Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been an HDTV owner for six years and during that time, I've assisted about two dozen friends in their HDTV home theater setups. I've just upgraded to the Samsung LN52B750 and I couldn't be happier. For reference, I'm upgrading from a Samsung DLP and I own another Samsung LCD HDTV.
There's a lot that's misunderstood about this TV, so rather than the usual Pros and Cons, I'd like to share how I'm getting viewing value from this set.
First, if you're reading this, you're either already an LCD owner or have read about them - and have read about this new breed and if you're like I was, you're wondering what's what.
Color swirls - you never read about this, but if you've watched TV on an LCD set in the past, especially with standard def (SD) stations, you've seen it. The backgrounds look like compressed colors from jpg photo files. My earlier LCD HDTV (8ms response time) had it - this one simply does not. (I did have trouble watching compression artifacts in a movie from 1930 on TCM on this TV - but that movie was so hosed, I can't blame the TV only.)
Contrast - you've read by now that all LCD set makers lie about this. If you're confused and remember the old audio days, that works like this: You'd have a 35 watt RMS/channel amp (into 8 ohms). Some would lie and call it a 70 watt amp. Then lie some more and call it a 140 watt amp (how about 4 ohm speakers?). Then lie some more and refer to peak instead of RMS - and suddenly a 35 watt amp is legally lied about as a 200 watt amp. Now - I don't know the ins and outs of legal contrast lying, but I believe what I've read - it exists in this industry. This set is rated at a contrast of 150,000:1 - with every stretch of legal lying possible - the contrast on this set is amazing. I still cannot believe that it's an LCD. It's simply that good in terms of contrast. One plasma-owning friend insisted for a half hour that I was wrong, and had gotten a top line plasma.
Blur/response/lag - LCDs are noted for this weakness. Not this TV. Read on.
Quality of SD programs - some controversy exists. Not a problem on this TV. Read on.
240 Hz AMP - this is the most misunderstood feature I've read about on this TV. Nothing I've read in any review prepared me for what to expect. I was buying the TV partially for this feature, noting that depending upon whom you believe, you turn this feature on, off, on for movies but not sports, on for sports but not movies.
It's none of those on/off things. It's adjustable. Here are my simple recommendations based on my setup:
1. DirecTV.
I use a Dayton HDMI cable, also bought on Amazon (amazingly good cable - buy it), from my DirecTV HR20. I have the HR20 set up to display all resolutions in Native mode. The LN52B750 switches resolution so quickly that this is not a problem. Unlike earlier sets I've owned, the HDMI input on this TV accepts 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p - the HR20 outputs all of those on HDMI. In DirecTV circles, it's well-known to set your TV and your HR20 to the TV's native resolution and turn Native output off on the HR20. This is because the HR20 is purportedly better at 3:2 pulldown processing than the top of the line chipsets/firmware used only a few years ago, in that the pulldown is done between the steps of converting the satellite signal to TV frames - and my own experience agreed with that.
However, I offer this simple advice - set your HR20 output to Native, all resolutions, and set the B750's 240Hz processing to: Blur=5, Judder=3 - and you'll be exceptionally happy with the results from all program input. My Boston Legal reruns have never looked so good and they appear on some of the poorest-signal (highly compressed) stations in my lineup. So, with this setting, SD as well as satellite 720p and 1080i programs look great - not fake at all. (And all you have to do to see the controversy on this feature is to "turn it on" without customizing its adjustment - and wait for your eyes and stomach to turn.)
I played baseball as a kid - loved it. Still remember what a ball looks like going through the air. When you're at the right angle, you see a stobe of blur and clear, red stitches. With the Blur=5,Judder=3 adjustment, I have finally seen just that watching a dropping curve ball (720p source). Any higher or lower, the ball looks wrong - oh, yes, very exciting - but wrong.
So I strongly recommend this set for its 240 Hz processing - providing you are willing to change those two parameters slowly and study a lot of source material to dial in what's right. I contend that if you're a DirecTV HR20 owner, I've just given you the key to really great SD and HD viewing.
