Samsung LE40C650 40-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p 100Hz Motion Plus Allshare Internet LCD TV with Freeview HD User Reviews:
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Samsung must recall these tv's
Comment: After purchasing this tv for my mother i proceeded to set it up for internet access, which is sold as one of the main features of this set. After attempting to set it up for approx three hours and searching online for help via some forums ,i realized that most people have a problem connecting to the internet. One solution suggested was to phone samsung and ask for them to send someone out to repair it.
So an "engineer" came out and tried to connect it. He then advised he would have to return to replace a board in the tv. A few days later he returned to replace the board and again tried to connect to the internet. After approximately an hour working on the TV he reported that he could not get it to work and could give no option on how to resolve the problem. He insinuated that there could be a problem with my internet connection. After showing him me plugging a laptop in and it connected to the internet immediately, he advised that he did not know what to do to resolve this problem.
So i am left with a TV that does not do as advertised and nobody knows how to fix it.
Talk about bad service from Samsung.This is shocking and should not be allowed to happen....ever. If anything the engineer should have arranged a new set to be delivered and installed. He has just left me with a TV that does not work as advertised. I am in the process of writing to Samsung U.K. and hopefully will have feedback in a few weeks as to how to fix this tv.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Samsung LE40C650 first 3 weeks
Comment: I'd been trying replace my 6 year old CRT TV for quite some time and after reading a review of this TV it seemed to have just what I as looking for. And after 3 weeks of ownership I'm very happy with the purchase and most importantly the price and service Amazon have provided. The picture is crystal clear and actually takes some getting used to after years of a low res CRT. Connectivity to the TV is a breeze with scart and HDMI all working perfectly. The sound quality from the set is also first rate.
I selected this TV as it had the Freeview HD tuner card and HD channels from BBC, ITV & Channel 4 are in the program guide but sadly the signal strength from these channels is not good enough for them to be actually viewable which is a shame but not the TV's fault(I suppose a aerial upgrade is required).
My only real negative comments are as follows. I have an old Humax 9200T connected and I find the EPG far more advanced on that than I do on the Samsung. For example when I change channel the EPG on the Samsung does not actually tel you what program your now watching or how far into the program you are (you have to go into the EPG or press info), both of which the Humax does by default when flicking. Also I find the picture when watching on the Humax via the scart to be a little darker than when viewing the Samsung natively (I can adjust this of course but it will adjust the entire set. This I think is due to the up scaling of the Humax signal as the dark tint is not there on my DVD player which is being up sacled via the HDMI and looks great)
Overall a great TV, great features, great price, great service from Amazon. I'm very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend it. As a foot note I popped down to the local Curry's to see what sets they had there, well there still selling the standard Freeview (low def) TV's for the same price and there obviously older models. So its a real win win.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Impossible to set up the internet - Samsung's Customer Service is VERY POOR
Comment: Since I bought the TV I have been trying to use the Internet through the TV. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, a very simple wired connection is not working and the customer support is very poor. Regretable purchase.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Samsung LE40C650 - exceeding expectations
Comment: Long hours of research into LCD, Plasma and some LED televisions led to two highly recommended televisions. Panasonic's TX-P42G20B plasma was raved about for incredibly deep black levels, crisp picture quality and low input lag (always be careful to differentiate pixel response, always likely to be a very low number, from input lag which is essentially the time taken for the display to appear from an external source such as a DVD player or games console), but reading the negative feedback resulting from fading image quality of the predecessor, the G10, and noting the additional cost of the plasma, it eventually seemed like the wrong option. Similarly, LED TVs seemed to offer limited benefit for the greatly increased cost (the energy consumption would save as little as £10 a year if the figures were all to be believed, though people keen to hang their TV from the wall may appreciate the wafer-thin LED displays). Meanwhile, reviews for this Samsung TV were extremely positive, with only two areas of criticism: some reviewers felt the images were over processed, and many mentioned the possibility of high input lag which may affect gamers or those connecting separate video and audio output devices.
Having now had two weeks to test the TV, here are some comments on the two areas of criticism, and some further observations about this TV:
Input Lag - This Samsung TV does indeed suffer from uncomfortably high input lag (as do a large number of modern TVs) when all the default settings are selected. However, in the Plug and Play menu, there is an option to select Game Mode. This TV-saving feature results in no noticeable reduction in picture quality when playing games (several features, such as motion plus, are switched off to allow swifter processing, but these tend to be features that benefit regular television watching, as opposed to games which do not necessarily benefit from such additions). The input lag is reduced significantly, to the point where it is certainly no longer an issue. There may be some gamers, amassing thousands of kills in Modern Warfare 2, who might notice the lag more than I do, but as a keen gamer myself, I've noticed no issue with the lag with Game Mode on. Handily, different input selections (such as HDMI 1) remember whatever settings you select, so you do not always need to fiddle around with the settings for your current activity.
