Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

• Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into Focus during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
• TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
• The SRS WOW feature widens the soundstage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.

With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get. Minimum size = Viewing distance/3 Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5

TV changed my life
I bought this after way too much research. I decided to splurge on the 650 over the 550 after going to Best Buy and seeing them side by side. I am happy I spent the extra money. The picture on this TV is so good, it ruins movies by making them too realistic. I have never seen anything like it.

I wonder about the tvs that Samsung offers that are a step up from this. I cannot imagine anything better unless it was 3D or came with pole dancing strippers. The remote and menus are great.

My only complaint about the unit is that the screws were way too hard to get out from the base in order to mount it on the wall. Took about 30 minutes to unscrew 4 screws because they wouldnt fall out. I finally had to shake the tv to get them out. Very frustrating first experience.

Also, white glove service is a joke. They basically take the box away and thats it. Dont expect them to mount it or show you anything.

I bought the $3 HDMI. I wasnt sure if this was the right move but like i said, i cant imagine a better picture so i doubt i will spring for the monster one. Get it and dont look back!

Superb HDTV for smaller space
I've had this TV for about a week. Amazon free shipping delivered in under a week to my CA address. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. SD TV looks only okay, but that's to be expected. (Curiously, I get a better SD picture using the COAX cable, than through the HDMI). The HD picture is superb. (Through cheapo HDMI cables found on Amazon - forget the $50 ones they push in stores) Razor sharp definition. I'm glad I spent the extra bucks to get the 50,000:1 contrast model over the cheaper 30,000:1. Blacks appear deep and dark - a significant improvement over my old 42" 720 LG model. I find myself sticking to the HD channels, which isn't hard, considering the major networks (and my favorite shows) all have their HD versions.

I can't comment on the Blueray picture, but having watched it on the larger Series 6 model in-store, I know it's amazing. Until I can splurge on a machine, regular DVDs on a regular (ie: non-upconverting) DVD player look good. Not HD quality, but definitely not unwatchable - which I feared they might be. My Xbox 360 looks stupidly good. Plugged in Forza racing game and the picture blew me away. Animation is perfect - no artifacts or blurring.

I'm on the fence with the 120Hz feature. Watched HD tennis and the ball looks like Haley's comet with or without 120Hz. Maybe there's a subtle improvement, but IMHO don't base your decision on this alone. The bezel concerned me, especially since I have windows along one side of my living room 5' from the TV. I needn't have worried - the "touch of red" is subtle. Not the neon red one posted pic seemed to portray. It only really appears towards the outside edges of the bezel and is a kind of dark cherry red. It compliments my natural wooden TV console. The absolute edge is clear, which gives the TV a very classy, distinct look, which sets it apart from all the other TVs out there. But if you just HAVE to have everything black, maybe go for a different model.

Sound is good enough for a small space. Even my games have plenty of clear volume. Until I invest in surround sound, it's more than adequate. Not tinny or harsh.

FYI: the pedestal is 24"x12 1/2". (I couldn't find this info and was concerned the thing would be too big for my small console). I thought the oval shape would look odd, being used to rectangular bases, but it is very sleek and IMO draws less attention to itself being that shape. Good if you can't/won't mount the set.

PROS:
Superb HD picture.
Sleek, attractive design.
Deep blacks.
Good sound.
Good preset picture modes (Sports, Game, Cinema, Standard)
Picture size - yes, you can stretch-to-fit (good for broadcasts or older movies which don't monopolize all that beautiful LCD landscape)

CONS:
Takes about 15sec to start up. (even my 17yr old Volvo starts faster than that!)
Changing video source (eg: from DVD to TV) takes 5-7 seconds (not the end of the world, but could be faster, surely)
Picture-in-Picture only works with analog TV signal (if you have cable or satellite, which you will have for an LCD - duh - it's useless. Plus, PIP will be redundant in 2009 when all broadcasts go digital)
Remote - yes, it's not great. But you don't have to use the track wheel at all. Problem solved.

SUMMARY: The cons are so minor, they can't lower my experience of this TV. I don't need the TV to turn on within a second. My life's not THAT busy. Same for switching video source. Changing channels, by the way, is as fast as my old tube TV, and faster than my old LG LCD. If you've spent hours toying over this decision, just buy it. I love this thing. I've spent hours and hours in front of it and I've only had it a week. My only regret - I wish they'd dropped the price on the 46" model 2 weeks ago. For an extra couple hundred $$, I would've bought that one instead!

Excellent TV Without HD
I have had this LCD TV now for about 1 month. One of the first things I thought I was going to do was to get upgraded to HDTV from the Dish Network. The shipping was great everything in order. Shipped via CEVA. The Samsung replaced a Sony 35' TV which went bad after about 7 years. The picture quality even without HDTV was jaw dropping out the box. Truly I consider this a great pick form a long list of manufactures. I am totally happy with this LCD. I have put this TV in my living room where during the day has a lot of light but I am satisfied with the picture even though there is some slight glare. I will upgrade to HDTV later but just using the cable input and not HDMI or RGB , WOW. Good product Samsung.

Wow
This TV is amazing, the price at Amazon.com even more amazing! I love the features of this TV, still haven't even gotten to see 1080p/120Hz yet, but I saw it in Best Buy and it looks 5x more amazing than 1080i/60Hz. I would recommend this TV to anyone, Perfect size for a medium/small living room or bedroom, I personally would go bigger if I had a larger living room. This one is in my bedroom on a three tiered glass stand, and it looks amazing!

Accessories:

PDR Mounts Heavy Duty Tilting Mount for 37' to 60' Flat Panels

PDR Mounts Heavy Duty Fixed Mount for 37' to 60' Flat Panels

PDR Mounts 4360A Heavy Duty Articulating Mount for 43' to 60' Flat Panel Displays

ESPN 'The Ultimate Remote' Universal Remote

Premium HDMI v1.3 Cable (2M/6ft.)

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