Best 55″ LCD TV

Samsung UN55B8500, as any model from the B8500 series, is the flagship of Samsung’s HDTV line for 2009-2010 and naturally offers exceptional picture quality. It is one of the few LCD TVs capable of competing with and almost surpassing the top of the line plasma TVs, in the picture quality department. Asside from the exceptional picture, it also has a solid set of features. On the down side, Samsung UN55B8500 suffers from a problem common to many LCD TVs: its picture quality decreases when you move off-axis.

Samsung’s B8000 Series features the company’s LED edge-backlight technology, allowing the manufacturer to produce the LUXIA line at just over an inch thick. Samsung’s Ultra Clear panel that UN55B8000 uses was designed to increase the contrast and reduce reflections. There are however some HDTV models with matte screen, which handle glare better. In the picture quality department, Samsung UN55B8000 does not benefit from the local dimming feature present in B8500 series, so it is not able to provide blacks of equal depth as UN55B8500 above or Panasonic V10 plasma TVs. Even so, this LED backlit LCD TV still manages to produce black levels close to those seen in the top of the line HDTVs. Such deep blacks and good shadow detail are combined with the superb color accuracy, giving UN55B8000 an exceptional overall picture quality.

LG’s 55LH90 has no interactive features, a major difference compared to other high-end HDTVs on the market. Fortunately, in the picture quality department it performs very well. Its black levels are lighter than top of the line LCD and plasma TVs like UN55B8500 or Panasonic TC-P54V10, being closer to UN55B7000. However, its colors are exceptional, being actually better than those seen on top of the line HDTVs from competing brands. Overall it offers very good picture quality, however the not so deep blacks and lack of interactivity keeps it from securing a better place in our top.

Samsung UN55B7000 is a step down from UN55B8000 brother in the same LUXIA line. Compared to that it has “only” 120Hz refresh rate. This is not a significant thing however. Overall UN55B7000 has similar picture quality to the UN55B8000, featuring dark black levels and very good color accuracy. Naturally, as the entire Samsung LUXIA line of LED backlit LCD TVs, UN55B7000 is unable to maintain its picture quality intact when viewed from an angle.