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.

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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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Philips 32PF5320 32-Inch Widescreen LCD HD-Ready TV Review

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(More customer reviews)First, the Amazon description is wrong - this model does not have a Cable Card slot. Bought mine at Sam's Club. Out of the box, and set up in about 15 minutes - stand screws to the TV with 4 screws, very stable, clean look. Plugged in DVD via component video - MI2 looks great, great picture. Problem is when playing movie with sudden light bursts (lasers in Star Wars IV, T2). Screen goes black and does not recover for 1-3 seconds. Called Philips, they had me try hooking it through composite video, and it works fine. So their question was "is it the DVD player output or the TV input?" Well, since the DVD player worked fine through a CRT TV with component video before this, and I am using the same cables... I suspect it is probably the TV. I tried going through the CVI 2 also, using their supplied cable through the PC/CVI 2 connector, but the same problem. Since the input works fine for the rest of the movie, I am beginning to suspect that it is not a connector issue, but a processor issue in the TV. I even tried the Star Wars movie on a cheap portable DVD player, and it played fine, so it is not the disc. Philips told me they have no service center near Denver, so they could not send anyone to check it out in house, told me to try another DVD player or return it.
Other thing I noticed is that when receiving regular OTA channels (no HDTV tuner in TV), it takes a few seconds after changing channels for the TV to adjust colors, usually to darken them. I could live with that, since I suspect that hooking up HDTV tuner through the HDMI would cure that issue.
Color is rich, sound is very good from the side speakers. Nice looking unit. I like that the connectors are underneath, so cables don't stick out from behind the TV, but come up from below and are protected. Remote is small, easy to use and well laid out.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Philips 32PF5320 32-Inch Widescreen LCD HD-Ready TV

Save space and enjoy a wonderfully vivid picture with the stylish, 32-inch Philips 32PF5320 widescreen LCD TV, a great choice for small- to medium-sized living rooms. It has a built-in 181-channel NTSC tuner for standard television broadcasts and is capable of displaying crisp high definition video with an optional HD receiver. This set can also double as a PC monitor, and with its Picture-in-Graphics small window in the main picture, you can simultaneously view your PC's desktop as you watch television programming. This set includes a tabletop stand, but it's also wall-mountable with optional kit (VESA compatible--200mm x 100mm).
The 32PF5320 has a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, 176-degree viewing angle, very fast 18 ms (millisecond) response time (great for sports), a 500 cd/m2 (candela per square meter) brightness rating, and an 600:1 contrast ratio. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) Other features include Philips Digital Crystal Clear video processing chip (for optimal color, contrast, and sharpness levels), an anti-reflection coated screen, auto volume leveler, adjustable color temperature and sharpness, sleep timer, and V-Chip parental controls.
The 3D comb filter separates brightness and color signals better in 3D domain to eliminate cross-color, cross-luminance and dot-crawl distortion. It performs field-by-field comparisons of the television image to accurately separate the color from the black-and-white information and remove both horizontally and vertically hanging dots, as well as dot crawl, resulting in a razor sharp image. This set also performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
The Active Control function uniquely and intelligently optimizes picture quality by measuring and analyzing the incoming signal to automatically adjust picture quality settings. Active Control with Light Sensor uses a sensor to adjust the picture brightness depending on the room light conditions.
This TV has two built-in stereo speakers that produce 15 watts per channel (for 30 watts of total power), and can produce Dolby Digital virtual surround sound, emulating a 5.1-channel sound field from just two speakers. It also offers the following connections:
Composite AV (RCA) In: 2 (1 side)
S-Video In: 2 (1 side)
Component Video In (Y PB PR): 1
HDMI In: 2
RF In: 1
PC Audio In: 1
PC VGA In: 1
Headphone: 1

Tech Talk HDMI -- HDMI makes an uncompressed digital RGB connection from the source to the screen. By eliminating conversion to an analog signal, it delivers an unblemished image. The non-degraded signal reduces flicker and leads to a clearer picture. HDMI intelligently communicates the highest output resolution with the source device. The HDMI input is fully backward compatible with DVI sources but includes digital audio. HDMI uses HDCP copy protection.
What's in the BoxLCD TV, remote control (with batteries), tabletop stand, power cord, printed operating instructions

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Samsung LN46B530 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned this TV for about 5 months and I am very impressed with this TV and have many good things to say about it. I currently have this TV hanging on my wall and usually watch it at around a 12-foot distance which I believe is a good distance for a 46-inch TV. I am also using this TV as a monitor for a home theater PC which looks just as good as my other computer monitor, if not better. The only reason i didn't give this TV 5 stars is because of the built in speakersPROS
Matte screen finish (Reduces glare significantly which is a big plus when viewing in a room with lots of windows)
Built-in video up-scalar is awesome (I am always impressed when watching VHS and DVD movies.)
Power Consumption (Only 230 Watts powered)
Weight (Weight without the stand is less than 50 lbs which is light enough for me to lift it onto the wall by myself)
HDMI connections (3 HDMI connections seems plenty enough for the devices I have currently)
60,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (twice as good as previous model)
CONS
Built in speakers (Speakers started to rattle and buzz after the volume was turned up to around 50. I would defiantly recommend a home audio system if you want to get the full movie experience)
Component video connections (I had to buy a component switch that could handle my component connections from my Wii, Playstation, and DVD player)


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LN46B530 46IN 1080P LCD 530Series