And don't fear about those great blurs being missed from movies that wanted it there - Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire looked really great in that regard.
BTW - resolution switching on this set is FAST - you'll experience little or NO extra delay when switching resolutions. (Not true on my older HDTVs.)
2. HTPC (Home Theater PC)
I use a Mac mini. I know, people hate them, you pay too much for Macs, yadda, yadda, yadda.The Mac mini is THE correct form-factor for a HTPC. You can find duplicates of this form-factor - and directly comparable features - in the Windows world for **exactly** the same price as a Mac mini - so, 'nuff said on price.
But - so far as a I know, only the built-in Apple DVD Player plays movies at 24 frames/second. Last I checked (and this may have changed by now), all other software (Win) does playback at TV rates: 60 frames/sec, with progressive scanning, etc.
Now - I'm not explaining all of this to brag about Macs - this is all about Blu-Ray vs. DVDs.
The de-judder tech being targeted by the 240 Hz processing is all about reconciling Blu-Ray 24 fps (read: real theater) vs. 30/60 fps (read: TV signals).
I don't own a Blu-Ray player - my gut, after all of these years, is still telling me to wait for the right features and prices.
But, I do use a Mac mini for my HTPC and if you do - or are considering one - here is my recommendation (based on Leopard 10.5.7): set the DVD Player to Best Quality Deinterlacing, set the Mac Display preferences to 1920x1080 at 24 Hz (it's progressive by default), and feed that into your LN52B750 with the 240 Hz options set to Blur=5 or 6, Judder=6 or 7 - and your jaw will drop. If you have a copy of Moulin Rouge - use it as your reference for the settings. I particularly recommend noting that you'll actually see the dust kitties on the floor in the Tango Roxanne chapter (among other things) and also suggest that you'll really love the depth and details of the stars, lace and glitter in Your Song.
With those settings you'll not only get a great HTPC, but you'll get possibly the best standard DVD player you've ever owned. Before the LN52B750, it was very good - now it's really incredible. Ghost Dog and Moulin Rouge on DVD are now completely three dimensional (not exaggerated foreground fakey - actually 3-D looking) - I didn't even know that this sort of picture was possible from a DVD.
I think my setup shows how well this TV works with a 1080p/24 fps source - I can only imagine that Blu-ray looks even better.
(edited 5-26-09)
3. Sound
People complain about the sound quality of the LN52B750. I don't know. I haven't used a TV for sound in 8 years. I don't wish to sound snobbish, but really - you're spending a boatload on your TV and input sources, why listen to TV speakers?
I don't go for surround sound. I'm an audio purest that prefers the highest fidelity stereo. To each his own, but if you're like me, here's the secret on that: route the optical audio out from the LN52B750 into the Mac mini, not from the DirecTV's optical port. This routing is surprisingly better. Use Rogue Amoeba's free LineIn software, set all buffers to default values except for output - use a buffer size of 2048 - convert the optical to copper stereo and pipe that into your stereo system. This is the best TV-to-stereo sound I've gotten in 8 years.
I'm using large electrostatic panels, driven by a 400 watt (peak)/channel amp and a 2 kW servo-controlled subwoofer. You hear sound from all over the room and the depth and spacial qualities are great. I recommend more money into a better stereo and less room wiring over surround sound, but that's just me. To each, his own.
4. Miscellaneous Adjustments
Next, some words on clouding, screen adjustment and glare.
Glare - I don't have any. Yeah - I can see some reflection in the screen at various times of the day. The picture quality is so deep - as is the contrast - that I don't even notice glare, if it is there. And the screen is neither glossy nor matte. It feels glossy, but is low-glare like matte, but sharp and clear like glossy. They're telling the truth on that improvement.
Clouding - let the set burn in for a few days before looking. This is great advice for any large LCD, by the way. Clouding - I don't have any.