Over-processed picture - A more minor worry highlighted in some reviews was that some people may view the picture as being too heavily processed, though this one is very subjective. Initially, the ultra-smooth picture resulting from the Motion Plus settings (granting this TV the 100Hz badge, though bear in mind that the input is never likely to reach that refresh rate, so the TV is having to propagate its own information) didn't seem quite right. People seemed to be moving too quickly on screen, which was perhaps due to the increased TV size in the room. The effect was lessened with Motion Plus off, though it's actually a feature I've grown to appreciate simply because it's so smooth. Crucially, all options are highly configurable, so while the Motion Plus looks incredible for sports broadcasts, users may want to switch it off for close-up dramas or games - it's down to the user. I actually really like the picture quality and the processing applied. I found many Sony displays somewhat washed-out, but love the vibrance and colour of the Samsung.
A quick list of some favourite features:
Picture in Picture - the PIP options with the TV are pretty good, allowing you to choose a corner of the TV, and size for your PIP. Hook up an HDMI source, and it's easy to choose a channel to watch at the same time. You can also easily switch between audio sources. If you've ever found the build up to an F1 race a little slow, try playing a few games with the F1 build up in one of the corners - it's the most productive, efficient way I've ever tackled time-wasting activities.
The panel itself - is gorgeous! It's a bit embarrassing to use that word, but it truly is. It's got a glossy, almost glassy finish, that looks absolutely superb. Reflection might seem an issue compared with the matte finish of many LCDs, but when the TV is on (equipped with flexible backlight options) there's no noticeable issue from reflection (but I guess that'll be dependent on your room setup). I'll be honest, and admit that I didn't really understand why people were worried about different panel types (apparently there is an SQ01, an AA and a B panel that can be supplied with the TV, apparently the case with many TVs, and some claimed the SQ01 was better, while others said nobody would notice the difference). One thing I can say is that, having ordered from Amazon, the panel supplied was an SQ01, leading to a snobby feeling I don't quite understand. Perhaps this information will be useful to somebody though.
Text and Guides - my previous LCD had incredibly slow teletext, and a higly-unreliable guide. However, the Samsung loads everything very quickly, and the guide is always complete and easy to access (I particularly like the option to select future programmes that the TV will then automatically switch to at the correct time). One minor point to criticise is that good old fashioned channel hopping can still be fun, and the standard pop-up in the corner (with channel number and name) doesn't display the "what's on now" title. Still, it's a minor thing, and is encouraging me to use the more-efficient guide. I've not had much need for the TV's internet connectivity, and didn't consider a major purchase incentive, however there are some handy options to have. It's worth noting that it's always going to be the hardest bit to guarantee operation, because many routers and be quite picky about what they interact with. Still, there are numerous reviews reporting people's success with a variety of video formats passed to the TV, including mkv, though several windows media types are reportedly not supported (not tested by myself).
A vast array of handy settings - the TV isn't stuck as you first find it. The factory settings are pretty amazing, to be honest, but a little online research and some trial and error will see people get even more from their sets, suited to the environment the TV inhabits. Backlight levels, black levels, motion plus, all the usual suspects (contrast, brightness etc.) and a whole host of other options are available.
Blu-rays look incredible - though this replicates the praise about the panel it's worth noting just how good games and blu-rays look, displayed in 720p or 1080p. Black levels are mighty for an LCD (I'm not sure many of us would be able to see the difference with a decent plasma), and everything just looks stunning. Watching Star Trek on blu-ray led to multiple jaw-drop moments - it's worth buying a blu-ray player just to get even more from the TV. Meanwhile, games like Demon's Souls look even more atmospheric, and the same can be said for Rapture in Bioshock 2 - incredible stuff.
Freeview HD - the TV comes with Freeview and Freeview HD. Though there aren't a massive number of HD channels yet, the quality of BBC, ITV and CH4 HD channels is impressive, and a nice addition.
In summary:
Truthfully, the right television is dependent on the intended viewers, and it's often worth checking out particular models in stores (and even asking if you can fiddle with the settings) before committing to a purchase on a place like Amazon (who, for their part of the service provided, ensured a rapid delivery and a smooth purchase). I can't fault this television and would recommend it to anybody. My final piece of advice would be to read as many reviews as possible, but to draw the line at some point. If you continue to trawl the internet, you'll always, always find somebody unhappy with a product, and making a decision about a television only gets harder with every review you read. Good luck!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It's just a TV
Comment: I recived my TV a lot quicker then expected, ordered on the Thursday and selected the free delivery (5 plus working days), but got it delivered on the Saturday. Sounds good? But as I didnt expect to be delivered on a Sat I had decided to have it delivered to my work address, so I didnt actually get it until the Tuesday.
Once unpacked it looks good, but because the wires are on the left side and right side of the back, its visrtually impossible to completely hide them.
Just a standard TV, the 100hz rate doesn't make hardly any difference, so go for the cheaper model, and I have noticed some funny "blurry moments" where the screen seems to do a bit of a slow mo thing. And when watching fast moving credits its a complete blur, which was a huge shock to me as I would have expected it to be crystal clear, like my older TV's.
There is no power off button, it is always on standby, which doesn't seem very green to me. Also, not sure if this has anything to do with the TV, but since tuning my sky remote into my TV my Sky remote takes about five mins of pressing before it works with Sky, like what happens when you loose power to your Sky box.
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