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MikeInSoMD
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- Review count2
- Helpfulness votes20
- First reviewJanuary 12, 2012
- Last reviewSeptember 4, 2015
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.5
- Review comment count4
- Helpfulness votes3
- First review commentJune 2, 2015
- Last review commentJune 9, 2015
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- First answerJune 9, 2015
- Last answerJune 9, 2015
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MikeInSoMD's Reviews
Enhance all your favorite entertainment with this Yamaha YHT-4920UBL home theater speaker system, which features 5 speakers and 100W subwoofer for full, powerful sound. Bluetooth technology enables simple wireless streaming.
Posted by: MikeInSoMD
from Silver Spring, MD
Please note, I purchased this item Best Buy Open Box, and I my experience may be exclusive to that fact.
Contents:
The first things I noticed when I opened up the box were the speaker wires and subwoofer cable. The speaker wires were extremely light gauge (probably 18-20 AWG) and the subwoofer cable was also very light. I picked up a spool of Rocketfish 16 gauge, and set to cabling.
The first things I noticed when I opened up the box were the speaker wires and subwoofer cable. The speaker wires were extremely light gauge (probably 18-20 AWG) and the subwoofer cable was also very light. I picked up a spool of Rocketfish 16 gauge, and set to cabling.
Hook-up
Trying to get a 16 AWG speaker wire into the pinch connectors on the speakers is an exercise in patience. Also, once they're in there, don't tug, 16 AWG is about the largest size that should go in there, and it doesn't grip very tight. Now, connecting the speaker wires to the receiver, that's an exercise in direct frustration. For whatever reason, only the L and R front channels are equipped to accept banana plugs. The LSurr, RSurr, and Center are more of the tiny pinch connectors, with minimal clearance between connections. My numb sausage fingers didn't do so hot in the tiny spaces. I didn't really feel like attaching only four of the 10 banana plugs I had purchased, so I instead used the screw crimp lugs for the L and R channel. Lesson learned at this phase, make sure to have 5/8 of an inch exposed, otherwise the crimp won't land on the wire, and yo won't get sound out of the speakers. The subwoofer is easy, you may need to hit the power button a couple of times for it to "wake up". Connecting HDMI inputs is easy, if not a little surprising, since the receiver "told" me which cable company I was using when I plugged in the cable box.
Trying to get a 16 AWG speaker wire into the pinch connectors on the speakers is an exercise in patience. Also, once they're in there, don't tug, 16 AWG is about the largest size that should go in there, and it doesn't grip very tight. Now, connecting the speaker wires to the receiver, that's an exercise in direct frustration. For whatever reason, only the L and R front channels are equipped to accept banana plugs. The LSurr, RSurr, and Center are more of the tiny pinch connectors, with minimal clearance between connections. My numb sausage fingers didn't do so hot in the tiny spaces. I didn't really feel like attaching only four of the 10 banana plugs I had purchased, so I instead used the screw crimp lugs for the L and R channel. Lesson learned at this phase, make sure to have 5/8 of an inch exposed, otherwise the crimp won't land on the wire, and yo won't get sound out of the speakers. The subwoofer is easy, you may need to hit the power button a couple of times for it to "wake up". Connecting HDMI inputs is easy, if not a little surprising, since the receiver "told" me which cable company I was using when I plugged in the cable box.
Performance
Out of the box, the sound performance on this system is dismally underwhelming. Very low speaker output, and very hollow sound. The minimum volume on this system is -80 dB, you won't start hearing anything until about -25 dB. After confirming the speakers are indeed producing noise, I plugged in the YPAO mic. I would pay the $320 I paid for the whole system just to have any other system I purchase calibrated in the future. The setup literally takes about 2 minutes, and after disconnecting the mic, the speaker output is appreciably louder at the same volume. However, increased volume does come at a price. There a clearly hollow/tinny sound from center/side speakers, even after calibration. This can be alleviated somewhat by changing the sound mode, so far "Drama" and "Sports" show good results. I'm going to keep looking to see if there's a "Dynamic" or "Auto" setting. The open box didn't come with the instructions, so I'm doing a lot of learning on the fly.
