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

I spent a lot of time shopping for an HDTV. Way too much time. I'm embarassed to admit the number of hours I put into my search. Because I'm cheap, I looked at some lower-end TVs (Vizio, Phillips, Toshiba, etc.) hoping to save a few bucks. After seeing the picture quality of those sets, I figured I'd spend the money to get a better one.

While out shopping one day, the Samsung 550 series caught my eye. I was really impressed with the picture quality and decided to go online to do a little more research. When I saw the 650 series was out, I knew I had to see it for myself. So, I searched some more and went to a few places that had it in stock. Seeing it in person was more than enough for me. The image was crystal clear. The bezel was gorgeous. The sound was marginal (then again, I was getting it to look at, more than to listen to).

One store had it next to the Sony XBR model. I'll be honest, I think the XBR had a slightly better picture. The XBR definitely had better sound. However, the $1,000 higher price tag at the store (about a $500 difference at Amazon) just wasn't worth it. The XBR was better, but just by the smallest of factors. So, the Samsung was definitely the right choice for me and my budget.

After seeing the price at Amazon for $1556, I couldn't buy it fast enough. A lot of people have shared horror stories about CEVA, but I didn't have any issues. They called me the day that it came to their warehouse and scheduled a delivery date. Since they couldn't deliver it for 3 more working days, I asked if I could come pick it up. "No problem," they said. The warehouse was only a dozen miles or so away, so I went and got it that night. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. They loaded it right into my car and I was on my way.

I have the TV in a fairly well-lit room and I don't think the glare is all that bad off the shiny surface. I was worried about it initially, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. Then again, we haven't had a super-sunny day, yet. The remote is a little awkward with the click-wheel feature, but I run everything through my Comcast cable remote. So, I'm really just using it to tweak the picture.

Here's what it all comes down to: this is an outstanding television. The picture is phenomenal. The sound is adequate. The price at Amazon is ridiculously good. Buy it.Get more detail about Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color.