen display?

can i also stream wireless from a computer (eg youtube/internet) or play any files of the computer wireless to the LCD.if so what do i need to buy to do that...(i also need to purchase a new computer and also get internet connection at my house (wireless is only available in my area)...so i want to be able to do this/buy everything i need, all in one go.

and the ultimate noob question...do i need a HD setop box for this model...or is it built in. i cant seem to find any info on this and forgot to ask when i was buying it (i was so confused over all the diffrent freakin samsung models...eg last years series 7 A and this years 7 B, series 7 vs series 8 etc so i basically just said to the sales person that what i posted above is what i want to do...they recommended this model)

thanks for your help in advance

Johannes

Edited June 27, 2009 by Johannes

[Recusant]

is it better to get a samsung blu ray (if yes any suggestions on models? price is no issue just want to get hte best bang for buck and to experience 1080p but also be good for DVD/cd 2 channel audio)

Depends on what you want. Remote compatibility, or quality. I'm torn between the Samsung and the Panasonic TVs, but for me all the reviews point to the Panasonic BD35 and it's replacement, the BD60 bluray player if you're looking at the sub $500 mark.

also...i bought this model as i want to be able play movies/picture files off a external harddrive.is it as easy as plugging my external hardrive into the lcd and chosing the files from an on screen display?

So i'm led to believe - the instructions suggest as much also. I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly enough, the Samsung plasmas menus are very intuitive.

can i also stream wireless from a computer (eg youtube/internet) or play any files of the computer wireless to the LCD.if so what do i need to buy to do that...(i also need to purchase a new computer and also get internet connection at my house (wireless is only available in my area)...so i want to be able to do this/buy everything i need, all in one go.

Some of the plasmas can apparently do it - i haven't looked into the LCDs so i can't comment there.

and the ultimate noob question...do i need a HD setop box for this model...or is it built in. i cant seem to find any info on this and forgot to ask when i was buying it (i was so confused over all the diffrent freakin samsung models...eg last years series 7 A and this years 7 B, series 7 vs series 8 etc so i basically just said to the sales person that what i posted above is what i want to do...they recommended this model)

It will have an HD tuner built in for sure.

[-DaNieL-1503562284]

that really is a great price!

I am looking to get that tv too, but at myer today the best i could do was $3100..

is it possible for you to upload your receipt just so i could use it for price matching?

I'll see if I can get my receipt uploaded. Hehe it was easy enough to get Myer to price match Harvey Norman, I just rang around all the major stores and said I got a quote $3000 from Myer and then HN were able beat it by $50. If there is a Harvey Norman near where you live, ring them up or go in and ask for $2950 price-match from Myer. See what they say...

also...i bought this model as i want to be able play movies/picture files off a external harddrive.is it as easy as plugging my external hardrive into the lcd and chosing the files from an on screen display?

Yep, its as easy as plugging in the external hard drive and then selecting media content

This is why I love this TV (mine is series 6 but has that feature too)

can i also stream wireless from a computer (eg youtube/internet) or play any files of the computer wireless to the LCD.if so what do i need to buy to do that...(i also need to purchase a new computer and also get internet connection at my house (wireless is only available in my area)...so i want to be able to do this/buy everything i need, all in one go.

If you want to stream wirelessly, you'll need to buy the Samsung Wireless Dongle which plugs into the tv to link it to your wireless network. They'll set you back around $90.

You'll also need a wireless router. If you are using wireless internet (USB plug) ones, that may be a bit harder to set up. You'll need a special wireless USB router which allows you to plug in your wireless USB stick and share the internet.

Something like this should do the trick: http://www.netcomm.com.au/products/3g/n3g002w

Hope this helps

[Recusant]

Yep, its as easy as plugging in the external hard drive and then selecting media content

This is why I love this TV (mine is series 6 but has that feature too)

A question, does the sound go through the TV, or can it be delivered to an AVR?

[Owen]

A wireles connection is good for less then 50Mega bits per second, uncompessed HD video required up to 1.5 Gigibits per second, more then a wired Gigbit LAN connection can provide.

If you want quality and flexiblility wireless is not an option, a dedicated PC with a good video card, directelly to the HDMI port is required.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Owen

[-DaNieL-1503562284]

A question, does the sound go through the TV, or can it be delivered to an AVR?

Yes and yes. I haven't tried digital out but the old RCA analogue works.

I remember reading on AVS forums that digital out from the TV isn't the original sound, as in it gets converted to 2.0 channels or something like that. Can anyone clarify if this is the case?

Edited June 27, 2009 by -DaNieL-

[jakiman]

A wireles connection is good for less then 50Mega bits per second, uncompessed HD video required up to 1.5 Gigibits per second, more then a wired Gigbit LAN connection can provide.

If you want quality and flexiblility wireless is not an option, a dedicated PC with a good video card, directelly to the HDMI port is required.

You are talking about uncompressed video. No common person really would be playing such video at home.

50Mbps is enough to watch any 1080p video across the network. (Talking about Bluray mkv/x264/vc1 rips and xvid/divx etc)

But I agree that Wired is better in every sense of the word. I gave up on wireless and ran ethernet cable under the carpet.

Used cheap 8 port switch at the end for PS3/TV/Wii/Laptop etc. It was hard work but after it was done, I could not be any happier.