Out of the box, the sound performance on this system is dismally underwhelming. Very low speaker output, and very hollow sound. The minimum volume on this system is -80 dB, you won't start hearing anything until about -25 dB. After confirming the speakers are indeed producing noise, I plugged in the YPAO mic. I would pay the $320 I paid for the whole system just to have any other system I purchase calibrated in the future. The setup literally takes about 2 minutes, and after disconnecting the mic, the speaker output is appreciably louder at the same volume. However, increased volume does come at a price. There a clearly hollow/tinny sound from center/side speakers, even after calibration. This can be alleviated somewhat by changing the sound mode, so far "Drama" and "Sports" show good results. I'm going to keep looking to see if there's a "Dynamic" or "Auto" setting. The open box didn't come with the instructions, so I'm doing a lot of learning on the fly.
All in all I am satisfied with the system, just not enthralled at the moment. I will continue to tweak, will certainly revise this review if warranted. If you want to know more, feel free to reply/ask questions.
My Best Buy number: 0538886831
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
17of 28voted this as helpful.
![The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season [3 Discs]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/47d46522-ddde-4c6c-b480-6e2b3d6c0410.jpg)
Two brilliant young physicists learn that the complex structures of atoms aren't nearly as perplexing as the inner-workings of modern women in this release featuring all 17 episodes of the The Big Bang Theory: Season One. The first season introduces viewers to the main characters: Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), a brilliant but awkward experimental physicist; Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), an even more brilliant theoretical physicist who lacks any kind of social niceties or understanding of sarcasm and irony; and Penny (Kaley Cuoco),a young blonde aspiring actress who immediately catches Leonard's attention. Rounding out the group are Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), an aerospace engineer who still lives with his mother; and Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), an astrophysicist who's so shy around women that he's unable to speak to them without the aid of alcohol.
Posted by: MikeInSoMD
from Waldorf, MD
One of my comedy go-tos, I'll never get tired of this show. Starting my collection, on my way to owning all seasons.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
MikeInSoMD's Review Comments
Sony XBR65X850C LED 4K Ultra HD TV: Enjoy the stunning detail and remarkably lifelike colors of this spacious 4K display. The advanced features let you mirror your phone's screen, stream Playstation 3 games, and even perform voice searches using Google Cast.
Overall
5 out of 5
5 out of 5Extremely Happy!
By SJIMike
from San Juan Island, WA USA
Went to Bet Buy to get a Samsung Curved UHD 4K Smart TV 6700 series....BUT...when I did the comparison in the showroom this Sony Bravia totally blew the Samsung away! The power increase 240hz -vs- 60 a big difference. And the curved proved unnessessary and had a grain picture in the corners and caught glare from the windows. For an extra $300 extremely happy with this TV. Also paired it with the Sony 2.1 Sound Bar with 340W wireless sub woofer for $499 and it was a perfect fit! Great sound, and booming bass for both movies and music. Love the Pandora stations! This is a fantastic TV.still learning all it can do and love having bought it early...the online upgrades coming will be great to!
PLEASE give US feedback so we can learn together!
Thanks!
PLEASE give US feedback so we can learn together!
Thanks!
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD
FYI
June 2, 2015
Just an FYI, despite the numbers in the tech specs and box, the panel is only 120 Hz, the rest is backlight trickery, frame insertion, etc. Still looks like a nice TV, I'll be looking at one this weekend actually.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA 4K Ultra HD TV: Take your movie nights to the next level with this party-pleasing 4K TV's crisp contrast and vibrant colors. The remote control's touchpad and voice command options let you easily browse the Web and watch your smartphone videos on the expansive screen.
Overall
2 out of 5
2 out of 5Not the one for me.
By Nathan
I really wanted to like this one. For starters it claiming to be 'silver' is beyond deceptive . Is there silver detailing? Yes but the rim of the very front is a dark gun metal near black color. When you are in the store you are swarmed with the SUHD line that is rimmed in a bright metallic nickel, gorgeous! Yet those TV'S are labeled as 'black' online. What is this about Best Buy?!
