List Price: $1,649.99
Sale Price: $1,516.02
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-August 2013 Update--
TV developed audio sync problem with latest firmware update but was able to reset and resolve it.
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Original review
Note, this TV uses "direct lit" technology from Samsung. To reduce cost the EH6070/6000 models use fewer LEDs than traditional full array backlit or edge lit displays of the higher end slim models. And it is 120Hz, not 240Hz. 240Hz CMR is just a Samsung marketing label. That does not really matter though since 120Hz is pretty good.
To my surprise and inconvenience it took me a few days to calibrate this screen. The options are limited but not too bad and certainly easy to work with. But I initially had a consistent problem fixing blown out yellows/limes/cheddar cheese colors. At first I was alarmed thinking that perhaps the new and cheaper direct lit technology sacrificed digital dynamic range. And I also had to deal with a seemingly old school 1990's overly red flesh tones problem. I tried multiple EH6000 calibration settings posted on avsforum and multiple review sites but was not satisfied. I was considering returning it.
So I pulled out my Disney WOW calibration Blu Ray. It seemed like I hardly changed a thing, but somehow that calibration did the trick. Everything looks pretty close to perfect now. In the past I never spent more than 10 to 15 minutes calibrating a new TV or projector.
Initial impressions are that our older Vizio SV472XVT has higher end components with full backlit array versus Samsung's new direct lit. However, despite something slightly inferior with the Samsung in overall screen micro-light management appearance, the Samsung beats the Vizio in depth of color rendition. The Vizio might win for watching standard TV dramas and news. But the Samsung wins clearly when watching high depth modern animation like Toy Story movies etc and video games.
The direct lit technology uses fewer LEDs to reduce cost by quite a bit. There is a small price to quality which I can see but is hard to describe. Less micro management of light I guess. More like the first LCD's. When you bring up the all white screen on the Disney WOW calibration tools you can clearly see each section of LED lighting with grey gaps between each section and slight grey blotches in the upper left and right corners about 4 inches from the edges on the 55 inch model. I did not try this on the Visio, so nothing to compare this to. Whatever I see in difference is small enough that I don't really care however because the overall image produced on the screen during normal viewing is quite beautiful. I probably would never have noticed all this had the EH6070 been better calibrated out of the box.
That is my only beef with this TV. It took me 15 or 20 minutes here and there over a few days tweaking settings to get it to look right. Kind of an inconvenience.
So in the interest of helping others, here are my hard earned current beloved EH6070 calibration settings.
Backlight 19
Contrast 100
Brightness 44
Sharpness 12
Color 47
Tint G51/R49
Advanced
Dynamic Contrast Off
Black Tone Off
Flesh Tone -1
RGB Only Mode Off
Color Space Auto
White Balance G-Gain 26, all others 25
Gamma 0
Motion Lighting Off
Picture Options
Color Tone Standard
Digital Noise Filter Off
MPEG Noise Filter Off
LED Motion Plus Off
By the way, the reason I bought this model (and you might) over ES6500, ES7100 or other?:
-No need for an edge lit slim TV since this is a corner installation in my family room. Also I can see the edge lit uniformity issues on the Costco showroom floor if I stand and stare long enough. The bleeding and torchlight problems with those higher end edge lit screens would not bug me very much, but I really do not feel the need to pay extra for it.
-The EH6000/6070 TV has a mostly (but not a pure) matte screen. Plasmas and edge lit screens are almost entirely glossy to improve black levels. Glossy creates strong reflections. I can't watch anything when there is a light reflection on the screen. I just stare at the light and lose focus of what I am watching. We have kitchen lights in the distance behind one sofa and my wife likes to keep a light on around the sofa. The matte screen on this TV works very well at avoiding reflections. The black levels on the EH6070 are great. Black is seriously black. So don't worry about that.
-3D for the kids! I had never before seen 3D on a TV. And while not a fan of 3D except for kids movies, I was impressed with Hugo and the Lorax. It's no more slightly distorted/weird than viewing in a movie theater. It is actually quite high quality and pretty cool in your home. Modern 3D is still for kids, or kids at heart. While I have nothing to compare to but movie theater 3D, this TV seems to do a good job with 3D. I also watched a quarter of NFL football in 2D to 3D conversion mode and it was kind of cool. You see the depth somewhat as if you were at the stadium so you can better tell the height and direction of movement of the players and the ball. But the you still have the slight weirdness of 3d and realistically you would want to watch your sports in 2D. For serious viewing I still classify 3D in the gimmick category. I would much rather watch a good non-kid's movie in 2D. The 3D glasses must go though. Glasses are annoying and inconvenient for making sandwiches in the kitchen and watching a movie at the same time!
Can't comment on sound quality. I have never used the TV speakers, in favor of my AV receiver and speakers.
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