Samsung UN46B6000 LCD HDTV Review - Remote Control

Remote Control Summary
• Nicely curved back • Large easy to press buttons • "wing" on the bottom is distracting and annoying
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Ergonomics & Durability (5.85)

At first glance the Samsung UN46B6000's remote looks similar to the remotes we've seen from other Samsung HDTVs. There's a glossy finish and a nicely curved back. The buttons provide good key travel, but could provide better tactile feedback. The balance is good, the remote is bottom-weighted so it gets a little more precarious as you move your hand towards the top. We love the backlight on the remote, which has a dedicated button to turn on/off and gives off a comfortable orange glow when turned on.

Unfortunately there's one significant difference in the UN46B6000's remote that we don't like. Unlike the remote for other Samsung HDTVs that had a nice rounded bulge at the bottom that made for a good grip the UN46B6000's remote has a strange plastic "wing" that juts out from the bottom. This makes it awkward to hold when you shift your hand down and is extremely distracting as you just can't figure out how to position your hand to hold it comfortably. Every person we handed the remote to, without fail, complained about this feature. Hopefully Samsung will abandon this design in the future.

Button Layout & Use (6.10)

The Samsung UN46B6000's buttons are laid out slightly differently from other Samsung remotes. The most obvious difference is that the Volume/Channel buttons and the D-Pad have swapped places, so the D-Pad sits above the Channel/Volume controls and just below the number pad. This still places most of the key controls in easy reach of most people's hands when holding the remote at neutral, although those with small hands may have to stretch just a bit. The labeling on the buttons is very good with large text, although some of the abbreviations used can be a bit arcane. We were happy with the wide range of angle that the HDTV responds to.

Programming & Flexibility (1.0)

The Samsung UN46B6000 cannot be used as a universal remote, but it can control other Samsung devices connected via HDMI using their Anynet+ technology. We're not big fans of proprietary systems like this, but will award one point for it.