Next the stand. As meticulous and careful as I am, I made sure the stand was screwed together in the utmost delicacy and ensured every screw locked in tight, not tight enough to crack the plastic. I set it up and the thing is lopsided, forums online say if you screw the screws tight this happens? 3 thousand dollar TV, you bet i'm screwing tight! Eventually this somehow leveled out but not perfectly leveled I pushed down on the right side to lower it little by little which felt like I was gonna crack something.
The remote I kinda love, love how it feels in the hand, the curves of the bottom the cold metal plating top, BUT when you are navigating in the dark something about the up down side by side and middle button where I trail off and keep hitting the play button under the bottom arrow, buttons are TOO close together, a blind person would be confused navigating this.
OK so the screen, the picture. I was excited to scour through the menu and find those delightful 4K demo movies displayed in the store. Without ANY 4K content it would be fabulous to just play those movies to anticipate whats coming. Test the 4K quality at home; WELL. NOTHING. I couldn't find any of those beautiful field, city, man in the boat, gorgeous imagery that should be included in the TV. Especially in this no 4K content period. Searched the net how to turn on what may be called demo mode but every is asking how to shut it off on their TV's are you kidding me?! Give me that please. Could not find no demo store mode for the life of me...
To add insult to injury, wait for it. OCD, finicky, high maintenance needs aside; The TV keeps AUTOMATICALLY shutting off! The LAST thing you want your TV to do is decide when you are done watching it. Unbelievable! Man i'm talking like every 30 minutes, just 'clicks' off. Rest in peace the days a tube TV would stay on all night with no hiccups. No, the auto timer was not on, nothing was on, google this issue its pretty evident with other users.
This is my fault but at the same time not really, while laying TV on its face to put on stand I apparently did not correctly estimate how thick the end frame was and if anything my finger tips must have lightly pressed into the front screen at the very tippy top, which still had that spongy cover sheet over it and tape, I turn it on and 3 days later STILL are these evident bluish marks in the TV. I couldn't believe it!!! How can a 3G huge TV be T H A T fragile, my laptop is on its last legs and no press marks are seen in the screen when you observe it from the sides. You look at this TV from the side and you can see them on the top, like i pressed it aggressively hard. Its 2015 how is there not a way to fix or prevent this quirk. Shouldn't it be more durable like a laptop screen not like you can bend it. WHY WHY WHY.
This is my third day with the TV and this model is absolutely not for me. :( I'm saving up and getting the SUHD model in actual SILVER hopefully the extra money along with better features but I feel i'm still going to encounter an overly fragile screen, no 4K demos, cheap stand design, crammed remote buttons, and TV that decides when to shut off...
Beware of these quirks you guys...
And go for the free delivery, let the pros set this up, since a feather can damage the screen. UGH.
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD
What Panel Do You Have?
June 9, 2015
Good morning,
I appreciate the lengthy review, some of the more personal experiences aside. I am curious as to which panel you have that has the finger printing issue. Is it one of the TU/TS/TH panels, or one of the lesser substitute panels. You can find out by checking the version number on your TV (upper left-hand corner of the back). With the issues you're having, I'd like to think it's one of the lesser panel. Older Samsungs I've dealt with in the past seem much more durable that what you described.
I appreciate the lengthy review, some of the more personal experiences aside. I am curious as to which panel you have that has the finger printing issue. Is it one of the TU/TS/TH panels, or one of the lesser substitute panels. You can find out by checking the version number on your TV (upper left-hand corner of the back). With the issues you're having, I'd like to think it's one of the lesser panel. Older Samsungs I've dealt with in the past seem much more durable that what you described.
Have you tried to rag rub your panel? Light but steady pressure with a non-linting rag (I prefer microfiber, personally) over the whole screen will often resolve spotting issues. Hope you have better luck moving forward. Also, would you be willing to post an update? It's been about three weeks now, so unless you abandoned ship already, I'm curious to know what condition your condition is in.