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Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-46Z4100/B 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had a Westinghouse 1080p 42inch monitor for a few years and have really been pleased with it. However, with the new features on the market (120hz, 24p, etc) I was ready to upgrade. I initially ordered a Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV. The picture was actually really good on this set, but the glare on the case was VERY annoying. It also lacked the features I was looking for in a new set, but I tried it out because the price was so good. The glare was too much to put up with, so I sent it back and started to research Sony's since they are one of the few sets on the market that you can still get without a glossy case.
I sure am glad that I found Bravia Z series! WIthout going up to an XBR, the Z series is the way to go. If you look at the specs - most of the high end features offered by the XBR are already in the Z series, so it is a really good value when viewed that way. It makes sense why the Z is not offered in a 52 inch size - it would probably really impact sales of the XBR. What a great looking TV (both the picture and the case). I have been extremely impressed with both the blacks on this LCD as well as the vivid colors it produces. The amount of picture calibration offered on this setup is remarkable - especially compared to my old Westinghouse. I find the 24p mode on Blue Ray disk to be quite impressive - it really adds a whole new level of enjoyment to watching Blue Ray movies. The 120hz mode is also wonderful when watching football. I really cannot say enough good things about this TV - spend the extra money that the Sony brand demands, and you get what you pay for.
Although I did not have the issue with this TV, there is a lot of discussion around the Internet about a sparkle issue that this TV has. Be advised that this was an issue, but Sony has released a firmware update that resolves the problem. I have done the update and everything is running great.
If you are on the fence between this and the Samsung LN46A650 (which is in the same feature class as the Sony), be aware that the Samsung has a very glossy screen - not to mention a sure to be dated red outline on the case. This really kills one of the great features of LCD's! The only Samsung I would even consider against this Sony is the Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, but it lacks 120hz, 24p, and has that hideous glossy case. It seems to me that there is no viable competitor to the Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-46Z4100!
Another side note... When my TV was delivered they also picked up the Samsung for return. The delivery guys were telling me that they have to pickup Samsungs EVERY day because people are returning them. He said they have never had to pickup a Sony. This is proved if you look at the used/new link under the Samsung and Sony's - you will see tons of open box Amazon Warehouse Deals on the Samsungs - but none on the Sony's!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-46Z4100/B 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black

LCD still not thin enough for you?Then look no further than the KDL-Z4100. With a striking slim bezel design, Motionflow' 120Hz for the reproduction of smooth, lifelike images, BRAVIA Engine 2' and ACE for a deeper blacks and better shadow detail, now your TV design matches the picture. Ready for the latest technology to go along with the design and picture- The KDL-Z4100 also include DLNA' compatability so you can access your digital photo collection over your home network (additional DLNA' components required; sold separately), and Sony's unique DMex and Digital Media Port technology.

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Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got this TV set up in my home last evening and I couldn't be more pleased with it. For an "entry level" LCD HDTV, it displays an excellent picture- even on the standard cable channels! The High-def channels are absolutely beautiful. Overall the picture is very crisp and bright (VERY bright at the factory back light setting of 10; had to turn it down a few notches) and the colors are perfect as far as I'm concerned. While I'm sure extreme videophiles will disagree, I can't find any faults with this TV and would recommend it to anyone who's in the market for a flat-panel HDTV in this size and/or price range.

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For anyone looking for a great value on a 720p HDTV, Samsung's 2007 model LNT4042H 40-inch flat-panel LCD is an excellent choice. As Samsung's entry level 40-inch LCD, it offers a 7000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 170-degree viewing angle, an 8ms response time panel, 3 HDMI inputs, and SRS TruSurroundXT from two side speakers. Between the design update, the aditional connections, and improved contrast ratio this model represents a distinct improvement on the popular comperable 40-inch Samsung from 2006 (LNS4041D).

The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time to dramatically reduce edge image artifacts while improving transition detail.
High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the speakers built into the TV. SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass through hidden side speakers. TruSurround XT audio adds three audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
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.

Connections:
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) 3
RF in 1
Component (Y/Pb/Pr) in 2
S-Video input 2(1 side/1 rear)
A/V input 2(1 side/1 rear)
PC input 1
Headphone jack 1

What's in the box: Samsung LNT4042H LCD TV, remote control, 2 AAA batteries, Power Cord, stand, cleaning cloth, owners manual, warranty card.

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Sony BRAVIA W-Series KDL-52W4100 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this TV in June 2008 and have found it to be an absolutely great buy. I bought my at RC Willey. Yes, I read the CNET review and the reviewer marked down the TV because of the dark shades changing. I looked at this in the store for several minutes and have lived with it for a month and have not noticed that problem at ALL! Personally I think they guy shot down the SONY because Samsung is running TV advertisements on CNET. This is a super sharp TV with excellent colors and deep deep blacks. This TV is much better than the old 2007 W. Here is why I bought this TV...It is super clear in digital broadcast and does a much better job in Analog/420p SD (old) transmitions than any other TV I have seen (no jaggies..thanks to Sony noise reduction/DSP). Sony knows Bluray- they invented it, they know what skin tones should look like like (they own a movie studio), thier menus are really easy/simple to use (vs. Samsung 650), it has a built in TV guide (You can get rid of that Monthly cable box fee) and it has future expansion capability.
On pure picture quality vs. Samsung 650:
* Picture: It is pretty darn close in digital broadcast. I looked at both side by side. Samsung has a slight edge on clarity in analog broadcast. Samsungs have more glare, Sony is a matte screen but blacks on samsung are pretty darn good because of the glossy screen. When viewing a BluRay DVD though, the Sony slightly more details. No fade from bright to black issues on sony as noted by CNET (he must have had a protype system). Colors are nice a bright and bravia 2 engine is even better than XBR4 or near it. I have heard the Z series may be better but they don't make it in 52'' yet.

