About time, Or so I thought

About time, Or so I thought., March 24, 2008
By J. Sparks (California) - See all my reviews


:: samsung ln40b650 seems the Shut off Issue has been corrected on my set!!::


Prior to picking this TV up I had 2 of the 71 series televisions. Both of them had problems concerning a flicker as well as a some dim pixel clusters under the screen. I still had my last 71 under the 30 day policy so i returned samsung ln40b650 for this years new model: the 650A.

The Tv itself is beautiful. The hint of red is very subdued yet adds a nice touch when you get up close. A warning about the screen, samsung ln40b650 is glossy. If your room is well lit and you get distracted by reflections, this is not for you. The benefit of the glossy screen is more vibrant colors and contrast. SO for most its worth the glare to have a beautiful picture when you close the blinds. Though in daylight I don't have a problem televisions at all watching it, but its optimal in dark.

The remote is interesting. samsung ln40b650 has an Ipod inspired turn wheel in the middle of the remote that is super touchy. samsung ln40b650 takes some getting used to but its kind of cool. The source input is now a drop down menu where you directly choose the input rather than cycling through them one by one. samsung ln40b650 also has a motion sensor in it, when activated, auto turns the light on in the remote when its moved. People complain that its an ugly remote, but seriously, its a remote. You dont stare at televisions samsung ln40b650 like the TV's picture.

Speaking of which the picture is where the tv truly shines. Vibrant colors, amazing detail, inky blacks. This is the LCD I have been waiting for. Bluray= amazing.

So the TV is very similar to the 71 except 3 new modes which are called "Entertainment Modes" These are Pre-calibrated from the factory televisions and you cannot adjust the picture at all.
1. Sports mode: For high speed sports. This mode is a lot brighter than the others and is designed for faced paced imagery.
2.Game: This is for games obviously. The AMP feature is toned down but the Video Processor is turned up for a smoother game play. Colors are less vibrant than sports, but just a tad.
3. Cinema Mode: Intended for film and is a darker more film like picture. AMP is functioning at normal capacity. Some think this is to dark but I really think its Ideal.

The best part about the Entertainment modes: No judder or stutter and TBE is fairly gone from the 71 series. These modes are amazing and should be the only modes used on the tv for smooth performance.

You can read about more of the features televisions but So far this TV has been exactly what I have been waiting for. There have been quite a few reports of random restarts, I have yet to have any. If this is a widespread problem samsung ln40b650 will be patched on the older models and will come out of the factory with the fix installed. Samsung tvs have had this problem before and samsung ln40b650 was fixed last time. I have no worries. (And samsung ln40b650 just restarted, hooray)