Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have only had this TV for a few days, so this is not a complete review, but I wanted to warn others about some issues that they may find important.
Picture quality is great - I have not run a calibration or tested various known sources for difficult to reproduce scenes or motion. The blacks are so good that the image color looks over saturated at the factory default setting when placed next to a panel with lower contrast ratio. (It should be kept in mind that the eye has a logarithmic response to light, and a 50,000:1 contrast ratio may not be that much more than a 30,000:1 ratio.) In the store I was comparing this panel to a 46a550 and 46a530 all at their factory default settings. The 550's image was more natural looking at the factory default setting.
Watching SD analog content on digital TVs can be annoying with various artifacts visible in the conversion of the analog signal to the native digital of the TV. This TV does a very respectable job of this - with the SD images mostly just looking fuzzy and soft compared to digital content - pretty much what one might expect.
The TOC feature seems like a waste of time and may introduce some issues with light bleeding in from the environment. Not a problem for me in my home environment.
So, if I was happy with the image on the 550 why did I get a 750? Two reasons - Motion blur: the 650 and 750 panels have higher response times and higher refresh rates thus reducing LCD motion blur artifacts, and reason two: DLNA... DNLA is a very nice feature - super nice - I hope it takes off.
DLNA takes advantage of networking and media stored on a PC to provide viewable content through the TV. What's really going on here is that the TV designers are taking advantage of the computer they have inside the TV to enable them to do more digital media things with the TV. The TV has an Ethernet network interface - wireless or wired. We're computer geeks, we have a fairly robust network and my family has a strong interest in Internet downloads of various media content - in particular video. I have various foreign video content that I cannot get on a DVD. Netflix and others (Amazon, Apple, etc) have downloadable video content, although the DRM on much of this content is a problem. The rub is you have to watch this downloaded content on a PC, or a PC hooked directly up to a TV display or some other media PC kludge. DLNA helps get around some of these issues. The DLNA capability of this model is remarkable, not perfect, but still great. You have to install a piece of software on the computer that provides a way for the PC to share content on the PC through the network interface for the TV to "see". On the TV, you use the W.link feature to access the shared content on the PC. Music, Images and Videos stored on the PC are all accessible through the TV. Remarkably easy to access and view on the TV. Fantastic. There are a few glitches - The software on the PC was not able to handle all the media I threw at it in the first go around - I backed off (why would I play music through a TV?) and the software was able to complete it's build of it's database of content on the PC. I hope this problem will get cured in future versions of the DLNA server software that runs on the PC. Another small glitch was that when I decided to end my watching of these shows stored on the PC and I exited the w.link feature it appeared to crash the TV's OS. I had older firmware (1004), so I updated to 1007 and I hope this might cure the problem, although I have no evidence of this yet.
So DLNA looks very promising but it is not perfect. I have not tried viewing content that is locked with DRM of some kind, but I strongly suspect this is not going to work. Further proof that DRM is seriously flawed. Legitimate users (paying customers) should not be restricted in their reasonable use of the content.
The remote seems sufficiently user friendly - some lettering is large enough for older eyes to read easily and the back lighting feature works the way it should making it easier to _read_ the keys in the dark.
The manual's content seems complete and readable but the manual has a major and very annoying flaw. The manual is large with many many pages so being able to refer to page numbers is crucial. It does have page numbers but I defy you to read them in anything other than bright sunlight! They are black numbers printed on a gray field. Strangest printing setup I've ever seen. In the grand scheme of things this is only a minor detail but it is strange - the company knows about the importance of contrast. If I can download the manual as a searchable and linked pdf I won't care.
I have not yet discovered a way to edit the channel description in the channel list. A few digital channels have the information on what their station ID is, but many do not. I have not found a way to add or edit a description that tells me that, for instance, cable channel 117-25 is actually broadcast 33-1 or WBFS or some other more identifiable name.
I also am not yet aware if one can apply individual optimizations to each input. If one can this would be ideal.