Adjustments: Go. Very. Slow. I'd recommend not touching a thing for a full 24 hours of viewing. So far, I've turned down the backlight and the contrast and turned up the brightness. I'm not going to suggest numbers here, though - there are too many factors, such as your room, that will dictate what's right. I will say that out of the box, the contrast is too high, as is the backlight (but not the brightness) - so, as I said: Adjust. Each. Parameter. Slowly. You'll be pleased.
5-26-09: Three things - absolutely *turn off* Dynamic Contrast and Edge Enhancement...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN52B750 52-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever, with Samsung's LN52B750 LCD HDTV. Start with the incredible color and rich clarity of Full HD 1080p resolution, all on a 52-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's newest Auto Motion Plus240Hz technology, for a new level of the most lifelike LCD action on the market. Samsung's Medi@2.0 feature puts customizable 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 attractive Touch of Color design, the subtle charcoal grey accent at the bezel's edge underscores this LCD HDTV's elegance.

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

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(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 LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are seriously consider purchasing this tv, please read this review completely. This is a bit critical in nature, but I hope to provide a balanced review based on my experience with this unit. Depending on what you are looking for, this set may or may not work out well for you.
Just for background context, I mainly watch HD content hooked up via hdmi on my PS3. This includes bluray movies, hd content and some gaming. Regular tv and sd viewing were not as much of a concern to me. I own a 3 year old 26 inch sony lcd, and have also more recently owned a vizio 42 inch xvt, and samsung's latest 40 inch b550, which is the non 120 or 240hz model of their current lineup, and most recently the 50 inch Panasonic G10, which I purchased after returning this B750 that I am reviewing. I may refer to some of these in the review.
As you will read there are a few major issues I found that made me return. If you feel these wont be a problem for you, this model should work great for you. After all if you are going to pay a little under $1,700 for a tv, one should be completely satisfied with it.
Design
This tv looks beautiful, understated, elegant and simple. It has a very slight touch of gray at the bottom that you can barely notice, and it should complement pretty much any decor in your home. The unit is quite thin at around 3 inches, and I was able to lift and set up the tv myself. Cheaply made screws, almost as bad as ikea used to setup the stand were a bit of a pain to put in and remove when I decided to return the unit. After a correct assembly, the tv still sort of wobbles around and generally doesn't feel like it is solid on the stand, though it shouldn't pose any problems. I noticed the same thing on the Samsung B550 by the way. The swivel design works smoothly and easily, and though I didn't use it at all, I could see how it would come in handy.
Picture Quality and Viewing Experience
The picture quality in general on this unit is gorgeous. Nicely saturated colors and comfortably deep blacks for an lcd. I tested several blurays and they all looked excellent. You will definitely need to dial back the setting to get a more realistic picture, as much of the regular setting have over-cranked saturation, brightness and contrast to impress in stores like best buy. Overall, I can say even the most discerning movie goers and enthusiasts will find it hard to really put down the picture quality itself, though there are definitely better sets out there for the money. The picture was definitely an improvement over the cheaper Samsung B550, but wasn't drastically better. i think much of the sense of better picture over the b550 was the glossy screen and better motion processing. It supposedly has a better/newer panel (10-bit vs 8-bit) over the b550 and other cheaper model lcd's. I guess the difference between very good and very very good is a subtle one.
You are given a bevy of picture tweaking options to adjust the picture to your particular room and your eyes. If you are like me, you will fiddle at least a little bit with these, and will switch between settings depending on what you are watching.
The 240hz processing to my eye, and many other reviewers will not provide any visible difference from 120hz. But the manner in which it is implemented is really nice. You can adjust judder and blur separately to get the picture to the way you like it. I felt this worked well, and really helped in the overalls smoothness and motion intense scenes. I had blur at 10 and judder between 3 and 6 depending on what I was watching.
