Low Price Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

I've had this TV for about a week. Amazon free shipping delivered in under a week to my CA address. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. SD TV looks only okay, but that's to be expected. (Curiously, I get a better SD picture using the COAX cable, than through the HDMI). The HD picture is superb. (Through cheapo HDMI cables found on Amazon - forget the $50 ones they push in stores) Razor sharp definition. I'm glad I spent the extra bucks to get the 50,000:1 contrast model over the cheaper 30,000:1. Blacks appear deep and dark - a significant improvement over my old 42" 720 LG model. I find myself sticking to the HD channels, which isn't hard, considering the major networks (and my favorite shows) all have their HD versions.

I can't comment on the Blueray picture, but having watched it on the larger Series 6 model in-store, I know it's amazing. Until I can splurge on a machine, regular DVDs on a regular (ie: non-upconverting) DVD player look good. Not HD quality, but definitely not unwatchable - which I feared they might be. My Xbox 360 looks stupidly good. Plugged in Forza racing game and the picture blew me away. Animation is perfect - no artifacts or blurring.

I'm on the fence with the 120Hz feature. Watched HD tennis and the ball looks like Haley's comet with or without 120Hz. Maybe there's a subtle improvement, but IMHO don't base your decision on this alone. The bezel concerned me, especially since I have windows along one side of my living room 5' from the TV. I needn't have worried - the "touch of red" is subtle. Not the neon red one posted pic seemed to portray. It only really appears towards the outside edges of the bezel and is a kind of dark cherry red. It compliments my natural wooden TV console. The absolute edge is clear, which gives the TV a very classy, distinct look, which sets it apart from all the other TVs out there. But if you just HAVE to have everything black, maybe go for a different model.

Sound is good enough for a small space. Even my games have plenty of clear volume. Until I invest in surround sound, it's more than adequate. Not tinny or harsh.

FYI: the pedestal is 24"x12 1/2". (I couldn't find this info and was concerned the thing would be too big for my small console). I thought the oval shape would look odd, being used to rectangular bases, but it is very sleek and IMO draws less attention to itself being that shape. Good if you can't/won't mount the set.

PROS:
Superb HD picture.
Sleek, attractive design.
Deep blacks.
Good sound.
Good preset picture modes (Sports, Game, Cinema, Standard)
Picture size - yes, you can stretch-to-fit (good for broadcasts or older movies which don't monopolize all that beautiful LCD landscape)

CONS:
Takes about 15sec to start up. (even my 17yr old Volvo starts faster than that!)
Changing video source (eg: from DVD to TV) takes 5-7 seconds (not the end of the world, but could be faster, surely)
Picture-in-Picture only works with analog TV signal (if you have cable or satellite, which you will have for an LCD - duh - it's useless. Plus, PIP will be redundant in 2009 when all broadcasts go digital)
Remote - yes, it's not great. But you don't have to use the track wheel at all. Problem solved.

SUMMARY: The cons are so minor, they can't lower my experience of this TV. I don't need the TV to turn on within a second. My life's not THAT busy. Same for switching video source. Changing channels, by the way, is as fast as my old tube TV, and faster than my old LG LCD. If you've spent hours toying over this decision, just buy it. I love this thing. I've spent hours and hours in front of it and I've only had it a week. My only regret - I wish they'd dropped the price on the 46" model 2 weeks ago. For an extra couple hundred $$, I would've bought that one instead!Get more detail about Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color.