Another minor point - I'm not too sure how "green" this TV is in it's energy use. I was quite surprised to discover it was noticeably warm when standing next to it while on.
Finally, my two major disappointments with this TV are:
1) PIP feature - which is quite limited, more like a cheesy cheap faux PIP. First, access to the PIP feature is not at all easy - one has to navigate various menus and sub menus to get at it. But the real problem is that the TV does not have a second tuner of any sort - you cannot watch two channels and swap between them without a second tuner connected through one of the external sources. In fact the PIP limits you to only being able to watch the built in Tuner content in the sub window of the main display which must be using an external source of a specific variety. Strange.... for a high end flagship product to have this kind of limited functionality... A little disturbing and makes you wonder what other cost cutting decisions one might discover with this product in the future.
2) The fixed base - the base does not swivel despite what the specifications at various sites say. I'll have to get a turntable.
Overall - where it matters most - the picture is spectacular. LCDs have come a long way. The picture makes me smile - it's just fun to watch.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Revolutionary design. Ready to make a statement in your home. The SAMSUNG LN46A750 HDTV offers a truly unique entertainment experience with new Touch of ColorTM. And InfoLinkTM RSS lets you stay connected. Instantly access news, weather, sports and stock information at the push of a button. Seeing is believing with Auto Motion Plus 120HzTM. It creates a crystal-clear picture and wonderfully realistic action scenes. Upgrade your home entertainment with the latest in HD technology

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Samsung LN52B550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I researched the purchase of this TV for over six months- far more than I ever researched even a vehicle purchase. I've had it for approx 2 weeks now and am very impressed. I was originally planning to purchase the 44in model but eventually changed my mind and purchased the 52 in model.
The only feature I was worried about not having was the 120 hz. I went to an electronics store and viewed both 60 and 120 hz side by side and could not tell the difference- the 60 hz is plenty fast for me.
Many people complained about the sound quality of last year's model. Unfortunately I have no pertinent information to add here as I am utilizing a surround sound system.
You will not regret purchasing this TV

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With the Samsung 52-inch LN52B550 HDTV, you're investing in a high-quality LCD TV that offers top-of-the-line picture quality with 1080p high definition resolution. Enjoy the sharpest details and vivid color with 70,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for more realistic images and a 6ms (millisecond) response time--virtually eliminating any blurring and providing smooth motion while watching fast-paced sports and action movies. Superb connectivity and networking with a USB port and four HDMI 1.3 ports with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) means this HDTV plays well with all of your other electronics.

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Samsung LN40B630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Being the first to review the 2009 Samsung LN40B630 on Amazon was purely an accident in that I actually bought the new Sony KDL-40V5100 on April 2nd. At that time, the Samsung B650 had just come out, but its high gloss panel would not have performed well in my brightly lit room. My high definition projection TV had kicked the bucket after 8-years, but I rarely enjoyed watching HD because the daylight glare would wash out the picture. The Sony's non-glare screen performed well except when the picture would black out during dark movie scenes. I discovered that many of the V5100 series have had this glitch and Sony had no fix for it at that time. To Best Buy's credit, they cheerfully exchanged the Sony under their 30-day return policy and delivered the Samsung B630 model which has a non-glare screen and is similar to the popular B650.
My expectations of the new Samsung were that it would perform much like the Sony. I could not have been more wrong. The B630 was like viewing another huge leap in a television experience, while the Sony seemed to be of past technology. The depth and breadth of Samsung's visual color tones are astounding and mesmerizing. A perfect example of that came from viewing scenes of the Caribbean Sea. The Sony could not match the Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer 3 processor with its three dimensional qualities and vibrant tones of turquoise, sea green, cobalt blue, coral pink and white sand clearly seen under the sea. It literally was like being there.