* Menus: Samsungs menus are made for Engineers (lots of tweeks, but really confusing for average user). If you doubt it, download the user manual to the A650 and KDL524100 and see for yourself. If you and your family are highly technical, go for the Samsung. If you don't want to fiddle (aka get lost in menus), but get an excellent picture, go with the Sony. Sony's are really simple and easy to use, plus it automatically find digital channels and is somehow able to display all the channel icons (it is like I have a built in cable box).
* Features: The Sony may not have the Ethernet and built in weather/news of the 650 Samsung, but it does have the built in TV guide and future expansion. Realistically, if you want Internet in your TV, you are better off connecting an external device (Playstation, Apple TV, etc). The TV guide feature in the sony is great and the Bravia Sync is a big plus (especially when you use a Sony DVD upconverter 1080p (nice one at costco)- why?...TV remote controls it all. Sony Picture n' Picture is nice as well allowing you to view pictures/video from HDMI while at the same time viewing cable TV (regardless if it is SD or HD signal)
* Asthetics: My favorite feature on the sony is that the power buttons on on the top of the TV... helps with preventing kids from turning tV on/off. I believe Samsungs are too low. I personally didn't like the Red on the Samsung and the glossy screen. The remote on the Sony is really easy to find/use vs. the Samsung. But the Samsung's remote lit up at night...which the Sony's does not.
Bottom line: if you are a videophile and your family (wife) can deal with the techno menus (plus you want to upgrade the firmware to fix the Samsung A650 on/off bug), get the Samsung. If you want the a super clear Picture (videophile made easy), easiest to use LCD with features that make every day TV viewing smooth and easy... The sony is excellent- Plus it is future expandible.
Recommended Evaluation settings: Picture mode custom, backlight 7, Picture 95, Brightness 45, Color 50, Hue 0, Color temp Neutral, Sharpness 4, Noise Red. off, MPEG Noise red. off, Advanced settings-> Black corrector: med, Advance C.E Med, Gamma off, clear white low.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BRAVIA W-Series KDL-52W4100 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Ready for a TV and a technology that will change the way you see TV and movies?Sony's 1080p KDL-52W4100 with Motionflow™ 120Hz technology creates a new standard for picture performance, with smooth, lifelike image quality that responds to the demands of even the fastest moving images with ease. Add to that unique features like the enhanced Xross Media Bar with 3D graphics and integrated TV Guide program information, built-in DMex functionality, and other picture quality technologies like BRAVIA Engine 2™ and ACE contrast enhancement, and you can see why we call the W-series the new standard in 120Hz performance.

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Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-52V4100 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I used to think of a TV purchase as a VERY long term commitment, like marriage. And at $2k and up there's a lot of truth to this. However in this case I was faced with a difficult decision, one that I would probably repeat given the opportunity.
First let me say that I love just about everything about this set. The picture quality (as long as the scene or people aren't moving) is super, the audio is really good out of the bottom-front speakers (although an add-on stereo makes it even better), and the flexibility from an input/output point of view is outstanding.
All that being said, there are some compromises, and thus my quandary. I bought this TV fully knowing that for a *mere* $500 more I could have the 120hz scan mode. It just wasn't worth it to me...I think. I would have been better off if the 120hz model didn't exist, then I'd look at the set and be amazed. Maybe I'm nuts, but now I find myself looking critically at scenes where there's fast motion and wondering whether the "better" model would be noticeably smoother.
The fact of the matter is that over time I will just accept how it looks and allow myself to enjoy the many fine aspects to this set. Moving on, you probably want to know some of the other things that are also not so wonderful. Here goes.
1. Unlike some sets that have a base that allows rotation, this one just sits. No pivot at all, and very hard to move. I ended up making my own pivoting base out of a couple pieces of (nice) wood and a $10 rotary table. Wonderful, but took some effort.
2. Even though this set has the ability to have the screen turned off with the audio still on (nice!) it's buried down really deep in the menus (not nice!). I don't want to always burn 300 watts to listen to the music channel on our cable box, I wish it was easier. Yes, a very minor point, until you have to do it once or twice every day.
3. I'm not a fan of shiny ANYTHING on the front surface of TVs. At least the screen has a decent anti-glare finish, but the edge is the now-mandatory patent leather black shine. Why oh why!!!
4. The remote is a TV remote. Period. Which means either you have to use some other remote for your other stuff or buy and program a multi-function. Cheat, really cheap.
5. When switching between modes (1080i, 480p, 4:3, 16:11 or whatever) the tv and sound go dead. Seems like an eternity, but it's probably only a second or two. Should be faster.
I could probably come up with a few more, but those are the biggest ones for me. Not very big really. Nice set, now if they could only give me a way to upgrade it to 120hz without buying a new one...


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Ready for HD done the Sony way? Sony's KDL-52V4100 brings 1080p picture quality home with amazing, Sony-exclusive features like the XMB (Xross Media Bar) with 3D graphics, DMex capability so you can add functionality to your TV, and picture quality technologies like ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancer) and BRAVIA Engine 2™. Add to that a sophisticated, piano black design, 24p capability so you can get the most out of the movies you watch on Blu-ray and DVD, 4 HDMI™ inputs along with three other HD-capable connections, and what you have is a television that can bring dreams to life.