However, this was all marred by a few issues, the worst of which was auto dimming. I had read about this on the led side lit samsungs 6 & 7000 series (which you can also find at your local best buy and amazon as well), but did not know this was included with the b750. Gizmodo did a feature on this for the b7000 with the phrase "avoid!" in the title. Basically, anytime the scene gets dark, the tv will sense that and automatically drop or dim the backlight dramatically to get deeper blacks. The problem is that is happens usually a split second after the scene has already started and it is extremely distracting. It also darkens many bright spots in the picture somewhat, like city lights over a dark sky, or stars in a dark sky. This is very noticeable for example on the Dark Knight bluray. The more I watched, the more annoying it got. The fact that the lcd already does a good job of getting very black without the dimming is what makes it really unnecessary. It also does this while flipping channels on tv, and pretty much anything you watch. There is no way for the consumer to switch this off, as far as I know. I tried everything in the menu, from dynamic contrast to eco mode etc. There might be a more techie way, but I am pretty well versed in tech, and was not able to turn off this distracting feature. It is possible the autodimming wont bother you, but if it sounds like it might, please take note. This was a bit hard to swallow for me, because almost none of the reviews mentioned this on the b750, including cnet. This also may be solved by a future firmware update from samsung, but don't hold your breath for it. (UPDATE: Apparently this can be fixed from the service menu. However the average consumer should understand that this could potentially void your warranty and mess up your tv. If you are confident though, search some forums online and try to fix this yourself.)
The next issue was what appeared to be slight "clouding" or patches of grey-whitish color on the panel. I didn't notice at first, but once a few black screens or dark scenes came on, it was both noticeable and distracting. This could be just my specific unit, or a defect. I had read that the b750 was very good in this respect and had a uniform screen, but the whitish patches became very noticeable, and in dark scenes, it looks like there were subtle hints of cloudy patches on top of the screen. I have read that this is a common issue with many lcd's, so it depends on what you end up with. But you do run the risk of this problem with the b750 or maybe any lcd. Still, my old sony, and the samsung b550 never had this problem, so it was a little disappointing.
Another issue was a thin flickering white/silver line that would flicker on top of the screen right under the bezel during many dark scenes. It was not too noticeable, but enough to become a slight nuisance. This was really obvious on dark knight, and also the Planet Earth bluray during the immersive underwater scenes.
I know the issues of glare on lcd's has been addressed ad nauseam, but I just thought I should chime in. The screen is pitch black and VERY reflective, to the point of acting like a mirror. I have a room that gets ambient, not direct, sunlight and it was quite distracting during the day. It is rather difficult to see, so you need to crank up the brightness, which helps a bit. The display definitely gets as bright as you need. In the evening, with very dim lighting, it is still possible to see yourself reflected in the tv when it goes black in between scenes. The Samsung B550 (a cheaper tv), has a sort of matte-glossy hybrid display that I thought worked much better when compared to this one. But, the glossy display is partly responsible for the richer color and deeper blacks you get on this unit. Always tradeoffs. If you are ok with glossy screens on tv's, you will be ok with this one too. P.S. best buy is not a good place to figure out if you are ok with glossy screens. They don't look the same at home.
Off angle viewing on this unit is just not very good. The moment you move even a little bit away from the sweet spot of the couch right in the center, the blacks start to wash out, and the whole picture starts to look different. Not necessarily terrible, but different. The cheaper B550 had much more consistent viewing angle experience for some reason, I'm not sure why. Basically, if you have 3 or 4 people over for a movie, some will probably be seeing a slightly different picture.
Gaming
Reading several reviews of the b750, some said gaming was too laggy (ie: when you press a button it doesn't register right away) on the it, some said it was fine, so I had to give it a shot. I felt it was far too much lag to play games well. In other words, you will die or miss more often. You wont know why, you just will. The lag is on a millisecond level, but much of the twitch response in gaming is that way. Your eyes wont really notice that it is lagging, but it is definitely there, and significantly I might add. The "Game" mode does a little to remedy this, but it is still not perfect and the picture a bit harsh in game mode, since you can't adjust any picture settings. If you are a very casual gamer and are playing games that don't really require good timing, then the lag wont really bother you. For me, I can't really recommend it for gaming. For reference, I was playing games like Resistance 2, Little big planet, Street Fighter 2 hd remix, guitar hero etc for testing. The lag is much better, almost nonexistent on the Panasonic G10, which is a plasma. For lcd, I believe the Samsung B750 gives average or maybe below average performance. Strangely, the Samsung B550 for comparison was a little better in my experience and so was my old sony lcd.
