Samsung LE46M87BDX Review

46in LCD TV

Picture
Sound
Features
Usability
Value

Full HD resolution comes into its own on the LE46M87BDX which is let down only by slightly disappointing colour performance.

92%

1920 x 1080

HD Ready

Reviewed: 26 April 2007

Design

When it comes to screens approaching 50in we cannot overstate the importance of good design in ensuring your flat panel doesn't overwhelm a room with its presence. Samsung have obviously considered the impact of a large flat panel with the design of the LE46M87BDX. Perfectly smooth round edges lend the LE46M87BDX a discreet presence which belies is 46in size. This unit really is a beautiful piece of kit, and while glossy black finishes are not everyone's favourite, the LE46M87BDX is undeniably stylish and is certain to bring many an admiring glance.

Features

Three HDMIs, 2 Scarts, Component, S-video and PC input are complemented by digital optical port alongside analogue audio output.

Details

Screen size & shape: 46in 16:9

Tuner: Digital

Sound system: Stereo

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

HD Ready: Yes

Contrast Ratio: 15000:1

Brightness: 550cd/m2

OTHER FEATURES: Movie Plus, 127% PAL colour gamut, Wide Colour Enhancer, DNIe.

SOCKETS:3 (HDMI 1.3; 2 rear, 1 side), 2 Scart, Component, Digital Audio Output, S-video, PC input.

The LE46M87BDXs biggest selling point is a full HD enabled 1080p screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. This enables the panel to map a 1080i source such as Sky TV exactly, pixel for pixel onto the screen with a potentially far superior picture than an LCD which has to scale 1080i to fit.

Samsung has lead an impressive technological charge in recent years, and a host of proprietary technologies are now employed to enhance the capabilities of their LCD panels.

The LE46M87BDX sports Samsung's 'Super Clear Panel' which has been designed to boost (an already impressive 15,000:1) contrast ratio and improve colour reproduction.

Samsungs trusty Digital Natural Image Engine (DNIe) forms the picture processing heart of the LE37R87BDX. The technology focuses on improving black levels, improving colour saturations and tone and sharpness and tone.

DNIe has four main feature areas, Motion Optimizer, Contrast Enhancer, Detail enhancer and Colour Optimizer, and has a track record of producing impressive results on previous Samsung screens.

Complementing DNIe is Samsung's Wide Colour Enhancer which has been designed to deliver more vibrant colours, especially around the edge of panels where they are more likely to appear washed out. By adding a full 27 per cent more of the real worlds colour gamut, Samsung claims a four times as many colour gradations than you would normally see from a PAL picture.

Movie Plus, another proprietary technology has been designed, by improving the video signal, to eliminate a bug bear of LCD TVs, motion judder, and to speed up response times and produce a sharper picture for gamers the LE46M87BDX sports something called 'Games Mode'.

Another recent Samsung innovation, HDMI-CEC technology, enables a single remote control unit to operate for example, a screen, a Blue-ray disc player, home theatre system or other HDMI-CEC compatible A/V product.

A video camera connected to the TV via HDMI for example would see the TV automatically switch to the camera's input displaying the content with the user now able to control the camera through the TVs remote, with no extra cabling.

Two 10-Watt speakers form the audio capability of the LE46M87BDX with SRS TruSurround XT technology promising simulated 3D effect enhanced dialog and powerful bass.

Performance

Consumer reaction to Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 on the LE46M87BDX) has been rather muted. The general reaction has been one of disappointment in that the pictures presented by the Full HD format look no different to lower resolution screens that 'downscale' a source such as Sky (1080i). With Samsung's LE46M87BDX however, Full HD is about to come into its own. Making a comparison between this panel and Samsung's LE40M87BDX we can see just what a difference the Full HD format makes on a larger screen. It is not so much that the LE46M87 is more capable then the LE40M87, but that it is so much better than the majority of screens around this size.

With 1080i sources such as Sky we noticed the benefits of the 1920 x 1080 resolution on the 40in model. With the LE46M87 an even greater level of subtle detail is apparent. Get close to the screen and the improvement becomes all the more obvious.

Like the whole of the M87 range, by far the most impressive aspect of the LE46M87's performance is the incredible black level performance. The depth and richness of blacks on this panel is well into Plasma territory. The achievement is due in no small part to the presence of Samsung's 'Super Clear Panel' and the option to adjust the LE46M87's backlight.

With Standard Definition (SD) sources such as Freeview, the LE46M87BDX inevitably suffers from trying to fit a 576 signal onto a 1080 screen. This is a problem all flat screens face however, and the LE46M87BDX compared to its rivals is a decent performer.

Fast paced sporting action or movie scenes do suffer from the bugbear of LCD TVs 'Motion Smear' but the effect is negligible and the LE46M87BDX is at least a match for most its competitors in this area.

When we move on to High Definition (HD) sources, the sharpness and level of detail are stunning. The full 1080p standard really does make a difference on the LE46M87, especially when you get close up. Never before has Sky HD material looked so stunning and realistic - as close as we have got yet to that 'looking through a window' effect.

The one big criticism of the screen's picture is the colour reproduction. Even with considerable tweaking, colours often appeared over saturated and skin tones sometimes less than realistic.

Audio performance on the LE46M87BDX can only be described as adequate. This is a result of 2 x 10w speakers being hidden in the bottom panel of the screen with a design which pushes the sound down and backwards only.

Conclusion

The Samsung LE46M87BDX is going to change consumer perceptions about the benefits of Full HD resolution for the better. Like the rest of the M87 range, the LE46M87BDX is notable in that it has blurred the lines which separate good LCD TVs from good Plasmas. Its black level performance rivalling many a good plasma.

The all round performance of the LE46M87BDX is extremely good, and let down only by a slightly disappointing colour performance. This is a shame because despite this the LE46M87BDx is up there with the best.