HDTV picture settings forum: Samsung UN55ES8000 picture settings

Review:
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-un55es8000/4505-6482_7-35118272.html

Related products:
UN46ES8000
UN60ES8000
UN65ES8000

Calibration report using these settings:
http://bit.ly/SYDG6T

Below you'll find the settings I found best for viewing the Samsung UN55ES8000 in a dim room via the HDMI input. Your settings may vary depending on source, room conditions, and personal preference. Check out the Picture settings and calibration FAQ for more information.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9996461-1.html

Calibration notes: In its default Movie mode the UNES8000 was fairly accurate but still showed a noticeable bluish cast in mid-bright and dimmer areas, and measured a bit bright at 63 fL. After calibration its charts were more accurate than any TV I've tested this year. The advanced controls worked almost flawlessly to hone the set's color, grayscale and gamma to near-perfection--something I can't say for most of the other sets I've tested. The only exception was a minor fluctuation in gamma from measurement to measurement at 70 and 80 IRE.

In previous years engaging Samsung's LED Motion Plus feature, a scanning backlight designed to improve motion resolution, caused light output to fall below our target of 40 fL. This year that wasn't an issue; I was able to get healthy light output with the feature engaged, so I left it on.

My UNES8000 review sample was tested using the latest software (version 001023) available via the TV's online download feature (Menu>Support>Software Update>Online).

--Picture menu
Mode: Movie
Backlight: 9
Contrast: 100
Brightness: 45
Sharpness: 0
Color: 50
Tint: G50/R50

Screen adjustment submenu:
Picture Size: Screen Fit
Position: [no change]

Auto Adjustment submenu: [Grayed out]

3D submenu: N/A

Advanced settings submenu:
Dynamic contrast: Off
Black tone: Off
Flesh tone: 0
RGB Only Mode: Off
Color space: Custom
White Balance: [see below]
10p White Balance: On
Gamma: -1
Expert Pattern: Off
xvYCC: Off
Motion Lighting: Off [grayed out]
Black Enhancer: Off

Color Space submenu:
Color Space: Custom
Red: Red 50, Green 0, Blue 0
Green: Red 4, Green 48, Blue 4
Blue: Red 2, Green 6, Blue 46
Yellow: Red 52, Green 50, Blue 4
Cyan: Red 0, Green 50, Blue 51
Magenta: Red 40, Green 6, Blue 44

White balance submenu:
R-Offset: 26
G-Offset: 26
B-Offset: 23
R-Gain: 25
G-Gain: 26
B-Gain: 27

10p White Balance submenu:
Interval 1: Red 0, Green +1, Blue +1
Interval 2: Red 0, Green 0, Blue +1
Interval 3: Red +2, Green +1, Blue +1
Interval 4: Red +2, Green +1, Blue +1
Interval 5: Red +1, Green +1, Blue +1
Interval 6: Red +2, Green +3, Blue +3
Interval 7: Red +1, Green +1, Blue +2
Interval 8: Red +1, Green +1, Blue +3
Interval 9: Red 0, Green 0, Blue +3
Interval 10: Red 0, Green 0, Blue +3

Picture options submenu
Color tone: Warm2
Digital Noise Filter: Off
MPEG Noise Filter: Off
HDMI black level: Normal [grayed out]
Film mode: Auto 1
Auto Motion Plus: Custom
LED Motion Plus: On

Auto Motion Plus submenu:
Blur reduction: 10
Judder reduction: 0

----

Update August 1, 2012

A reader comment (see post below by darth_cocatiel) mentioned information found at enthusiast site AVS forum about an issue I thought worth investigating. The gist is that Standard mode is the only one that engages the UNES8000 series' micro dimming ultimate feature, which the commenter said was inactive in Movie mode. According to this information, Samsung is currently working on a fix for the issue.

My first step was to ask Samsung about this information. A well-placed company rep told me that dimming was affected by the Black Enhancer and Dynamic Contrast settings, both of which I had turned Off in my initial calibration (I tried engaging them to test whether they improved black levels much in Movie mode but they didn't). The rep also mentioned that he was unaware of any fix Samsung might be planning.

To see for myself, I tried a calibration in Standard mode and include the settings below in case readers want to try it themselves. Long story short: it does have better black levels, but they're still not as deep as the Sony KDL-55HX850 or Vizio M3D550KD, for example. In just about every other way, however, the image looked worse than in Movie mode, with less-accurate color, dim highlights and obscured shadow detail.

It appears to me that some kind of active contrast control is going on in Standard (independent of any picture settings since my Standard calibration disabled Dynamic Contrast and Black Enhancer was grayed out in Standard), which perhaps is what Samsung means by "micro dimming." In any case its downsides are in no way worth the deeper black levels in my opinion, so I won't be modifying the original review except to point to this update.

Standard mode calibration results: http://scr.bi/OoMMrN

--Picture menu
Mode: Standard
Backlight: 5
Contrast: 90
Brightness: 45
Sharpness: 0
Color: 50
Tint: G50/R50

Screen adjustment submenu:
Picture Size: Screen Fit
Position: [no change]

Auto Adjustment submenu: [Grayed out]

3D submenu: N/A

Advanced settings submenu:
Dynamic contrast: Off
Black tone: Off
Flesh tone: 0
RGB Only Mode: Off
Color space: Custom
White Balance: [see below]
10p White Balance: Off [grayed out]
Gamma: 0
Expert Pattern: Off
xvYCC: Off [grayed out]
Motion Lighting: Off
Black Enhancer: Off [grayed out]

Color Space submenu:
Color Space: Custom
Red: Red 100, Green 2, Blue 2
Green: Red 7, Green 49, Blue 7
Blue: Red 0, Green 0, Blue 100
Yellow: Red 52, Green 50, Blue 5
Cyan: Red 0, Green 43, Blue 47
Magenta: Red 39, Green 8, Blue 70

White balance submenu:
R-Offset: 21
G-Offset: 23
B-Offset: 25
R-Gain: 27
G-Gain: 29
B-Gain: 5

Picture options submenu
Color tone: Warm2
Digital Noise Filter: Off
MPEG Noise Filter: Off
HDMI black level: Normal [grayed out]
Film mode: Off [grayed out]
Auto Motion Plus: Custom
LED Motion Plus: On

Auto Motion Plus submenu:
Blur reduction: 10
Judder reduction: 0

Note: This post was edited by its original author added link to calibration results on 07/10/2012 at 8:47 AM PT

Note: This post was edited by its original author Added August 1 update on 08/01/2012 at 9:32 AM PT

Note: This post was edited by its original author added link to updated Standard mode calibration results on 08/01/2012 at 9:39 AM PT

Note: This post was edited by its original author Updated errant link to calibration report. on 10/16/2012 at 12:45 PM PT