User Experience, Menus and extra features
Going with the theme of lag, I have to say Samsung's menus are extremely slow to respond and laggy. They look ok I suppose, with a blue graphical touch. All menu navigation has extra animations and movements that make them less responsive (reminds me of a Samsung cell phone I used to own). Compared to other tv's I have used, Samsung menus tend to cover more of the screen, which I feel is also a...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever, with Samsung's LN46B750 LCD HDTV. Start with the incredible color and rich clarity of Full HD 1080p resolution, all on a 46-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's newest Auto Motion Plus240Hz technology, for a new level of the most lifelike LCD action on the market. Samsung's Medi@2.0 feature puts customizable widgets, with content from partners like Flickr and Yahoo!, under your control via yourremote. 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 attractive Touch of Color design, the subtle charcoal grey accent at the bezel's edge underscores this LCD HDTV's elegance.

Click here for more information about Samsung LN46B750 46-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color

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

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(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 LN40C650 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Got this, my first HDTV, for $749 total delivered. Seems like a great deal. Has the AA01 panel:
PROS: Very good HD picture, which becomes stunning with good source material (after calibrating the picture); excellent SD picture (better than the good CRT TV it replaced); tons of controls for picture calibration; streaming Netflix is great, the Pandora app has become my household's new source for music of all types, either through the TV speakers or piped to the stereo; ethernet makes upgrading firmware and internet apps very easy; lots of connectivity; easy to set up; light; swivel stand works well; power efficient; doesn't get hot; no noise or buzz; no dead or stuck pixels; has analog audio out jack (important for old A/V receivers); functions as an outstanding computer monitor (with DVI-to-HDMI cable); glossy screen helps picture and repels dust; can't even notice the red "Touch of Color" design.
CONS: Though black levels are generally very good, when the screen and room are both dark you can see some flashlighting around the corners and some bleedthrough of the backlight; very fast motion on screen will cause brief pixelization and loss of picture clarity (has to be very fast motion -- football and other sports look great); picture quality degrades quickly as you move off-center (though not as much as in some other LCD TVs); requires major picture calibration out of the box (I used settings found in reviews of this TV on the web, tweaked them a bit to preference, and the picture's much better, though it's hard to get it right); most of the current internet apps are useless; the factory preset modes are useless.
Overall it's a very good TV, with a picture that can sometimes be mesmerizing. And I'm glad I paid a bit extra for the C650's internet connectivity and glossy screen. But my main complaints - backlight bleedthrough, motion pixelization and off-center picture quality - lead me to believe that my next TV might be a plasma. Sound is adequate, neither a pro or con really. Four stars.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN40C650 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung's LN40C650 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 40-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money.

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Samsung LN46C750 46-Inch 1080p 3D LCD HDTV (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Samsung C750 is the most reasonable 3DTV on the market in terms of price. Not only is the television fully 3D compliant with the new standards, it also is an excellent 2D LCD television as well.
The 3D aspects of the television are the most interesting and what separates it from most other LCD's (including Samsung's 650 model). Although there is not much in terms of content to try out, I have watched Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D, Played Avatar the videogame on the PS3, watched the Masters in 3D, and tried out the 2D to 3D Conversion on live TV, movies, and games.
