- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 14 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
3.5 stars
"Awesome, if you're watching front and center."
Pros: High definition picture quality, tv's looks when off.
Cons: Limited prime viewing angles, reflective frame.
Summary: First, the good news.
The picture quality on over the air HDTV programs, using my large rooftop antenna, can be spectacular. This is after playing with the picture settings-there are a lot of settings to adjust. The picture quality on over the air stations varies. Some HDTV looks fantastic, some looks definitely less than fantastic, but still good. So far, from what I have seen, local news in high definition beats other high definition programs such as Leno, Letterman, and prime time dramas.
People, on a 40 inch HDTV, there is no need to get a 1080p tv (1920 x 1080 pixels). 720p tv's (1366 x 768) like this LN-T4053H, are all you need. Don't buy into the hype. A 40" 720p tv has 39 pixels per linear inch, and a 40" 1080p set has 55 pixels per linear inch. There is NO WAY that anyone can see a difference between 39 and 55 pixels per inch, unless they are watching the tv from three feet away or closer. Save your money. On a much larger tv, then you could see a difference, IF you had a 1080p source. But on a 40 incher, no way.
I like Samsung's reputation for a great combination of high quality and not so high prices on their LCD HDTV's. I like the looks of the curves on the 2007 models, as opposed to the sharp edges and corners on the 2006 models like the LN-S4092D, for example. The glossy black frame around the screen looks great when the tv is OFF.
The ability to freeze a frame of live TV is cool. Maybe there is somebody hot in high definition that you want to examine more closely
The sound on the hidden, built in speakers will go to a quite loud level. But since there is nowhere to hide 12 inch woofers on this beauty, the bass is not as great as what most people would prefer to hear. If you need to hear more bass, hook up the tv to an external amplifier or home theater.
The tv's base was already attached to the tv in the shipping box.
Now the bad news.
When I get a great HDTV signal, as I sit dead center to the screen, the picture has a glossy look, like a plasma, but there are no reflections off of the screen. Depending on the source quality, the picture can be awesome! But as I sit there eight feet from the screen, if I move two feet to my right or left, or if I stand up, the glossy look fades to a flatter, hazier look. As if the contrast was suddenly turned way down. Like, well, what a lot of LCD computer monitors do if you move to the side and look at the screen. This doesn't bother me, because I sit dead center to the screen. But I wanted to mention this because most people want the picture to be visible at its best over a wide seating area, so that multiple people can watch the tv at the same time, and have all of the people seeing the same high quality picture. The sweet spot for the best picture viewing, then, is two people wide, at an eight foot distance. This is important for most people, which is why I only gave this tv a seven.
The tv's frame is a glossy, piano black. When watching the tv, the reflections on the frame from lights in the room, or sunlight, are hard to ignore. Why, oh why, Samsung, can't you just make flat black frames?
- 2 replies to this review
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1080p may not be needed on a 40" TV (I haven't checked) but the '65 series provides a better picture, better blacks, and truer color than it's less expensive sibling.
Worth the extra money? That's up to the buyer. -
I found you review very helpful and thought provoking. I will be buying a Samsung this weekend - more specifically a 40" model. I was curious that when you wrote your review in April if the newer 65f and 66f series had been released yet. As all I am hearing is that the 6 series is amazing and a big upgrade from the 53H. What are your thoughts on the 65f or 66f series? Is it a waste of money in your opinion?
I will be anxiously awaiting your reply.
thanks
Samsung LN-T4053H:
