Samsung LCD black levels.

[Loose rivets]

I got my 46" in compensation for a naff Sony 50" Seemed like a deal after 2.5 years.

However, I'm not all that pleased with the black screen level. In fact, it looks like someone's shining a torch/flashlight up from the corners and is generally just not black. Other than that, it's very good.

What think you? Some patches of light in a darkish room, or truly black. What should I expect?

Since I've let the sears thing run out after the last service call, Samsung is sending a local company at their cost.

The Sears bloke did come, but said that it was normal. He then printed a bill for $180 !!! Bal $0 to me.

I used to earn 6 quid a week repairing tellies.

Funny thing is that the first replacement arrived in the back of a truck and in a broken box. I was angry enough, but finally rejected it when I found that it had been registered to someone else. But it was really better than this one. Teach me to be pikky. I suppose I could bounce this about in the heat for four hours, might make the picture better. :*

[Sprogget]

I'm half way between feeling your Pain & wondering if you're a fussy pot Rivets! Being the discombobulated owner of a Samsung lcd myself, I know that the picture can drive one mad, so look here for your ideal set up. I long for the days when the controls were brightness, contrast & colour.

Welcome to Tweak TV - TweakTV (http://www.tweaktv.com/)

[Loose rivets]

Well, the bloke is coming at 11 central time, so I wanted to be armed with a tad more opinion.

I will have another look at your link, but we'd both tried the full range of all the picture controls including back-lighting, and it made not a jot of difference to the white patches.

The tekkie that came from Sears knows me well. Fussy? Moi? He gave up, and finally conceded that after $4360 spent on light engines, enough was enough. I expect he went a bit furry round the edges when he saw my call for the new set. Still, hopefully no more Sears. They are not even capable of answering a phone, let alone supporting hi-tec gear. 'They have lost contact with the people' [Sic] is how one national report described that once great retailing institution.

When the daft :mad: came to deliver my new Samsung, I was getting the box for the Sony down from the attic. It was huge, and every tiniest piece of wrapping was there.

He frowned and said 'They'll have to do the packing." and slid the telly on its back, along the concrete into the box. Not a fingermark did I put on it in all the time I had it. Still, I guess they were going to bin it - though it really was still quite a good picture.

[Mike-Bracknell]

Is it any consolation to say that I think the blacks on my Samsung UE40B8000 are excellent :ok: even despite the fact that it doesn't do localised dimming as the LEDs are edge mounted and not rear mounted.

Shame it's not in the list of TVs on that website though :(

[Loose rivets]

even despite the fact that it doesn't do localised dimming as the LEDs are edge mounted and not rear mounted.



That's interesting.



It's the darndest thing, but the bloke's just been. He said hello, and proceded to screw all the adjustments to this and that. He then went to a menu that I'd never seen and played with that. Now, here's the funny bit.

It will come as no surprise to you to hear that I was rattling on about settings, Sears, the weather etc., while he twiddled. The truth of the matter slooooooowly dawned on me. I looked at him and thought - I'm too polite to say it...."You haven't understood a word I've said, have you? No abla Englese :ugh::ugh::ugh:

He took a photo of the screen and handed me his phone. A nice man told me that he could see the fault and they would ask Samsung for a new screen or a new telly. OMG! will it ever end?

The thing is, when I first reported this fault, it was under Sears' extended warranty and their man said no fault found. Well he would, wouldn't he? He knew a few more days, and they'd be off the hook. :mad:tards!!

Right, do I go back to Sears on a matter of principal, or just let Samsung sort it. No, I haven't got enough life left to listen to Sears' answerphones for the next few months.

I really don't feel I should be forced to have a set that has major work, when literally, the plastic has not been removed from my set's posh facia surface. If only I'd kept the one that had bounced around in the truck.:ugh:

I'll let you know what happens.

[jimtherev]

Stiff letter to Sears' Chief Exec, prominently marked 'cc New York Times business correspondent' (invent a name?) giving first six complaints, offering a complete list if required?

[Sprogget]

I recommend an earthing strap before you touch any further electrical equipment, including Windows 7.:)

[Loose rivets]

When they gave up on the Sony, I was offered a 52" Bravia. Good thinks I, but then got to looking at the specs. The 120 HZ Samsung had such a better picture. "No, you've got to have that one."

Bow-lox

It took very specific relaying of the rules from customer service for my local branch to be told that I could pick any make. The same procedure repeated for getting the remainder of my warranty transferred. They kept trying it on, buy I was on their trouser leg like a demented terrier.

After many, many calls I got through to a vice-president that, although a man of few words, asked me just what I wanted him to do. To answer, I used the one rude word in all the dozens of telepone calls. Kick arse.

I wondered afterwords, if he really knew what arse was - when pronounced with an English accent. :hmm:

Anyway, the local manager was on the phone to me within an hour. Even his lordly authority did no more than open new doors to chaos. We have only just got the receipt for the darn thing after months...and believe me, that took a lot of work, including said manager's intervention achieving nothing.

Now, I'm not just venting here. I really do care about old established businesses...what's the word? Crumbling, under the strain of trying to achieve impossible sales targets - targets that are only necessary because of taxes and costs. There are times when I believe Michael Moore has a point, or three.


I recommend an earthing strap before you touch any further electrical equipment, including Windows 7.


Life's like that. ( Said in a Dudley Moore kind of way.) Things always seemed to work when I was around. Then I brought my Mercedes. From that day, everything broke. Heck, even my prostate exploded...but doing battle is something old folk have time to do. There is no way that I could have spent these hours footling about if I'd not been retired. How on earth do working families stay in all day to have a tekkie call? Especially when they allow themselves a 10 hour window. So many families both work.

Again, along the same lines of thought: (This is not really thread drift, cos I mention 'computer':} )

After and hour call MB Austin, they finally sent me a new gearbox computer from Stuttgart. I fitted it, then programmed it by a strange method of driving almost unknown to me, it's called "Going Slowly." :yuk: After that, the new transmission is now (almost) sane.

[Ancient Observer]

Loose,
you have a point there about "time to complain"! I'm (inadvertently) "retired", and find that I do use some of my time to complain more effectively. I'm even complainer-in-chief for one of my daughters.

What I don't understand, though, is the attitudes of some retailers and manufacturers. I don't know what the total hourly cost of the average responder to my complaints might be - $10 p/hour of the cheapies up to $100 p/hour for the VPs - if you can get hold of them.
If I spend a few hours on a complaint of mine, the effective marginal costs to me is low, but the cost to them must be quite high.............a lot more than if they just set out to fix the problem.

All the "Quality" and "Kaizen" training showing the real costs of poor quality seems to have been lost opposite quite a few suppliers!

As to your overall ability to muck up just about most mechanical and electrical things around you, you're not on your own with that ability.

[Loose rivets]

It's only a recent fluence that has been cast upon me by Mr Karma. Before that, I seemed to keep everything running just by cussing a lot, administering a good kick and / or, a squirt of Servicol. (So, long ago, I can't remember the spelling)

As mentioned above, the Sears guy billed me for $180 bal zero, for looking at it. The $600 bill that the last guy printed out is a total mystery. They've assured me that I'm not paying.