SP-A600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail Posted on October 17, 2013 By Art Feierman 1. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Review - SP-A600 Projector Highlights - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Overview - Samsung SP-A600 Special Features - Samsung SP-A600 Color Wheel2. Samsung SP-A600 – Physical Tour - Samsung SP-A600 Physical Appearance - SP-A600 Projector - Control Panel - Samsung SP-A600 Inputs and Outputs - Samsung SP-A600 Menus - Samsung SP-A600 Remote Control3. Samsung SP-A600 – Physical Tour - SP-A600 Lens Throw - SP-A600 Lens Shift - SP-A600 Anamorphic Lens4. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality - SP-A600 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Samsung SP-A600 Projector - Flesh Tones5. SP-A600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Level Performance:6. Shadow Detail Performance7. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality28. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality3 - SP-A600 - Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality4 - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports10. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Performance - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Brightness - Samsung SP-A600 Sharpness11. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Performance - Samsung SP-A600: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise12. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Calibration and Settings - Samsung SP-A600 Color Temperature - Samsung SP-A600 Basic Settings - Samsung SP-A600 Post Calibration Grayscale: Movie 1 (User 1) mode13. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Calibration and Settings1 - RGB Settings - Brightest Modes:14. Samsung SP-A600 – Projector Screens - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Screen Recommendations - Samsung SP-A600 - Competitors - SP-A600 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6100 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. Mitsubishi HC5500 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z700 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. InFocus X10, Sharp XV-Z1500015. Samsung SP-A600 – Projector Screens - Samsung SP-A600 vs. BenQ W5000 - Samsung SP-A600 - Warranty - Samsung SP-A600 - Review Summary - Samsung SP-A600 Projector - The Bottom Line16. Samsung SP-A600 – Review Summary1 - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Pros - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Cons - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Typical Capabilities Black Level Performance:Black level performance comes up a bit short. That’s not surprising for a sub-$2000 1080p projector. The Samsung relies on its DLP chip for its black level performance. It does not have a dynamic iris to lower black levels beyond what the DLP chip/projector can inherently do. In this regard, black level performance is typical of entry level DLP projectors, and for that matter, most entry level 3LCD projectors. The two side-by-side photos below, have the Samsung SP-A600 projector on the left, and the more expensive Epson Home Cinema 6500UB (best black levels of any under $3500 street priced projectors) on the right. In the second image you can easily see the darker starfield on the Epson, and if you look in the letterbox areas at top and bottom, you can also see the black level difference there. It is rather significant. While I may refer to the black level performance of the SP-A600 as entry level, it is comparable to most, far more expensive projectors of just a few years ago. Even with that in mind, for those of us who really appreciate the deep blacks of the more expensive “ultra-high contrast” 1080p projectors, its a significant, and important difference. SP-A600Sharp XV-Z15000Mitsubishi HC5500Optoma HD8200Epson 6500UBMitsubishi HC5500Panasonic PT-AE3000Epson Home Cinema 6500UBPreviousNext The image immediately below is from The Dark Knight. I’ve intentionally overexposed it to make a point. This is the type of scene where the difference in black level performance makes a huge difference. Because the outside areas of the scene, and for that matter the men’s jackets are pretty black, with little detail at all, projectors with just “good” black levels look very flat – I’ve achieved that effect here. The SP-A600 comes up short in this image (say compared to the recently reviewed Sharp XV-Z15000. Even the Sharp, with its deeper blacks can’t match the even more expensive JVC RS10 and especially the not the RS20 with its stunningly black blacks. The Epson Home Cinema 6500UB, is definitely a dramatic step up in black levels and Because the bright area of the image is of moderate brightness, projectors like the Sharp or the Epson, can’t even get to their blackest blacks, whereas the JVCs, which do incredible blacks without an iris, would look drastically better. 1. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Review - SP-A600 Projector Highlights - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Overview - Samsung SP-A600 Special Features - Samsung SP-A600 Color Wheel2. Samsung SP-A600 – Physical Tour - Samsung SP-A600 Physical Appearance - SP-A600 Projector - Control Panel - Samsung SP-A600 Inputs and Outputs - Samsung SP-A600 Menus - Samsung SP-A600 Remote Control3. Samsung SP-A600 – Physical Tour - SP-A600 Lens Throw - SP-A600 Lens Shift - SP-A600 Anamorphic Lens4. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality - SP-A600 Out of the Box Picture Quality - Samsung SP-A600 Projector - Flesh Tones5. SP-A600 Black Levels & Shadow Detail - Black Level Performance:6. Shadow Detail Performance7. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality28. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality3 - SP-A600 - Overall Color & Picture Quality9. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality4 - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Performance, HDTV and Sports10. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Performance - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Brightness - Samsung SP-A600 Sharpness11. Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Performance - Samsung SP-A600: Bottom Line Sharpness - Light Leakage - Image Noise - Audible Noise12. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Calibration and Settings - Samsung SP-A600 Color Temperature - Samsung SP-A600 Basic Settings - Samsung SP-A600 Post Calibration Grayscale: Movie 1 (User 1) mode13. Samsung SP-A600 Projector Calibration and Settings1 - RGB Settings - Brightest Modes:14. Samsung SP-A600 – Projector Screens - Samsung SP-A600 Projector Screen Recommendations - Samsung SP-A600 - Competitors - SP-A600 vs. Epson Home Cinema 6100 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. Mitsubishi HC5500 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. Sanyo PLV-Z700 - Samsung SP-A600 vs. InFocus X10, Sharp XV-Z1500015. Samsung SP-A600 – Projector Screens - Samsung SP-A600 vs. BenQ W5000 - Samsung SP-A600 - Warranty - Samsung SP-A600 - Review Summary - Samsung SP-A600 Projector - The Bottom Line16. Samsung SP-A600 – Review Summary1 - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Pros, Cons, and Typical Capabilities - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Pros - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Cons - Samsung SP-A600 Projector: Typical Capabilities Samsung SP-A600 Projector – Image Quality Shadow Detail Performance