The Samsung's dynamic contrast of 80,000-1 was visibly superior to the Sony's 50,000-1 and convinced me that Samsung's contrast rating was more than a marketing numbers game. The viewing angle of the Sony was horrific when moving away from center by seeing flesh tones morph into green. Samsung's viewing angle was far better by maintaining the proper color tones, but it did lose contrast and brightness. Of course, a slight turn of its swivel base helped to alleviate Samsung's viewing angle issue.
The downside to Samsung's advanced technology was that every movie appeared as video and lost its magical cinema quality. Sony was superior in dealing with this issue. To address that problem, the backlight and contrast settings have to be toned down to soften the picture and to preserve a film's attributes. Most importantly, an adjustment to the 120 Hz Motion Plus feature must be done in order to keep movies from appearing surreal. While some recommend turning the 120 Hz off, I found video blurring far too annoying and placed the Auto Motion Plus to a custom setting of 6 for blur and judder reduction. That seemed like a good compromise without losing much of the film's realistic movement. Experiment with every adjustment to find your best settings and calibration instructions are easily found on [...]. It all came together beautifully for me and hopefully this information can be helpful to you.
One bad design feature was the power and channel functions on the TV itself. You cannot see where they are unless you have light shining directly on them. As long as you use only the remote control, it may be a non-issue. By-the-way, in case you were wondering how effective the non-glare screen was on the Samsung B630; it was perfect. I experienced crystal clear high definition TV -- Day or Night.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN40B630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

With Samsung's LN40B630, you're connected to great HD entertainment and up-to-the-minute online info.Enjoy a Full HD feast for the eyes, courtesy of the 1080p resolution and 40-inch LCD screen.Check sports scores, stock quotes, weather and other update able RSS content at just the touch of a button on your remote, with the InfoLink(tm) feature.Samsung's Auto Motion Plus(tm)120Hz technology keeps even the fastest on-screen motion smooth and natural. Enjoy bold black tones with an impressive 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.Four HDMI inputs give you fast and easy connection options for your Blu-ray Disc(r)player and gaming system.And the stylish yet subtle Touch of Color(tm) design adds a red accent to the bezel's borderperfect in any modern home. *Widescreen aspect ratio *80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio *Built-in digital tuner *Fast 4ms response time *Picture-in-Picture *Game Mode *Single User Interface *Crystal Swivel Stand *Watts per channel: 10W x 2 *SRS TruSurround HD *4 HDMIAnynet + (HDMI-CEC) (3 rear/1 side) *USB 2.0 Movie (2 side) *2 Component video inputs (rear) *2 Composite inputs (1 rear/1 side) *PC input (rear) *Ethernet *Net Dimensions (w/o stand): 39.2"x 25.6" x 3.1" *Net Weights (w/o stand): 32.0 lb *Net Dimensions (w/ stand): 39.2" x 27.8" x 10.3" *Net Weights (w/ stand): 40.8 lb*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice. Non-metric weights and measurements are approximate.

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Samsung LN40B750 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I received my LN40B750 this past Friday and have now had all weekend to kick the tires and be amazed at its capabilities. I had already submitted a review, but not sure where it went.
As I had stated in my now missing review, I am very impressed with this set's image quality and ease of use. Setup was pretty easy and only required me to fasten 4 screws to mount and lock the base to the bottom of the set. Connected the optical out to my receiver (Yamama RX-V750) and ran my DVD player's component cables right into the set. Now, I can finally enjoy progressive scan mode. What a HUGE difference that made! One thing I have to address is a negative comment made by another person who was complaining of stereo output from the optical out jack, instead of 5.1 surround sound. This is 100% contingent on what the broadcaster is pushing out, NOT the TV. Yes Jimmy, the evening news ONLY needs to be in plain vanilla stereo, not 5.1 surround sound. I can confirm that it does push out L/R stereo on the evening news and certain other broadcasts. Some broadcasts caused only my center channel to push out audio while others gave me L/C/R output so don't blame Samsung at all if you're getting stereo or 3-channel output. Watching ZOOM last night made all 5.1 channels on my receiver light up like a Christmas tree. I am so thrilled to watch some of my favorite shows in 5.1 now.