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VIZIO VF550M 55-Inch Full HD 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a review junkie. Sue me. So when I know I want something like a new HDTV I research high and low to not only find the best price, but I also want pretty darn close to the best product out there on the market. From professional reviews to consumer reviews here on Amazon, I do my best to soak it all in. With that being said, in my experience I've never been disappointed with something I've bought that I've done extensive research on...
And that holds true with the Vizio VF550M.
I bought my set at Costco during the Thanksgiving Weekend Sale. One of the first things I noticed right out of the box was how big it really was. I upgraded from a 46" LCD and the size was noticeably (and awesomely) huger. Yes... huger. When I saw the VF550M display at Costco it just didn't look that big because it was set next to other 50-60 inch sets and in the middle of a huge warehouse. However, while setting it up I realized it was the perfect size for the further viewing distance in our family room. The set-up was easy enough. I mounted the tv with the VideoSecu Adjustable Tilt TV Wall Mount (bought on Amazon) which I was very pleased with. We ran the cables through the wall to my devices to hide them... and I must say, it looks beautiful mounted to a wall. I would definitely recommend mounting this set. I didn't care too much for the remote that came with the TV so I opted to upgrade to the Logitech Harmony 670 remote (also got on amazon).
The picture on this TV was just as good or better than any other HDTV I have ever seen. The black levels are great with the DCR feature. Blu-Ray looks amazing on the big screen. I will admit I jumped on the 120hz bandwagon and as of right now I couldn't be happier with it when it comes to watching sports- but thats all I use 120hz (or "Smooth Motion Effect") for.
PROS
-BIG
-Great 120hz feature for Sports
-Good out of the box sound
-5 HDMI ports!
-Stunning picture
CONS
-Don't care for the remote


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Taking your home theater to the next level, VIZIO brings you the stylish VF550M. This full high definition, 55-inch LCD HDTV combines the latest technology--full high-definition 1080P resolution for crystal clear images and 120Hz Smooth Motion technology provides a fluid, blur-free, lifelike picture. The innovative design and cutting edge sound technologies complete the HD experience.

1080P Full HD Full 1080P High Definition resolution gives you over 2 million pixels, making the clarity and detail of your picture razor sharp.
120Hz Refresh Rate A 120Hz refresh rate limits motion judder, creating smooth transitions between frames, for crisp, clear images.
ECO HD ECO HD exceeds the current Energy Star Guidelines by 15% below Energy Star 3.0, saving you money on your utility bills while limiting the impact on our planet.
Built-In Speakers Four built-in 10-Watt speakers provide room-filling sound.
SRS Audio Technologies SRS TruVolume evens out dynamics to limit volume inconsistencies between programming. SRS TruSurround HD delivers immersive virtual high-definition surround sound out of the unit's two speakers.
178-Degree Horizontal Viewing Angle The VF550M features a viewing angle of up to 178-degrees, resulting in a crisp and clear picture that is easily visible from just about anywhere in the room.
Ultimate Connectivity The VF550M has a whopping nine high-definition inputs, five of which are HDMI. No matter how big your entertainment system is, you should be covered.
VIZIO VF550M Inputs
HDMI with HDCP: 5 (1 side)
RF Connector for Internal Tuner: 1
Component YPbPr plus Stereo Audio: 2 (1 side)
S-Video: 1
Computer RGB: 1
Composite Video: 2 (1 side)
USB Port: 1 (service only)

VIZIO VF550M Outputs
SPDIF Digital Optical: 1
Headphones: 1 (side)

One-Year Warranty VIZIO provides a one-year warranty on its products for extra peace of mind in your purchase.
What's in the Box VIZIO VF550M, VIZIO Remote Control VR2P, Power Cord, Safety Strap, Screen Cleaning Cloth, User Manual, Quick Setup Guide, Registration Card, 2 AA Batteries for the Remote Control

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Samsung LNT4065F 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I had recently purchased the Samsung LN-S4095D 40" 1080p LCD HDTVfrom Amazon, but it had a good amount of back light issues exactly like the Sony XBR's. I have read that it sometimes goes away by itself after a few weeks of use. But after 3 weeks it was still cloudy. I shipped it back and received a full refund. I'd heard that the LNT-series of Samsung's were coming out in March and that the problem had been resolved. After many in store demo's at BB and CC by asking the sales associates to hook up a blu-ray 1080p DVD (luckily they all had "Happy Feet" so they were exactly the same movie compared) I product tested the Samsung LNT4061F 40" 1080p LCD HDTV, the LNT4065F, and LNT4066. Along with two Sony's that caught my eye Sony KDL-40XBR2 40" Bravia XBR 1080p LCD HDTV,Sony KDL-40V2500 40" Bravia V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV. All were within my price range. But the Sony V2500 wasn't even close to standing with the Samsung LNT's. The XBR2 is great, but watch out for clouding which Sony will NOT admit is a problem, I recommend googling the XBR clouding problem before buying from SONY. If you're looking for the best all around TV (price, sound, picture quality, no CLOUDING, hook-up versatility(3x HDMI)) then the LNT4065 is the perfect TV for you. It has hidden side speakers that sound very rich and full. If you already have a sound system and prefer a matte finish to your TV get the LNT4061. The LNT4061 has poor sound from its hidden bottom speaker, but the matte screen is excellent to prevent glare. The LNT4065 has a semi-gloss screen, which makes the 15K:1 contrast ratio look amazing! I haven't had any glare problems at all. The only difference between the LNT4065 and LNT4066 is that the 66 has a different chasis. The internals are all the same. I've confirmed this through extensive research. The 65 has buttons on the top of it, while the 66 has pressure sensitive buttons on the bottom left corner. Not worth the extra money to me. PS2 and Gamecube games look fantastic on it. I don't have a Wii or PS3 to try on it yet, but I'll submit another review when I do. This TV is so versatile. So many features for sound, gaming, and picture quality. You can adjust everything you want. LCD is the only way to go, with this TV you get the CR of plasma without the ghosting! This is the TV to buy!
Big plus to Amazon. I bought the TV for $2199 and saw that a week later it was 1905 and they refunded the difference.
JUNE 5, 2007 UPDATE: I purchased a PS3 and a Wii and both look fantastic! The 1080p HDMI 1.3 look crystal clear, I've played Fear(720p), and Ninja Gaiden (1080p). The 1080p upconverting that the PS3 does with the recent firmware upgrade makes all of my regular DVD's look great, and my PS2 games look just as good. The Wii only uses RCA but it looks great with 480i. Zelda and the Wii Sports look fantastic. Having three HDMI ports really comes in handy with a PS3 and DirecTV (HDMI 1080i).

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For people looking to step up to full 1080p resolution in a 40-inch flat-panel LCD, Samsung's 2007 model LNT4065F is a good choice. Besides offering full 1080p resolution the LNT4065F also features a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for rich blacks and subltle tecture display, an 8ms response time panel for smooth motion, hidden side speakers, an NTSC tuner, and 3 HDMI ports.
Compared to other Samsung Models The primary differences between Samsung's LNT4065F and the lower priced LNT4061F LCD HDTV is in the contrast ratio and video processing power. Where this model offers a 15,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and a 10-bit video processor, the LNT4061F has a 10,000:1 ratio, with an 8-bit video processor. The LNT4065F should display finer gradients of shading making for more detail in darker scenes. The video processing difference should ensure smoothermotion in fast moving scenes.
Image Processing The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time to dramatically reduce edge image artifacts while improving transition detail.
Audio Features High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the speakers built into the TV. SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass through hidden side speakers. TruSurround XT audio adds three audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
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.

What's in the box: Samsung LNT4665F 40-inch 1080P LCD TV, remote control, 2 AAA batteries, Power Cord, cleaning cloth, owners manual, warranty card.

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Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)When I purchased this TV from Amazon.com I had already decided on this Samsung 52" series and was trying to decide between the 650 and the 750. At the time there was a small price difference between the two on Amazon.com. I ended up choosing the 650 because I was placing the TV inside a nook that had limited space.
The 650 has a less bulky frame around the LCD screen and therefore it was only 50.2 inches wide as compared to the 750 which is 52" wide. Both screens have the exact same visual display area. Beyond trying to accommodate my limited space, I felt that the smaller frame looked nicer on the TV than the larger frame.
The other reason I chose the 650 is that it can swivel on the base, whereas the 750 is fixed on its base. Because I have placed the TV in a nook, this swivel feature has come in very handy as I have had to get behind it from time to time to plug in cords, etc.
I have read a lot about screen reflection and was bracing myself for a potentially unpleasant experience during daytime viewing, especially since the room the TV is in has windows all the way across two walls and is full of sunlight daily. I'm happy to report that screen reflection is absolutely no problem. The TV that I was replacing with the Samsung LCD was an older 32" Panasonic Panablack analog TV with the glass screen, which had a lot of reflection. As a point of reference, the Samsung has about 20% of the screen reflection of my old TV (judging from when the TV is off). When the TV is on, the Samsung has about 5% of screen reflection compared with what I used to have with my old TV, which may be due to the incredible brightness of the display.
I spent a number of months on this decision and I feel like I hit a home run with this purchase. Samsung has certainly exceeded my expectations with this model and I have been very satisfied with my first experience of buying a TV online from Amazon.com.
DEC 20, 2008 UPDATE: I've now owned the TV for more than 6 months. No regrets. The TV has survived well in a family with 5 kids under age 10. It's taken some direct hits to the screen with toys thrown by a 2-year-old but any marks on the screen easily rubbed off. It still looks just like the day I first got it and runs perfectly. I'm very happy with this purchase.
JUNE 7, 2009 UPDATE: Still going strong after 1 year. Absolutely no problems with the TV. Best purchase I ever made. Everyone who has seen it can hardly believe the picture quality. I get positive comments all the time.

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Get innovative HD design and performance on a brilliant 52-inch LCD screen. The Samsung 52" LCD HDTV has superior picture quality with a unique bezel design. The Touch of Color accents the top and bottom edges of the bezel with a unique amber tone. Full 1080p HD resolution and 50,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio offer stunning image detail and vivid colors. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz and Ultra Clear Panel technology work together to offer the smoothest motion and boldest bright and dark tones. Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp - Provides colors in your picture that were not available before Fast 4ms response time minimizes blurring of moving video Widescreen NTSC/ATSC Tuners with Clear QAM Ultra clear panel enhances contrast and reduces reflection Viewing Angle - 178 x 178 Degrees DNIe (Digital Natural Image Engine) delivers a crisp, lifelike picture that is closer to film Auto volume leveler Audio amplifier - Watts per channel - 10 Watts x 2 channels to bottom downfiring speakers SRS TruSurround XT sound delivers virtual surround using built-in speakers 4 HDMI, 2 Component video, RF antenna inputs S-video, A/V, PC inputs Hook up your MP3 player or digital camera via the Wiselink USB 2.0 connection Headphone output HDMI-CEC allows peripherals to be controlled by remote control Stereo broadcast reception (MTS & SAP) with 181 channels Picture-in-Picture V-Chip Auto wall mount compatible - 3-dimensional operation via TV's control Swivel stand Wheel key remote control English, Spanish & French on-screen displays Variable sleep timer Dimensions - without stand - 50.2 x 31.7 x 4.1; with stand - 50.2 x 34.1 x 12.8 Weight - without stand - 64.6 lbs.; with stand - 76.7lbs.

