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Samsung LE52M87BDX Final Verdict
Pros
- By far the best black level I have seen for an LCD
- Extremely high calibrated contrast of nearly 1700:1
- Superb detail with high definition
- Plenty of menu options for calibration
- 3x HDMI 1.3 ports, supporting xvYCC
- Per-input settings
- Reflective panel adds depth to the image in the right conditions
- Quiet operation
- No assembly required, so it can be set up quickly
- Good remote control
Cons
- Skewed gamma makes shadow details hard to make out, particularly with analogue inputs
- The Super Clear panel is extremely reflective; you will be looking at yourself in dark scenes
- Very poor handling of RGB
- Scaling causes ringing around objects
- Inaccurate colour reproduction with very noticeable red push
- Freeview drops frames and stutters badly
- Various firmware bugs
- Viewing angle problems
- Severe uniformity issues
- Movie Plus causes motion to look unnatural, but is required for proper film deinterlacing
Conclusion
The Samsung LE52M87BDX is hard to recommend. It does do some things very well - it produces a nice vivid image with high definition and videogames, has plenty of calibration options, and the best blacks I have seen for LCD so far. However, it is plagued with firmware bugs, has significant uniformity issues, has very poor viewing angles, and does not do a good job with standard definition content.
If you are only going to be using high definition with it, and want an LCD for a brighter environment, it may be worth considering if you just want a bright and vivid image, but if you are looking for an accurate picture that gives a true representation of how films are supposed to look, you will have to look elsewhere.
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