Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV

Review by Ryan Leonard for Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Rating:
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.

Review by Ben Kelley for Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Rating:
I did a ton of research on all different kinds of TVs, from DLP to LCD to Plasma, as well as Sony vs. Samsung vs. Panasonic, etc. I decided that I wanted to stay at about the $1,000 price range, which I thought meant that either I could get a smaller version of a really nice TV, or a bigger version of a not-so-good TV. As I found out, this wasn’t the case. I ended up finding a great TV for a reasonable price.

I decided against DLP, partially because of the screen door effect (when you’re close enough, gridlines are very visible), and also because you have to replace a bulb every 6,000 hours or so (about every 3 years). Plus, DLP and LCD rear projection TVs only last about 40,000-45,000 hours. Compare this to LCD, which will last 60,000 hours (about 30 years) without ever having to pay for a bulb.

I decided against Plasma, partially because of the burn-in issue, and the fact that they’re heavier and less energy-efficient that LCDs. I also believe LCDs have caught up in terms of picture quality.

After looking extensively for about two months, the conclusion I came to was that this Samsung LCD had very comparable picture quality to the Sony and the Sharp, each of which would’ve cost several hundred dollars more for the same size. I decided on the Samsung after seeing many of my friends buying from them and being very satisfied with their purchases.

I purchased it on sale at Ultimate Electronics for $1259. True, the price was lower on Amazon, but I didn’t feel comfortable buying something like this from an online store.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the TV (as you can tell by the 5 star rating). It is an exceptional value, with a 7000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 3 HDMI ports. The sleek black frame makes this TV look beautiful even when it’s off. And when I play my DVDs with my Sony Upconverting DVD player (model DVPNS77H/B, $99 at Target), it looks absolutely amazing, producing a near-HD picture from a standard DVD.

Here are my picture settings for watching movies:

Picture: Movie

Contrast: 80

Brightness: 44

Sharpness: 15

Color: 56

Tint: G54-R46

Backlight: 9

Color Tone: Warm1

Black Adjust: Medium

Dynamic Contrast: High

Gamma: 0

Color Space: Wide

White Balance: 15 All

Color Control: 15 All

Edge Enhancement: Off

Digital NR: Auto

HDMI Black Level: Low

Energy Saving: Auto

Hope this helps you make a decision.

Review by Brian for Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Rating:
The 40” Samsung LNT4042H is the first HDTV I’ve ever purchased, and I couldn’t be happier. I wanted a TV in the 37” to 42” range, and I did a ton of research on many makes and models. Some sets were less expensive, some were more, but this Samsung is “just right” when it comes to price, size, features, and quality.

The TV is set up in a small living room, and at the moment, we view more SD content than HD shows. We will soon be getting an HD box from Comcast, but right now the coax cable from the wall is plugged right into the TV. SD programming looks surprisingly good – much, much better than I thought it would look. Standard Def on some HDTVs looks absolutely horrid and unwatchable, but this Samsung does a great job of making SD content look good, which was important for us. We also get many digital channels and a few HD channels all for free with the TV’s built in tuner. The HD of course is much better than the SD, but everything on this TV looks good.

Even the sound is great. Most HDTVs aren’t recognized for their sound quality, as everyone expects you to add external speakers to your set. But we’re not planning to do that anytime soon, and the Samsung’s sound quality makes this unnecessary. Of course, it can’t match a true 5.1 speaker setup, but I’m very happy with the very nice sound coming from the Samsung’s speakers.

I also bought a Sony DVP-NS77HB upconverting DVD player to go along with this TV, since I have a large library of standard DVDs. I’m not ready to jump to HD-DVD or Blu Ray yet, but right now there’s no need to, since regular DVDs look incredible on this TV when connected to the Sony with an HDMI cable. Just be sure not to pay the ridiculous high prices that some stores charge for cables. I got my HDMI gold plated cable for less than 8 bucks shipped.

And as mentioned, don’t be fooled by people trying to sell you on 1080p. Many viewers say that if your TV is less than 60” in size and if you sit at least 10 feet from the screen, 1080p won’t give you any noticeable difference in picture quality. For a 40” TV in a living room, 1080p just isn’t worth it, IMO. Besides, a good solid 720p set with a nice contrast ratio (like this Samsung) will look better than a cheaply made 1080p set any day.

All in all, I’m very pleased with this Samsung HDTV. I honestly don’t think I could have made a better choice. No matter if you’re an HDTV newbie or an old pro, the 4042H is definitely a set to consider.

Review by G. Sloan for Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Rating:
PROS:

* Beautiful picture, even from non-HD sources

* Full color, contrast, brightness and backlight controls

* stylish design

* Good selection of inputs

CONS:

* Glare off of plastic frame. It doesn’t affect the picture, but can be distracting.

* Slow response time when flipping between input sources

* # of inputs is misleading (some connections are actually the same input, sharing a single audio-in)

OVERVIEW:

In the store, this was clearly the best picture in the price range, and even competed with some more expensive models from other brands. The whole Samsung line was a step above the others. At 40″, it’s perfect for a bedroom or a medium sized living room.

The key for me is how well it handles an SD picture. We have yet to take the plunge and get any HD components, so this was important. It does a fantastic job, beyond pleased with the results.

Can’t recommend this TV strongly enough.

Review by Jeff Pittman for Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV
Rating:
Bought this for my mom and it was a great buying/delivery experience and a great product. No tax and no shipping charges. “White glove” delivery includes unpacking and placement and packaging haul-away, but not configuration/setup with other equipment (which I didn’t expect anyway). Picture is spectacular. I gave only 4 stars because the audio quality was disappointing vs. my own JVC LCD – the Samsung has decent midrange and highs, but there’s just no bass there – and because (as another reviewer noted) the glossy finish on the cabinet is highly reflective and is distracting in a bright room. These are quibbles, though, as mom is delighted with the TV and I would be happy to own one myself.