So, one of the main reasons I bought this was because of the 240Hz processing and 2ms response time, and, on my wife's recommendation, the panel design. 240Hz processing it is both neat and surreal. Other reviewers have stated that it give the picture a sort of Soap Opera-like effect but I would have to say no to this assessment. When I think of Soap Opera, I think of very apparent action happening on a stage/set with poor or harsh lighting and shadows: sort of campy. I can see where people liken it to that but it's not quite accurate. When enabled and set to its "Standard" mode, 240Hz processing makes certain fast-moving scenes seem very fluid, almost as if it were a live feed/broadcast not too dissimilar to reality TV. It gives motion a more smooth appearance as it is being displayed on screen. When I turned this Friday's episode of Numb3rs on, there was a bus chase scene that looked like it was coming from a live TV broadcast. Turning off 240Hz processing made it seem like "produced" TV does. I am now convinced and a convert to what 240Hz processing can do for TV. I decided to try it out on a DVD: Princess Mononoke. Wow! Some scenes looked like real-time 3D without 3D glasses. I am impressed. It takes a bit of getting used to but even my wife commented on how 3D some scenes appeared and how almost TOO real it makes the image look. She admits she is now addicted to this set. Also, I happened to turn the channel to see an old episode of 1960s Batman and it looked like a live broadcast! Neat but a bit weird. Overall, I think 240Hz processing is just an augmentation to what is already there.
I also have to discuss blockiness with certain scenes and fast moving action: I have thus far encountered NONE. When I have watched football or some other fast-moving stuff on other people LCD panels, all I saw was blocks and digital artifacting and that always turned me off to LCD. I get none of that with this set so far. I put on a baseball game, Olympic re-run highlights, smooth as silk. Not sure if it's because I am running RG6 cabling throughout my house but I am here to attest that the blockiness I hate on LCDs is not present on this set. A+ for that Samsung.
I was also worried about screen glare and reflection with this set as it DOES come with Ultra Clear Panel. I have a large window that faces opposite the set and when off, I can see a reflection. BUT! When the set it on, it's all business and NO glare. Try as I might, I see no glare or reflection. That is impressive. Kudos to Samsung (and the 150000:1 contrast probably helps too!).
The Touch of Grey is cool, no more illuminated border. I was also happy to play around with the widgets and other little built-in goodies. The built-in Ethernet jacks lets you plug it into a router or whatever to perform firmware updates and download new stuff to the widgets section. My wife LOVES the Art widget that displays Monet images to serene piano music. Some think this is gimmicky stuff, I think it's a GREAT example of convergence. A+ to Samsung for this stuff. I was also pleased to receive the full LN40B750 manual with my set. I wonder if people were upset by Samsung going green and putting the manual on a USB stick and built-in to the TV? I think it's smart as opposed to trying to dig up where the manual went.
My only gripe with the set is not being able to cycle through the inputs (Video 1, Video 2, Component 1, HDMI 1, etc.) by just depressing the button. While the TV's GUI menu system is nice, I hate using a GUI to navigate to the input I want to use. I'm old-school and like to cycle through the inputs. It would be nice if changing input methods (GUI versus multiple button depressions) was an option in the settings somewhere. The remote is pretty standard and sleek and doesn't have the dial that I have heard so many complain about. It may be that Samsung went back a bit and just kept things simple with a standard button layout you'd find on most any TV remote. On a scale of 1-10, this set is a solid 9.5 for me. You would be happy with its many options. 240Hz may not be for everyone but it is cool in my book. If you are considering the LN40B650, you will be happy spending the extra $ on this set for the 2ms response time and 240Hz processing.
Just a couple things I forgot to mention in the original review. Although Samsung's web page says there are no USB ports, mine has two on the right side labeled USB 1 (HDD) and USB 2. It IS an Ultra Clear Panel but Samsung's page says it is not. It was printed right on the box. Although the Samsung firmware upgrade guide says to download and extract firmware to a USB drive and plug it into the back of the TV, there is no USB on the back of the TV, only the right side. Someone asked if the remote is backlit and yes, it is. There's a button on the top of the remote that illuminates the buttons in the dark.
