Review after two weeks of having the unit. Here goes my first try on reviewing a set.
40" LED edge lit 1080p FullHD LCD tv.
Performance of the tv :
Cable : - I found the cable auto-tuning quite a challenge. Took me an hour or two of manual programming for all the proper channels to be in their place. The quality on the tv is nothing spectacular but mind you, I don't have the Skycable digibox so the reception is not that good but decent. Some channels have really good reception and some just so-so. Audio quality from the tv speakers are ok, with enough volume to fill the bedroom.
PS3: - No input lag. Played COD: Black Ops to test for any iput lag or blurring when playing FPS games. Performance is superb and colors are vibrant. After playing for more than three hours, there's no eyestrain provided the blacklight level is adjusted from the Torch setting of 20 to a manageable level of 10-12.
Blu-ray: - I used my ps3 as a blu-ray player and connected it by an hdmi cable. Played flight of the phoenix, dr. no, for your eyes only and top gun. No complaints really. Very satisfied with the picture quality and the audio quality is okay if the tv speakers are used with decent volume though i prefer to use the HT speakers I have to have the oomph and clarity that i'm used to.
HTPC: - No problem setting it up. Just connect the HDMI to the laptop or pc. Just adjust the overscan or underscan for the perfect fit. Text and graphics are sharp and clear. Color is superb and vibrant.
USB: - pretty much plays most common files. If file won't play, then use the allshare feature or use the hdmi to connect your laptop or pc.
Other Features: - AllShare. You need to download the program from the official Samsung website. Either you connect the tv to the pc either by wired lan cable to your router or buy the wireless lan usb adapter. You can actually use the PS3 media server instead of the AllShare program. I use the PS3 media server to decode the movies and stream it to the tv (even if the ps3 is not on, the tv will detect the ps3 media server).
Pros:-
- 100Hz refresh rate. No input lag observed in FPS.
- Ultra Clear Panel. Very wide viewing angle
- Full HD 1080p
- LED edge lit
- Lots of connectivity options. 4 HDMI, 2 usbs, headphone jack, etc.
- Aesthetics. very good / sleek looking unit.
Cons:-
- Channel programming can be quite a task.
- Reflective panel (only if your room is overly bright or near a window).
- CE Dimming. The auto dimming can disrupt movie viewing at times especially if the scene comes from bright then to black then to bright. But you get used to it and i don't mind the auto dimming feature
already. As far as I know the feature can't be turned off from the menu that is accessible to us.
Notes: - Don't have a DVD player so i can't really say performance of the tv unless streaming a DVD file / quality movie to the tv counts. In which i tried it and the quality is okay but as they say once you go HD you never go back.
Also, took photos with my 4 year old sony point and shoot camera. quality of the picture is not that great please bear with me.
LCD panels will ALWAYS have backlight bleeding. It is a QUESTION whether the bleeding is noticeable / disturbing enough that your viewing pleasure is interrupted. Blacks will never be that black unless large OLED screens become widely available and affordable. What you want is uniformity - no clouding or flashlighting on your panel that distracts you from watching something. Properly calibrate your screens to get the optimal picture quality of your set.
