Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

Review by Paul Pacis for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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I have literally been following the prices of HDTV’s for about a year now, and there is no better time for an upgrade! Samsung just released their new “C” series, and somehow they are remarkably less expensive than their pre-existing models! The majority of the websites are selling this HDTV for $800+, Amazon’s lower-than-low price is less than the rest of the market. I purchased it here on Amazon, and received my HDTV in 5 days (could have been 4 days, but I had school all day). CEVA did the shipping for my HDTV, which I was wary at first because I have only dealt with UPS and Fedex. However, CEVA provided excellent customer service as they did contact me and I verbally specified a delivery time. Packaging was very efficient, and surprisingly light too!

For those who prefer using TV stands, you do have to assemble it on your own. Extremely easy to assemble though! All it took was 9 screws (already in the box) and I recommend using a power-screwdriver. Directions said it required two people, I did it solo! I was just eager to hook up my PS3 via HDMI cable and experience the wonderful world of 1080P.

Okay, now for the specifics and why this HDTV deserves a spot in your living room – As I mentioned before, right up to my purchase I extensively followed the quality and price of several HDTVs. The Samsungs 530, 550, 630, 650. The Samsung 630 is the best deal for your money, here’s why: The 5 series is less expensive, but only offers refresh times of 60Hz as compared to the 630 which is 120Hz. This is a big difference, and means that your HDTV with 120Hz displays at least twice as many frames-per-second which makes movies, not only sports, very fluid and more realistic. Another difference is the response time, where as the 5 series has a 6ms response time, the 6 series has a 4ms response time. And if you are a gamer, a difference of 2ms can make a big difference. So why the Samsung 630 and not the 650? The only difference now is the contrast ratio. The 630 comes with a 80,000:1 contrast ratio which in my opinion, still creates an extraordinary depth to the display. TV contrast ratio’s are starting to become stable around the 70,000 – 100,000 range (or much higher for LEDs). Whereas, 3 years ago the highest was around 10,000 but kept constantly rising. So this HDTV is very much future proof. Yes, the 650 has a higher contrast ratio, but is it worth the extra $200 something dollars?

All in all, if you’re not worried about price, go all out and purchase a LED HDTV. But if you want to shop smart, this HDTV is the way to go.

Review by KS for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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I did a lot of research for TV’s in this price range. I’ve bought a few plasmas and LCD’s previously, and this TV blows them all away. This is a great price point, size and brand name TV. You can’t go wrong really, you will most certainly be satisfied. The 120hz setting on Clear works best, otherwise gives your TV content a weird soap opera look, so either set it to Clear or turn it off. This LCD works great with a PS3 also, and supports 1080p/24hz resolution, so when you watch blurays, the picture is crystal clear. If you experience any input lag when playing games (delay from button press to action on screen), try setting the source name of your PS3 to PC, it seems to fix that issue pretty well.

The sound on this TV is very robust and clear, although when watching blurays I have to turn it up to hear dialogs, which then makes action sequences really loud, but it’s not a big deal.

The design of this TV is just awesome. It has the glass bezel and gloss table top, definitely one of the best looking TV’s that I’ve ever seen. The stand also swivels, which is something every TV should have, but usually don’t.

The remote works well, and is very sturdy. The onscreen menus are very clear and even provide descriptions to most of the settings so you don’t need to try and figure out what certain settings do.

Its a pretty thin and light panel too, so if your mounting it, it should stay pretty flat on the wall.

I’ve got nothing but positives to say about this set, its worth every penny, and I’m usually very critical about electronics, but I’d recommend this LCD to anyone. It doesn’t look that great out of the box, but after a week of playing with the color settings, I think the picture has been perfected.

UPDATE

Here are my picture settings for anyone that needs a little help getting started

Mode: Standard

Backlight: 14

Contrast: 80

Brightness: 40

Sharpness: 20

Color: 51

Tint: G48/R52

Eco Solution: all off

Edge Enhancement: off

Digital Noise Filter: Low (though I’m sure auto is about the same)

MPEG Noise: Low

Color Tone: Normal (some people seem to like the Warm settings)

Auto Motion Plus 120HZ: Clear (though some people might like this more OFF)

If you have any adjustments to these, let me know

Review by Is2r for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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For being my first HDTV, I am more than happy with my purchase. I was debating for months to get the LN40B630, but the price didn’t come back down to below $800. Searching Amazon, I saw this year’s model for less than last year’s model, so I decided it was time to get one. I’m more than impressed by what this TV can do: already I have hooked my PS3 and DVD player up to it. The visuals are absoulutley outstanding — I feel like I’m actually there. Reading reviews from last year’s model, I saw negative comments about sound quality; this year’s model, in my opinion, exceeds expectations.

