Customer Reviews

Samsung LNT4042H 40-Inch LCD HDTV

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

This TV has cheaply made, inferior parts that frequently fail after a year or two. For more info check [...] or just web search "samsung clicking sound" or samsung won't turn on".

Basically, the cheap capacitors on the TV break after about 2 years of normal use. It leads to the TV no longer turning on. This can be fixed by replacing a few defective parts (they will cost about $1.50 each), but unless you are experienced with soldering electronic boards, you'll have to pay someone to do it for you. Total cost will be around $200 through Samsung or your retail outlet, or you can take it to a repair shop and spend $50 to $100.

Samsung is well aware of this problem and unwilling to help the hundreds of thousands of customers who have had to deal with this issue. Factory warranty is for 1 year, and the parts conviently seem to last around 2 years. Samsung will not offer any help other than overpriced repair.

BTW - Based on my web research, this seems to be a problem with many samsung models, not just this one in particular. Buy Samsung TV's at your own risk.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

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.

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.

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.

3 HDMI, QAM tuner, Great picture quality, great price, etc..... I could go on and on with this TV. I use this mainly for HD-DVD and Xbox 360 and the picture is amazing. It's not 1080p but i really don't see the difference. I'm picking HD broadcast thru analog cable and it works great. 1080p can wait especially when the prices go down. But if you need an HDTV now, pick up this one, you won't regret it.

I bought this item here on Amazon for a few hundred cheaper than at the best electronics store and I have to say that it is a great buy for the buck. This TV is not the best LCD out there, since it is not 1080P with the highest contrast ratio, but for someone who does not care to have the best resolution, you woudn't even notice that it is not 1080P. It has sharp contrast, great picture (as long as the program/DVD is in HD), and even 480i broadcasts/movies look quite good. If you're not looking for the state of the art item, but rather a good quality TV at a good value, I would highly recommend this TV.

UPDATE: 1/20/11 I want to add that it's been almost 4 years since I purchased this TV and it has outlasted two others that I purchased after wards (1080P and different brands). I use this TV for at least 8-10 hours a day as my main computer/gaming monitor and it has not given me any issues. No regrets with this purchase.

This is my first review but I did a lot of research. Trust me. I returned a 42" 1080p Vizio for this model. I know I stepped down in resolution but resolution doesn't mean much when you don't have a good contrast ratio. And like others have said most can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at this size. I have this hooked up to my PS3 and it looks so much better than the Vizio. I highly recommend this tv. I got it at best buy for $1538.00 after tax, a mid range hdmi cable, and a four year in home service plan. I would also like to say that having 3 hdmi connections pushes it over the edge. I now have my digital cable, dvd player, and PS3 all hooked up via hdmi. PlayStation 3 (60GB)

I did a lot of research on TVs in this price range and size. I chose this TV based on the reviews and specs of this product compared to many other comparable LCD / HDTVs. The Samsung LNT4042H delivers picture and sound at a terrific price. After all the research, this TV has all the bells and whistles and even Samsung does not list all the important features on their website. Amazing in every way!