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Samsung LNS4051D 40-Inch LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)Flat HDTV prices are falling almost as fast as the stock market these days. It would seem that this might be the right time to jump into the HDTV craze. Let the research begin then. I'll get to the details of the Samsung unit itself after a brief, er, long background intro.
I tend to be the type of consumer that will read every unbiased CR style review, online article, visit every store within a 100-mile radius and test every model in existence--no matter what the purchase. This is particularly helpful when purchasing a television, since you really don't know just how good a picture will be, no matter what the specs say, until you see it side-by-side with the competition.
I've been holding out for the $2000 price-point for a large-screen Flat HDTV, and the time has now come when there are several options from which to chose. CR reports, quite accurately I might add, that Costco has some of the best prices among retailers, but I will say, as a HUGE Costco fan, that the selection is a bit limited, as is the nature of their business.
After looking at about 50 (literally) different Flat-TV's, and originally wanting to go with a Plasma, I narrowed the choice to a 37-inch LCD from Viewsonic, a 42-inch LCD from Philips, and two 40-inch Samsung LCD units. Consideration was made for size, picture quality, design and style, features, overall research and brand reputation/reviews, value, bang-for-the-buck and more. Say what you will about Plasma, and they are beautiful, I've seen too many red-glow, distorted and burned pictures, and the last straw was a brand new floor model that had already gone bad in 2-weeks at a local store. LCD it is then--I purchased the Viewsonic at Costco, only to receive a unit with a defective tuner, back to the store for a full refund--no worries. As I'm strolling through the aisles of another establishment, I come across a vision of beauty, she looks amazingly like Liberace's reincarnated baby-grand piano. She is brilliant in her little black dress, even standing next to the costliest supermodels from Pioneer and Sony--in fact, she may be more beautiful. The Samsung LNS4051D they tell me. Samsung name, 2 HDMI inputs, 4000:1 contrast ratio, PIP, you know the rest...and stunning good looks to boot! But the cost was too high. A few clicks later, I find her on Amazon for my target price, including shipping...S-O-O-O-L-D, says I!! Return policy is a bit harsh, but delivery was on-time, and price was unbeatable. Well done Amazon.
Panasonic may hold a slight edge in overall picture quality, but Samsung is the world's largest producer of LCD screens, and they can be quite proud of this unit.
A few areas for improvement--not even the most beautiful of ladies is perfect--blacks still need work, which is what keeps it from being the best-of-the-best, the remote needs work (don't they all), and once hung on the wall, the connections are nearly impossible to access, due to the back, rather than side connecting style.
Flat HDTV prices are slated to continue falling over the summer, and will then flatten out--if you are lucky, you might just be able to snag a date with one of these hot little numbers, before they're all spoken for.


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Sony Bravia XBR KDL-40XBR7 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my third LCD set. The first being a 32" Sharp Aquos 720p (touted to be the best at the time of that purchase). The second being a 40" Sony V2500 1080p unit. This third being the 40" XBR7. Oh my have things changed over the years.
In the comparison of apples to apples (V-series from 2 years back against the current XBR7), the difference in picture quality is amazing. The color contrast is better (without the need to be in 'torch mode'), and the "blurring" is almost gone.
If I am comparing the unit to another, please assume it's the Sony KDL-40V2500 unit unless otherwise specified.
Menus:
The XMB menu system is great. There is a bit of lag when switching from category to category though. It's just in the animation. The function isn't hindered. The adjustments (that make everyone's heads spin) have some added comments to help you decide which setting is best. It's a nice added feature, but I would still use the best tool to adjust the set: your eyes. Many home theater "elites" will criticize all of the added "picture enhancers" Sony has added. I would ignore their advice of "turn if all off" and simply adjust the set to what looks best to you. Of course, a simple calibration baseline does do wonders: Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics [Blu-ray]
Source: DirecTV HR21 HD-DVR - Connected via HDMI to Receiver, then to TV
The HD content has a more crisp and clear look to it. The "MotionFlow" should be either set to Off or "Standard", as the "High" setting is a bit dizzying. It gives a smooth "flowing" visual effect which makes content look great OR horrible (depends on your eyes and personal preference). Many movies (HBO HD, 1080i broadcast, I think) look fantastic. It's almost as clear as having the actual BluRay. The SD content PQ has slightly improved, but nothing amazing.
Source: Playstation 3 (60 gb Launch model) - Connected via HDMI to Denon Receiver "Pure Mode" (bypasses any receiver processing), then to TV
Stunning. That is the word that best describes the quality. The first thing I watched after setting up the TV was Batman: The Dark Knight. The detail in the dark scenes were quite impressive. Most LCDs will produce a very dark gray since it's near impossible to reproduce black. This unit get's VERY damn close in my opinion. Details can actually be seen in the dark scenes now (the V2500... couldn't distinguish much). Film content (24p) is best viewed with MotionFlow OFF. With the feature on, it looks like the main subject(s) on the screen are slightly popping out from the rest of the scene. It's an interesting look, but it's not for me.
When gaming, there is no motion blur (1080p and 720p) that I noticed. The V2500 had some blur issues. The colors are crisp and vibrant. Details can be seen even in the darkest of rooms. This is definitely a noteworthy contender if gaming is the main function of this TV.
Source: Lenovo T500 Notebook via HD15 - Directly connected to TV
Intel on-board graphics test... will test ATI Graphics at a later date
Everything looked fine. I was running the native resolution for the notebook's screen (1600 by 1050, or something in that ballpark). The text was easy to read. I haven't been able to do full resolution (1920x1080), but will try the next time I connect it.
Overall, this is a great unit. There were very little gripes I had about the unit. It's near flawless. Some say the XBR6 quality is the same. I unfortunately didn't have the luxury of a XBR6 and XBR7 side by side for a true comparison. To save a few bucks, I'd recommend checking out the XBR6 also. The only difference that MIGHT exist is a 8bit (XBR6) versus 10bit (XBR7) panel... but Sony never indicates what the XBR6 actually has. Rumors have it that they both use 10bit panels and it's just hidden in the XBR6 documentation so the XBR7 will have a larger arsenal to market with.