Amazon had this delivered to me in under a week with super saver shipping — I couldn’t ask for better. Out of the box the stand was easy to install: just slip the TV over the guide stand, screw in, and you’re good to go. Setup up was easy; the only thing I have an issue with so far is that you can’t go directly to a different source/input unless the TV is picking up a signal from the device. Starting up other equipment and then having to select the input again is a bit annoying because you miss the start up unless you leave it on that input. Not sure if I’ve calibrated it right though, at this point, it seems fine and looks fantastic with some of the default settings. The manual isn’t very informative in setting most of the options; still being new to HDTV’s, I have to look up guides on how to optimize it for different viewing situations.

I can’t say for sure if this TV is better than all the rest or how it matches up, but side to side at electronic stores it had the best picture in mine and my spouse’s opinions. The Allshare feature is also a nice addition: I am able to stream files from my network devices on to the TV with only having to run an ethernet cord to the router. In conclusion, I beleive this TV will be more then enough for at least the next 3 years until I consider an upgrade, and I mean a BIGGER upgrade ^.^ Thanks Samsung!

Review by michibilly for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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Up until two weeks ago, I loved this TV. I upgraded from a 32 inch non-HD/non-flat screen TV. The picture quality is wonderful, the sound was really good, but I hooked it up to a Yamaha receiver anyway.

Here’s what happened. A little over two weeks ago we had been watching the TV, and then left to go outside to do some yard work. After dinner we decided to watch a movie so I turned on the TV. Nothing. Usually when a Samsung TV is off, there is a small red light. When you turn it on, the picture emerges and the little red light goes off. No red light. I unplugged the TV from the power supply and plugged it directly into an outlet (the DVD was on the same power strip and was working). Then I took the power cord off and went into the kitchen and plugged it into the little Samsung TV in there. Worked great. Dang. I pulled out the TV information and the TV was still under warranty. I called Samsung.

After just a few seconds on hold a real person answered and I explained the dead power supply problem. She told me somebody would call me in three to five working days to arrange for the repair. WHAT? Three to five days just to talk to somebody to schedule a repair???? NINE days later somebody finally called and said that my ‘ticket’ would be sent to troubleshooting. WHAT? After nine days, still no appointment for repair???? On day twelve I got a call from a repair guy from a local business contracted to do the repair, and he asked me if the part, the power supply, had come yet. WHAT? What part? I called Samsung again and they gave me the number of GURU, the company they contract to do their repairs, and the company that subcontracts to other local repair services. I now realize that I’m twice-removed from Samsung and NOBODY is coordinating this repair but ME.

I call GURU again after two weeks, and the part has not yet been ordered!!!!! Two weeks after my initial call and the part isn’t ordered yet???? WHY NOT? Nobody knew why it wasn’t ordered by GURU so they immediately blamed Samsung. Now I’m thinking Samsung is stalling until the warranty runs out, which will happen in about two weeks. Why in the world would there have to be so many layers of uncoordinated mayhem to do a simple swap of a power supply? I’m guessing sometime within the next month or two somebody will fix this TV, and I’m guessing it will be about a 15 minute job.

When the TV worked we loved it. The picture quality was great and the sound was pretty good as well. It has nice features that were pretty easy to figure out and setup. However, would I buy another one? Probably not.

Review by Aggie Anesthesiologist for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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“I’m an everyday user, i.e. NOT a technophile. I did some research before buying, but at the end of the day, I wanted something I could enjoy without spending a fortune, and I’m happy with what we got. Some tips on buying your TV, whether this one or another:

1) 120 Hz refresh rate — great for future-proofing, but realize that your cable box may not yet transmit in anything faster than 60 Hz. I don’t know if this is different for satellite or antenna transmissions. Also, make sure you buy an appropriate HDMI cable that supports 120 Hz…this should be listed on the package. (Although it may not be needed now, it will be when the cable boxes update again.)