Unfortunately with all 3D sources, I have experienced some "ghosting" which is a problem where you see a double image. That said, I did manage to configure my Samsung 3D Bluray Player to the correct TV size (by default it's 55 inches) plus I upgraded the firmware and that seems to have made a large improvement. I suspect the picture size spreads out the effect and will cause even more ghosting than normal. With Avatar the game, I left the 3D effect at 1, set the correct TV size and viewing distance, and chose side by side 3D (you have to set the TV to match this) and the effect was brilliant! I do still see ghosting during cut scenes, but during gameplay it looks fantastic. The Masters, was a bit of a mixed bag. It is also side by side 3D and at times it is brilliant (when the camera pans around the environment your jaw will drop) but the first time you see severe ghosting you are taken out of the moment. However, I think once Cable and Satellite receivers are more 3D ready, you should be able to configure for the screen size, depth, and viewing distance.
2D to 3D is unique and has its moments of brilliance but also has severe drawbacks. Let's put it this way, you won't confuse Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D in it's native 3D format for watching Monsters Vs. Aliens in 2D to 3D conversion. The conversion (you can change the depth) actually can be quite blurry with some material and most material isn't worth watching converted. Some movies like Star Trek are kind of fun but I wouldn't buy the television strictly for this feature.
2D content is fantastic. The color (even the black level since you can configure the backlight without having to hack the firmware), sharpness, and overall features (such as MotionPlus) are astounding for the price range. I actually have turned off MotionPlus simply because it gives non sports programming a "Spanish Soap Opera" effect. I did run into a bit of a strange issue that seems to have gone away by resetting the cable box where the picture bounced up and down using a Time Warner HD Cable box hooked via HDMI (you need HDMI to view the Masters in 3D). I really can't hold that against the TV, it was more the cable box but I've read of similar problems with some Samsung models so there does seem to be some buggy firmware with the box.
Overall if it wasn't for the ghosting issues still being present (it could be the content, but I cannot be sure, I'd like to test more 3D Televisions) and the 2D to 3D conversion being slightly underwhelming I'd give this TV a perfect score. As it is, if you are in the market for an affordable HDTV and want the 3D option, you can't go wrong. You have plenty of inputs (plus two usb slots) and the TV is a beautiful compliment to your entertainment room so I highly recommend this television (it's nearly $1,000 cheaper than the LED model of the same size).Edit as of 5/12/2010:
I've had this TV now for a few weeks and gone through a firmware update, tested some more functions, calibrated it more, and updated the firmware on the Samsung 6900 3D Bluray Player twice.
I want to change my comments on 2D -> 3D conversion. I don't know if it's the firmware upgrade or what, but now I definitely see a difference in most scenes (I have the depth up to 10). Games like Uncharted 2 with a map like "The Village" look fantastic converted. I've also managed to get Avatar (The Game) on the PS3 to look great with side by side 3D with minimal ghosting. Since the firmware update and the 3D Optimize option for the TV, Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D also looks very good.
I did have a stupid moment where I noticed a huge lag playing something like Rock Band and finally realized there is a game mode. Since going to game mode, I have no issues playing videogames and the response time is virtually nothing now.
I absolutely love the TV, it does have some flashlighting (You don't see this unless the screen is ENTIRELY black) but 2D content looks fantastic and 3D is impressing me more and more. For a while it was even cheaper than it is now on Amazon but the price went back up. It's still worth it. I see some people bashing the TV simply because the glasses aren't included or it's not competing with the Panasonic 3D Plasma models but they obviously haven't seen it. Everybody that has reviewed this TV on Amazon owns the TV, some sites people are reviewing 3D Ready TV's without actually owning it. I've seen reviews based on a 5 minute demo and they couldn't even tell you the firmware level. Believe me this TV is awesome and once you experience a true 3D source, you will have little doubt 3D is the next wave in TV (it may be a few years until it reaches mainstream).
I'm also giving it 5 stars since the firmware update since ghosting/crosstalk has gotten a lot better (it's still not quite perfect but very impressive).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung LN46C750 46-Inch 1080p 3D LCD HDTV (Black)

Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung's LN46C750 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 46-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money.

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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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