+2points
3of 4voted this comment as helpful.
Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA 4K Ultra HD TV: Take your movie nights to the next level with this party-pleasing 4K TV's crisp contrast and vibrant colors. The remote control's touchpad and voice command options let you easily browse the Web and watch your smartphone videos on the expansive screen.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Finally a 4KTV I like!!!
By Rich
So this is my 4th 4ktv. I started with the Sony xbr850b (great picture and color but really bad corner flashlighting). I returned for LG UF8500 (great 3d! but poor contrast and blacks, would do better in a well lit room. This set also had some vertical banding issues as well). Once again, I returned after a week for Samsung JU7500 (Loved this tv, but had bad panel uniformity and didn't care for the curve). Returned for the JU7100, the flat version of the JU7500 and I am finally happy. My panel has great uniformity and no clouding or flashlighting.
Their are some bad reviews about this tv. I say give it a try! The picture on this TV is amazing right out the box. I also am a happy owner of the HU8550. In my opinion, I disagree with the people that say the HU8550 and JU7100 are identical, the JU7100 is a HUGE step up in picture quality. I cannot stress how good this beast looks with a little tinkering!
I am still getting used to Tizen OS, starting to grow on me. Samsung should have kept previous version or included a full remote control.(FYI you need to do firmware update for smart remote and tv separately.
I love the customer service by Best Buy. Each store I had to deal with was very helpful and understanding of situation.
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD
Settings
June 9, 2015
Hey there Rich,
Would you mind posting your calibration settings?
Would you mind posting your calibration settings?
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA 4K Ultra HD TV: Take your movie nights to the next level with this party-pleasing 4K TV's crisp contrast and vibrant colors. The remote control's touchpad and voice command options let you easily browse the Web and watch your smartphone videos on the expansive screen.
Overall
4 out of 5
4 out of 5Great 4k TV but aren't they all
By Menoottawa
I think it's a pretty amazing TV but I can't tell that much of a difference from the other 4ks. In the store you may see a slight difference and the sales team gets into the finer details to help sell but I think I would've been happy with any 4k TV. Overall I'm happy with the purchase but with limited 4k programming options it may have been a purchase that could've waited. $2,799 is a pretty steep price tag to watch non-4k programs. Better off waiting for a sale or 4k price drops..
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD
Price Match Guarantee
June 9, 2015
FYI, BestBuy has a price match guarantee, and includes in-store price changes. The TV is selling for $2499 right now, if you have time, probably ought to go get some of that money back.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
MikeInSoMD's Questions
MikeInSoMD has not submitted any questions.
MikeInSoMD's Answers
Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA 4K Ultra HD TV: Take your movie nights to the next level with this party-pleasing 4K TV's crisp contrast and vibrant colors. The remote control's touchpad and voice command options let you easily browse the Web and watch your smartphone videos on the expansive screen.
does this tv have the connect box ?
Yes
8 years, 10 months ago
by
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD
Samsung UN65JU7100FXZA 4K Ultra HD TV: Take your movie nights to the next level with this party-pleasing 4K TV's crisp contrast and vibrant colors. The remote control's touchpad and voice command options let you easily browse the Web and watch your smartphone videos on the expansive screen.
Refresh Rate
I would like to know what the actual refresh rate of this tv is, not the "Motion Rate". I purchased a Samsung 4k with a motion rate of 240 and the motion blur was terrible. I did some research and found out the actual refresh rate was 60hz. What is the refresh rate of this particular model?
The native refresh rate on this panel is 120Hz. I was watching the Women's World Cup on one last night, and motion blur is minimal. FYI, there are NO 4K panels with 240Hz native refresh. The $40,000 UN85S9 was still 120Hz native.
For extra info, Google "refresh rates rtings", it's a good read.
For extra info, Google "refresh rates rtings", it's a good read.
8 years, 10 months ago
by
MikeInSoMD
Silver Spring, MD