I use PS3 with PS3 Media Server running on my PC. Plays EVERY video I throw at with perfect quality over 100Mbps ethernet.

(PC will trancode any video on the fly that the PS3 cannot play natively. You will need a decent PC to do this for 1080p videos.)

[Recusant]

I gave up on wireless and ran ethernet cable under the carpet.

Why did you give up? What kind of problems did you have?

[diesel]

Wireless is no way reliable enough for streaming content and it taxes the equipment sending/receiving it. If you only have the two devices on the network, then you may be OK, but when you add in other people in the household also on the internet, streaming other stuff around the network etc, wired is just far more reliable.

[Owen]

You are talking about uncompressed video. No common person really would be playing such video at home.

50Mbps is enough to watch any 1080p video across the network. (Talking about Bluray mkv/x264/vc1 rips and xvid/divx etc)

But I agree that Wired is better in every sense of the word. I gave up on wireless and ran ethernet cable under the carpet.

Used cheap 8 port switch at the end for PS3/TV/Wii/Laptop etc. It was hard work but after it was done, I could not be any happier.

I use PS3 with PS3 Media Server running on my PC. Plays EVERY video I throw at with perfect quality over 100Mbps ethernet.

(PC will trancode any video on the fly that the PS3 cannot play natively. You will need a decent PC to do this for 1080p videos.)

The data that coming via the HDMI port is uncompressed, if you send compressed video to the TV it must do the decompression-decoding and may or may not do a good job of it, assuming it even supports the compression format in the first place.

Real time transcoding from one compressed format to another is not viable for HD if you don’t want to sacrifice quality, even on a super fast PC.

If you want the convenience of a media centre type setup that can play whatever you throw at it without quality loss a dedicated PC connected directly to the HDMI port is required, the TV then becomes the PC’s monitor which has many other advantages and gives FAR greater flexibility and upgradeability then the basic functions provided by the TV, such as the ability to record multiple TV programs simultaneously, time shifting etc, the list is long.

Running a PC with a good video card also gives you high quality deinterlacing and scaling, better then most TV’s offer, plus the ability to do gamma and colour correction if required, something that you normally only get in high end video processors.

[jakiman]

The data that coming via the HDMI port is uncompressed, if you send compressed video to the TV it must do the decompression-decoding and may or may not do a good job of it, assuming it even supports the compression format in the first place. Real time transcoding from one compressed format to another is not viable for HD if you don't want to sacrifice quality, even on a super fast PC.

Yup. But we are talking about DLNA here that OP was asking about. Not talking about HDMI video.

Also, I agree that transcoding will degrade quality. But to a point that it's easily visible? Not really.

I've done a few tests myself and it's negligeable difference when watching it from 2.5-3m away with a 55" screen size.

I could see some diff at around 50cm away. But nobody watches it that close with a 55"+ screen.... (Or OP's 46" even)

Also, what he asked is very much possible and does work as Samsung advertise. (If he buys the wireless dongle)

We have to be realistic when advising beginners. Advising that even gigabit ethernet may not be enough for HD streaming is just not the right advice imo.

Btw, I'm the first to say hooking up a PC to the TV is the BEST way. But not everyone has that option or it may still be networked wirelessly to other PC.

I had a PS3 and interface is very easy for my wife / kids to use. Quality was a no issue also. (I'm also quite anal when it comes to audio/video quality but I think about at what cost also)

Johannes - You need to buy a Samsung wireless dongle separately for wireless DLNA capability. Onc eyou get that, you can stream videos straight off your PC to the TV and TV will actually do the decoding for all the format that it supports. As long as you can get a stable and constant 25Mbps+ wireless connection, you can play pretty much most video files without any issues. (Even HD video files you download off the internet in the format of WMV or MKV/AVI)

Recusant - My wireless router was 15m away from the TV/PS3 with a few concrete walls inbetween. Hence reception was very bad with standard antennas. I could only get around 10Mbps at best and it wasn't stable and sometimes would cut off. Also, even if it was stable 20Mbps, it's MUCH slower when seeking forward or backwards while playing compared to a 100Mbps ethernet. Hence I wired up my house with a 30m Cat6 cable under the carpet.

Edited June 28, 2009 by jakiman

[jakiman]

Double post......

Edited June 28, 2009 by jakiman

[Mudbuddha]

Hey All,

Planning to get the Samsung LA37B650 LCD TV 1080p for my room and hanging up on the wall, what do you guys think? mainly for the game consoles and movies i download to my hard drive to watch. i saw it for $1821 promo offer on www.digitalcentre.com.au

let me know of your experiences and is it worth getting?

[jakiman]

Planning to get the Samsung LA37B650 LCD TV 1080p for my room and hanging up on the wall, what do you guys think? mainly for the game consoles and movies i download to my hard drive to watch. i saw it for $1821 promo offer on www.digitalcentre.com.au

You should be able to get it for even cheaper probably at Myer if you ask for it. (but not by a huge amount.)

I have the 55" B650 and it's great for gaming and TV/Movie watching. If it's anything like mine, 37 will be good also.

The TV itself has a built-in media player and can play nearly every format/codec. (Except MKV with DTS audio)

Edited June 28, 2009 by jakiman