2) 1080p — crystal-clear picture when watching 720p or 1080i programming (nothing on cable is shot in 1080p yet) or 1080p Blu-Ray video. The picture is almost kind of eerie at first, sort of like a soap opera-type appearance, which can be unusual if you’re not used to it. I adjusted to it quickly, but it took my wife some time. In the store, ask them to show you something on the airwaves in full HD, or have them run a standard DVD if you think you’ll be watching that some via your Blu-Ray player. It is definitely an adjustment.

3) Sound — always a knock on TVs, though for my purposes, it’s fine (it’s in our living room, not our media room). I really like the “night” option for the sound; it keeps the sounds from ebbing-and-flowing as dramatically, i.e. from conversation to a car chase, which is nice when you have kids in bed.

4) Computer connectivity — I have a laptop with HDMI output, so we have connected that the TV and watched something streaming from websites. You can pay extra for “internet connectivity” applications like Netflix, Blockbuster, etc., though since we already had that with our Blu-Ray, we didn’t duplicate with the TV. The easy computer connectivity is a nice feature.”

Review by Ian for Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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Did a lot of research on TVs before I decided to get this one. Was not excited about the 120hz TVs; do not like the soap opera/camcorder motion. I was debating if I should get the internet options with the apps on the other models, but I have a PS3 so it wasnt worth paying for the extra features. So I got this 60hz LCD and I have no regrets! The picture this TV produces are amazing, especially on Blu Ray. I watched my New Zealand vacation videos on it and it really brings out the colors and makes my video look even more movie like. Avatar looks amazing on it as well. I got it for $640 and worth every dime.

Review by W. G. Michel for Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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I realize that this is probably a “guy thing” but this remote is the quickest responding remote of any flat screen I’ve seen. It also has a “favorite” button where you can easily program it to just scan your favorite channels. I got this TV for my mother and was so pleased with it, that I ordered another for myself before they change anything. I’m really happy. I’ve also bought the Western Digital TV Live device for $119 at Amazon. This allows me to view my digital pictures on my 40″ Samsung TV via the inexpensive $2.63 HDMI cable. Wow!

Review by Jennifer P. Jackson for Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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We had a 52″ Samsung that we purchased for my mother-in-law. We’ve watched TV on it for 2 years and are extremely happy with it. For this reason, we decided to stick with Samsung. This 40″ TV fits our space perfectly and after comparing a 60hz LCD HDTV side-by-side (playing the exact same nature DVD) with a 120hz, I did not notice any difference. Since the 60hz was about $150 less, I decided on this TV. We are extremely happy with it.

We only watch TV — we don’t do gaming, watch DVDs, nor do we have a Blu-Ray. So, we’re pretty basic TV watchers. The picture is excellent from all viewing angles — no distortion. My girlfriend came over 2 nights ago and wants to order a Samsung for her Mom. I don’t think you can go wrong if you are basic TV watchers like us! By the way, I’m not sure if I can say this here but I priced this TV at Walmart for $674.00 online, however, through Amazon, we didn’t have to pay any shipping costs nor taxes! Amazon, by far, had the least expensive price over Best Buy, Walmart and any other online merchant. The delivery guys took the TV out of the box, set it up and made sure it did turn on. They were great. Getting it to sync up with Dish TV and the Dish Remote was another matter but 2 phone calls to Dish was all it took. We had it up and running in an hour or so. Excellent buying experience!

Review by Hilldy Shaw for Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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I haven’t bought a television in 13 years and I wanted to make sure I got one that would last me at least another decade without breaking the bank. I did my homework and waited patiently for a price dip on a Samsung, which all the reviewers say are the best. I picked this one up for just over $600 and I’m so happy with it! Personally, I’m not interested in the technology race–I just want great picture quality and a set that is reliable and easy to operate. That’s precisely what this is, with a fair amount of bells and whistles to boot.

Review by Cynthia Nill for Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
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The Freight service that Amazon used to deliver the 40 inch Samsung TV was outstanding. They called the day before delivery to confirm their delivery date, then they called on the delivery date to confirm a two hour delivery period. The gentlemen who delivered the TV took it out of the box, set the TV up and disposed of the box. Top notch service. The TV picture and sound quality are outstanding. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase; the price, the value for the money and the quality of the television have all met or exceeded my expectations.Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)