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Sony BRAVIA XBR7-Series LCD HDTVs leverage our HD expertise to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution and stunning picture performance. A BRAVIA Engine EX fully digital video processor helps reduce noise, sharpen image detail, and improve color accuracy, while Motionflow 120Hz technology enhances motion to deliver a smoother and clearer looking picture. An Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) circuit dynamically adjusts contrast, producing deeper blacks in dark scenes while preserving shadow detail, and Live Color Creation technology works in concert with a special WCG-CCFL backlight to further refine colors and deliver a more realistic picture. In addition, DMeX functionality3 lets you expand your HDTV's capabilities when you attach optional BRAVIA Link modules (sold separately).

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Sony Bravia W-Series KDL-52W3000 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent many moths reading up on LCD and Plasma HDTVs and visiting every local showroom multiple times. Also reading all the posts on AVS for every TV of interest. I had held of purchasing a TV because I felt the 120Hz sets were likely to be the first ones I would consider due to motion blur. Those came out and I started doing live compares and reading the posts and reviews on various sites. It became apparent that a) the non-120Hz sets are doing very well with motion blur these days and b) 120Hz doesn't really help with motion blur to any noticeable extent (but adds a lot to the price). I argued with myself for a long time but decided even though 120Hz felt like "insurance" on image quality there just wasn't evidence to really support it. I looked at Sharp, Samsung etc. as well as comparing the 52" W3000 and XBR4. I ultimately settled on the W3000 from a local store so I could return it if I was disappointed after viewing it. I never once considered returning this thing as the picture quality is phenominal (on HD and good quality SD feeds). No clouding, no banding, no dead pixels, nor any of the other horror stories you read about in reviews on every brand. As one review I read some time ago said, the PQ on these sets is so high you can find yourself glued to the set watching some show that is of absolutely no interest to you but which has great HD imagery. I've kept following AVS posts on the main brands I considered and on the whole the W3000 maintains a strong positive set of feedback. I recommend it without hesitation. I have my paired with a Toshiba A20 for 1080/24p output and it is a great and troublefree combination.

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Step into a world where high performance meets high style. Step into the world of the BRAVIA W-Series Full HD 1080p LCD TVs. Take all of the performance technology and great features from our V-Series televisions and add five more significant features x.v.Color, Deep Color, backlit remote control, a 3rd HDMI input on the side and brushed metal design. BRAVIA models push picture quality performance beyond the limitations of the current video sources. The W-series features advanced connectivity to answer this need. x.v.Color is Sony's name for the xvYCC option available in the HDMI 1.3 spec. x.v.Color greatly broadens the color space input capabilities to include 1.8 times as many natural colors as existing HDTV signals have and it is a perfect companion for select '07 HD camcorders. Deep Color (another HDMI v1.3 option) input capability works with the 10-bit processor and panel to deliver 64 times the level of color expression versus current 8bit systems and can help enhance your PlayStation 3 enjoyment. Wrap all of this up with an elegant a new brushed metal picture frame design and there's nothing like W-Series HDTVs.

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Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V4100 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I have the V-Series Sony 40" LCD set immediately preceding this model. Based on my experience with the earlier model, I've recommended the KDL 40V4100 to friends and family. The differences: 1. When the 40V4000 first came out, it was being sold for as much as twice the price of this one; 2. the previous model had 10- bit color processing (which now is available only on the more expensive Z or later series). Although 120Hz is now the rage (available beginning with the W series), Sony's unique 24 fps Movie True mode is likely to make a more noticeable difference in "smoothening out" camera movement than 120Hz capability (which is primarily a come-on for the gamers and "Matrix" generation).
For under $1500, this is the set I would unhesitatingly select ahead of a comparable Samsung (you can get the price down to around $1000 if you go with the S series, but you'll sacrifice Sony's acclaimed Bravia 2 processor as well as Sony's auto-link feature permitting operation of all components with a single switch). If I were willing to spend close to $2000 or more, I would look at a 46"-52" Sony with 120 Hz (just to be current) and 10-bit color processing for a hi-def picture that simply leaves nothing to be desired. I would also do everything possible to purchase from Amazon. (I had to make two exchanges before ending up with the "right" model, and Amazon as usual made both hassle-free transactions.) Also, be sure to check out Amazon Warehouse for a "refurb" or "scratch and dent" model. I've never been disappointed in any of these items at reduced prices, or even noticed any difference from mint.
A couple of things learned through experience: 1. A flat-panel set does not "play" as large as the old tube models. If you formerly required a 27" convection tube screen, you'll need 32"-40" to enjoy a similar viewing experience with an LCD flat screen. 2. When watching HDTV telecasts (still only a small percentage of channels), it's quite likely you'll notice little to no difference from standard definition if the screen is less than 40". So if you're planning on purchase of a 36" or smaller screen, skip the extras. 720p is more than adequate, and most of the other frills can be regarded as needless extra expense. Also, SD (standard definition) will look better on any small screen than on the most expensive manufacturer's large screen models, so make price--not brand name--the primary criterion when selecting a screen under 40".

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Ready for HD done the Sony way? Sony's KDL-40V4100 brings 1080p picture quality home with amazing, Sony-exclusive features like the XMB (Xross Media Bar) with 3D graphics, DMex capability so you can add functionality to your TV, and picture quality technologies like ACE (Advanced Contrast Enhancer) and BRAVIA Engine 2™. Add to that a sophisticated, piano black design, 24p capability so you can get the most out of the movies you watch on Blu-ray and DVD, 4 HDMI™ inputs along with three other HD-capable connections, and what you have is a television that can bring dreams to life.

