Samsung LN40B750 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Review
I purchased the LN40B750 before New Years 2009 as a replacement for an old CRT for our main floor living room. I spent a significant amount of time online looking at reviews and going to stores to see the TV and its competition in person. I’ll break it down with the okay, the good, and the great (I have nothing bad to say about this TV or anything with Amazon or delivery).
The Okay:
Widgets are slow to load in particular when loading YouTube video. I ran a network cable to the TV instead of spending the on the wireless adapter. This is negated by being able to watch TV while they are loading but it is definitely not a click and go at Internet speeds. I have not yet installed the software on my home PC for photo viewing so I cannot weigh in on that yet. I do like that they offer Amazon VOD which I have not yet used but to plan to (Blockbuster VOD is also offered). It is disappointing that Netflix is not an available Widget and hope that this is corrected soon. The news and sports widgets are okay at best. You can get headlines but you can’t get the rest of the story. I also think that the sports widgets should allow you to pick teams to follow and have their scores, schedules and news items available similar to setting up the weather widget (another one where you probably have 10 other quicker choices for a forecast).
Picture in picture is not usable for folks with a set top box and Samsung’s implementation is not the best. It does only work on the direct input to the TV (i.e. it does not work through the HDMI inputs).
The Good:
The ultra clear panel looks good and the TOC with Grey is a much nicer than the Red on the 120Hz TV. I keep it as good and not great for the following reasons. The bezel is very thick compared to the competitive Sony. I really like the thin set bezel of the Sony. The Sony looks like a much larger picture than the Samsung due to the bezel. However the Samsung gloss finish especially on the screen creates a better look and picture in my eyes. It will create a glare from lighting and windows. This was a problem with the glass CRTs too though and is easily overcome here. The TV has plenty of contrast to overcome most any glare. Our set has both lamps and south windows directly opposite the TV and we have no issues during the day with glare. Lamps and the sun do reflect off the shiny bezel though so you may find that distracting.
This set also does a good job with non-HD video such as VHS (my complaint here is lack of a Super Video input).
The set is thin but is obviously not as thin as the LED back lit models. However in spending a lot of time in front of both at the store, the picture quality of this model relative to the EDGE lit LED TVs is clearly superior. Now if you really want great picture quality move up to the true BACK Lit LED models. Blacks there look like a plasma but you are going to pay for that step up. This is the best picture quality of any LCD TV I have seen including the Sony XBR TVs.
The Great:
The color level and picture are fantastic. I feel the settings out of the box are great. However, CNet provides some nice tweaks to the movie settings which I have used with a Sony PS3 to show a fantastic picture though I didn’t spend time going back and forth to see how much different it was from the factory settings. I like that each input can be adjusted to the settings you want. For example my PS3 retains the movie settings (tweaked per CNet) while my Digital Set top Box is set to Standard, etc.
Automotion Plus creates a beautiful picture. I don’t think the 240Hz by itself offers anything over the 120Hz so don’t buy this set on that alone. The Grey color pushed me up to this TV. That said sporting events in HD look FANTASTIC. The configuration of how the Automotion is a nice touch and there are built in configurations that allow you to tune for the event you are watching. It does create an almost live feel for normal programming but that can be compensated by adjusting the settings or by turning it off.
For those leery of online ordering, Amazon and the delivery company were both great. Delivery was fast and friendly. This is my second TV that I have ordered online. The first being a 46″ Samsung DLP several years ago.
Overall this is a fantastic TV and Amazon beats everyone that I found on price including Crutchfield. Free shipping and no tax make this a very attractive offer. I highly recommend this TV.
Samsung LN40B750 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Feature
- 40-inch high definition TV with 1080p resolution
- Four HDMI, two component, one PC, and two composite video inputs; two 10W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD
- Samsung technology like Auto Motion Plus 240Hz, 2ms response time, 150,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and Wide Color Enhancer
- Medi@2.0 lets you enjoy Internet@TV for content via Yahoo! and more; sync home electronics with DLNA
- One-year parts and labor warranty
Samsung LN40B750 40-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LCD HDTV with Charcoal Grey Touch of Color Overview
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 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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Customer Reviews
Happy Owner – Darrel R. Gaskill – Iowa
Have used the TV for about 1 month now. Picture quality is excellent. Since this is our first LCD HDTV I really don’t have anything to compare it to. Blue-Ray movies are fantastic both on disk or streamed over the internet.
The widgets are pretty much useless and since getting a blue-ray player so we could get netflix movies the widgets will not load over the internet. They worked when the TV was connected directly to the router but not since going through the Blue-Ray player. Probably something I could do to remedy that but haven’t tried as I don’t see much use for them anyhow.
Overall very happy with the TV and would buy it again.
stunning image quality – Jose De la Cruz – Swampscott, MA
So far so good this lcdtv is amazing delivering sharp image and deepest black. I recommend this TV to anybody and I suggest to use the natural mode for better picture.
Samsung LN40B750 – Russell J. Parsons – Upstate,NY
This is my first LCD and I couldn’t be happier! Has many great features but most importantly a GREAT picture.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Feb 08, 2010 02:20:05
