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

Received the TV from the shipper with no problems. The driver pulled the TV out of the box and plugged it in to see if it was working (it doesn't necessarily have to be connected to your cable to test it, just plugged in). This is recommended before you sign for the TV. If the TV doesn't work, you don't sign for it and he takes it back. Mine worked perfectly out of the box.

The picture is fantastic. I calibrated the TV using the THX calibration menu in the DVD movie "Toy Story" (you can order the blue calibration glasses at the THX website--www.thx.com for a few dollars). The picture looked even better after that. The picture is very bright (I usually have it turned down a few notches in brightness using the "energy saving" modes) and clear and the colors vivid. Black is very black as it should be. I would say this is a better picture then the 1500 dollar Panasonic Plasma TH-50PX75U I bought for my dad--if only because of the greater brightness-but also because to me the TV looks sharper (true,the Samsung is 1080p resolution-but experts keep telling me I shouldn't be able to see a difference at this screen size) and the colors truer to life. There's dozens of settings you can tweak with this set so you can get things just right. Sound is good, but not great. I have no problems with the sound. Besides, you can always add a home theater sound system that beats any built in sound. The red colored frame is very subtle and looks good. The remote is easy to use with big, lighted keys. The remote has a navigation wheel, which is a little tricky to use, but works well once you get used to it. You will probably be using your cable or satellite company supplied remote most of the time anyway.

I can't say if the less expensive, but similar Samsung LCD models would be any different in picture quality then this model (IE, the models without the 120 Hz feature?), as I did not compare them. The 120 HZ feature, which is designed to smooth the picture during picture movement, in my opinion, is very subtle. I've compared the picture with 120HZ on and off. In some programming you can notice a smoother picture and some you can not. I think overall the feature is desirable. I just leave the setting on all the time as it does not seem to degrade the picture in any noticeable way, as some others have said.

In any case, I can tell you with all honesty that you will love this TV!Get more detail about Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color.