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Samsung LN52B630 52-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color Review

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(More customer reviews)After spending way too much time researching and viewing these TVs at big box stores, I eventually bought this set from Amazon, and could not be happier.
I was in the plasma vs LCD debate for a while and decided that I needed/wanted the brightness of an LCD, didn't want to worry about any burn in issues (I know they are almost non-existent today anyway). I wanted 1080p and most plasma sets with 1080p are close to this price point as well. I debated for about a month between last years ln52a630 and the ln52a750, and which one to buy. The matte screen on the 630 was its highlight for me, but there was a sacrifice in the contrast ratio and other miscellaneous little "bells and whistles". The A750 being the more expensive model, the price point dropped so much, it was now pretty much an even swap. Hearing about the problems associated with the 750 including glare, halo and TOC flaking issues, I decided the 630 with its matte screen was the TV for me.
So, I price shopped the A630 for a few weeks until I stumbled across the new version of the set, the ln52b630. A little more money is WELL spent when upgrading to this TV. The contrast ratio is double 40,000:1 vs 80,000:1, and even dominates last years 50,000:1 A750's contrast ratio. Again, this TV also has the MATTE SCREEN! Almost no glare issues in my very bright viewing room, that has multiple windows and a sliding glass door.
The TV's picture quality is the best my friends and I have seen so far from an LCD. Deepest blacks and brightest brights are the comments I have been hearing when people see this TV in operation. The clarity in blu-ray 1080p with 120hz is breathtaking, you almost don't want to take your eyes off the screen. I have it connected to Dish Network's HD service and the PQ in 1080i is also superb, a slight loss in clarity and blur in fast moving sequences that is non-existent in 1080p. Standard def programing also looks great as well.
As far as audio, I have it setup through surround sound, so I cannot comment.
I have yet to connect an ethernet cable to use those features as well.
**UPDATE** I have attached the ethernet cable and the "infolink" features do work as advertised. It is a nice feature, news stories, temperature/weather, stocks all positioned in the corners of the screen. Will i ever use it, probably not. But, it works as advertised. I wish it was a way to update firmware for the TV rather than for these features.
The USB media port is another excellent feature. It allows you to play movies, music and pictures directly from the side of the TV with a USB flash drive or external hard drive. It will play almost any codec you throw at it, supposedly even x264(HD), have not been able to test this.
The remote is nicely designed and easy to use. Samsung eliminated the dreaded "click-wheel' on this years new models.
Delivery: Pilot was my shipping service, and I cannot say anything bad about the service. The delivered early and made the necessary phone calls to arrange delivery. The box was in great shape, as well as the TV inside.


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With Samsung's LN52B630, 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 52-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 feature. Samsung's Auto Motion Plus120Hz 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 easyconnection options for your Blu-ray Disc player and gaming system. And the stylish yet subtle Touch of Color design adds a red accent to the bezel's border – perfect in any modern home.

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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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Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V3000 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been buying Sony TVs for more than 30 years, and they rarely disappoint. The 40" Bravia is no exception. Last year I bought the 70" SXRD model for my living room, and the 40" is for the bedroom. Many televisions are high quality and prices are dropping, so why get the Sony?
Picture quality is excellent, especially in high def.
Sound quality is very good without a home theater setup. Not always the case with flat panel TVs with small bezels.
Remote is well laid out and easy to use (although it does lack backlighting, but I have no trouble finding the buttons I want in the dark). It's easy to change between the 4 programmable picture settings or screen aspect ratios. Sleep timer button is right up on top when your ready for bed and is in 15 minute increments.
It has 2 HDMI inputs for easy connection of compatible devices and several other inputs. You can customize the display to choose between only the inputs you are using and label them appropriately (so it's easy to switch between my TiVo, DVD player, TV and cable box, and hide the other inputs)
There's a zillion other settings that I haven't figured out all of yet, but most are relatively intuitive (except PnP, which has me baffled so far).
I got the flat panel LCD because it uses less power and generates less heat than a plasma, and won't burn-in (although plasmas have improved). The screen doesn't reflect as much, and has a wide viewing angle.
For viewing from about 6 feet, the 40" size is perfect.
Lots of other things I could say about this TV, but it's all good. You can't go wrong with this model. Also highly rated in Consumer Reports, the consumer's bible...
Amazon shopping tip: Amazon offers price protection for 30 days from date of purchase. After you buy this, put it in your cart again and check your cart regularly for a month. The price goes up and down almost daily. When you go to your cart you will be notified of price changes. If it goes down, grab the phone and call for a credit. I paid $1630 a couple of weeks ago and the price has gone as low as $1450, so I've gotten $180 in refunds. Delivery and unpacking are free, and combine with excellent customer service, making buying from Amazon a no-brainer.
I'm delighted with Sony and Amazon for this purchase.
update 3/2009: Forget my last comment. Amazon no longer, sadly, offers 30 day price protection on purchases. Advice now is to go to camel camel camel dot com (leave out the spaces). A great site for tracking Amazon price history.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V3000 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

BRAVIA V-Series televisions are where Full HD 1080 starts. Two sizes, 46" and 40" diagonally, define what Full HD 1080 (1920 x 1080) televisions are all about. Performance functions like Live Color Creation (featuring the WCG-CCFL backlight) and the 10-bit panel display assure picture quality and performance. The BRAVIA Engine EX full digital video processing system includes DRC-MF v1.0 technology, which upconverts 480i video signals to a 1080p equivalent. DMeX ready allows connection to the new DMeX (Digital Module Expander) called the BRAVIA Internet Video Link module. And BRAVIA V-Series TVs are big on ease of operation. BRAVIA Theatre Sync offers one-button command for time consuming control functions and signal path routing. And we didn't forget about connectivity. How about two 1080/24p and 1080/60p input capable HDMI connections, two HD Component YPbPr inputs, and a PC input, just to name a few. Add a sparkling new black picture frame design, quiet operation, and you have BRAVIA V-Series HD LCD TVs.

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