UPDATE: 8/3/2009
After downloading and installing the 1008 firmware update (my model shipped with the 1006 version), I feel the TV is a bit more responsive for channel switching. The widgets and goodies load up a bit faster too. I cannot find any concrete info on what the new firmware contains. Updating to the new firmware does allow you to revert back to the old firmware in the TV setup. That's VERY important in case of a firmware bug. Way to go Samsung! I will update this review if any future firmware updates improve this already great TV.
UPDATE: 9/8/2009
TV is still working great. I have to add that I do not experience the so called "blue-ish blacks" that some others have reported. I have properly calibrated my contrast and brightness levels so I get deep blacks on many of the shows I watch. Also, I have to add that when I did a channel scan, the NTSC tuner was still grabbing things out there. It picked up a couple of music channels broadcasting over NTSC so that was kind of a surprise. I guess the NTSC and ATSC tuners work in tandem.
UPDATE: 9/18/2009
Today I updated the firmware to revision 1011 and a few new features were added. The "HD Conection Guide" is new which shows you the inputs and connections. And there is a menu item called "Contact Samsung" which has web site info and phone numbers along with model code and software version. Sadly, this firmware erases all your settings so make sure and write them down before you update!
UPDATE: 9/22/2009
On 9/18 I updated to 1011 firmware via the Internet. I just went to the Samsung web site and saw that 1012.3 is available. Going to update and see what new stuff got added or fixed.
UPDATE: 9/25/2009
I have to say that when I updated to the 1011 firmware, I felt that the image quality somehow suffered or was reduced because I noticed a lot of jaggies and such when material was 480i, 720p, and sometimes 1080i material, whereas it used to be smooth or fairly sharp in general. After the update to 1012.3 firmware, I feel like the picture has returned to being very sharp all around no matter what the source material. Seems channel switching is also a tad bit faster with the 1012.3 update. It also didn't reset my settings to factory default which is nice. I've written my settings down just in case. Glad Samsung continues to fine tune the performance of this TV. Keep it coming.
UPDATE: 10/14/2009: I successfully played an XVid movie using Media Play and it functions *almost* like a TiVo---not that I own one but have seen them. Very cool! I didn't realize it but there are firmware release notes! Never noticed they were there before but if you visit Samsung's site and find your model TV, click Support & Downloads, click Firmware, and then click the "Upgrade File" link under the description, it tells you what's been fixed.
For 1012.3:
a. This Firmware will support some strange resolution or Codec.
. Resolution : DTV 320 x 240
. Codec : MPEG2 - TS (on Media Play)
b. Samsung launches new widgets for Internet@TV
. Blockbuster on Demand, Rally Cast, Ebay, and many more. To get more information, visit ''News & Alerts'' on [...]
c. Add some menu on Media Play
. ''Repeat'' Menu (on Media Play)
d. This Firmware will correct the following phenomenons some units may experience.
. When viewing 1080i formatted signals through the Component Input, the picture is intermittently jumping up and down.
. Intermittent No Sound on 1080p when connecting with some Unit through...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN40B750 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever, with Samsung's LN40B750 LCD HDTV. Start with the incredible color and rich clarity of Full HD 1080p resolution, all on a 40-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's newest Auto Motion Plus240Hz technology, for a new level of the most lifelike LCD action the market. Samsung's Medi@2.0 feature putscustomizable widgets, with content from partners like Flickr and Yahoo!,under your control, via your remote. A pre-loaded Content Library offers hours of built-in digital entertainment and information, from games to yoga routines.Four HDMI inputs make DVD, cable or satellite HD box, or Blu-ray Disc connectivity a snap. And with the attractiveTouch of Color design, the subtle charcoal grey accent at the bezel's edge underscores this LCD HDTV's elegance.

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