368 of 372 people found the following review helpful:
A MUST BUY! Best TV available! Beautiful picture, no CLOUDING & great SOUND!
I had recently purchased the Samsung LN-S4095D 40" 1080p LCD HDTVfrom Amazon, but it had a good amount of back light issues exactly like the Sony XBR's. I have read that it sometimes goes away by itself after a few weeks of use. But after 3 weeks it was still cloudy. I shipped it back and received a full refund. I'd heard that the LNT-series of Samsung's were coming out...
Great picture, poor HDMI, terrible customer service
BE CAREFUL! First of all, I bought this from Amazon and I have no complaints...would do it again in a heart beat (Order, price, delivery, etc were great)! The 4065 LCD does have a great picture, however, the HDMI has been an issue for me. I have a Sanyo Xacti HD2 camcorder and wanted to show my video via the HDMI output to my new Samsung 4065. Well, the video looked...
I had recently purchased the Samsung LN-S4095D 40" 1080p LCD HDTVfrom Amazon, but it had a good amount of back light issues exactly like the Sony XBR's. I have read that it sometimes goes away by itself after a few weeks of use. But after 3 weeks it was still cloudy. I shipped it back and received a full refund. I'd heard that the LNT-series of Samsung's were coming out in March and that the problem had been resolved. After many in store demo's at BB and CC by asking the sales associates to hook up a blu-ray 1080p DVD (luckily they all had "Happy Feet" so they were exactly the same movie compared) I product tested the Samsung LNT4061F 40" 1080p LCD HDTV, the LNT4065F, and LNT4066. Along with two Sony's that caught my eye Sony KDL-40XBR2 40" Bravia XBR 1080p LCD HDTV,Sony KDL-40V2500 40" Bravia V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV. All were within my price range. But the Sony V2500 wasn't even close to standing with the Samsung LNT's. The XBR2 is great, but watch out for clouding which Sony will NOT admit is a problem, I recommend googling the XBR clouding problem before buying from SONY. If you're looking for the best all around TV (price, sound, picture quality, no CLOUDING, hook-up versatility(3x HDMI)) then the LNT4065 is the perfect TV for you. It has hidden side speakers that sound very rich and full. If you already have a sound system and prefer a matte finish to your TV get the LNT4061. The LNT4061 has poor sound from its hidden bottom speaker, but the matte screen is excellent to prevent glare. The LNT4065 has a semi-gloss screen, which makes the 15K:1 contrast ratio look amazing! I haven't had any glare problems at all. The only difference between the LNT4065 and LNT4066 is that the 66 has a different chasis. The internals are all the same. I've confirmed this through extensive research. The 65 has buttons on the top of it, while the 66 has pressure sensitive buttons on the bottom left corner. Not worth the extra money to me. PS2 and Gamecube games look fantastic on it. I don't have a Wii or PS3 to try on it yet, but I'll submit another review when I do. This TV is so versatile. So many features for sound, gaming, and picture quality. You can adjust everything you want. LCD is the only way to go, with this TV you get the CR of plasma without the ghosting! This is the TV to buy!
Big plus to Amazon. I bought the TV for $2199 and saw that a week later it was 1905 and they refunded the difference.
JUNE 5, 2007 UPDATE: I purchased a PS3 and a Wii and both look fantastic! The 1080p HDMI 1.3 look crystal clear, I've played Fear(720p), and Ninja Gaiden (1080p). The 1080p upconverting that the PS3 does with the recent firmware upgrade makes all of my regular DVD's look great, and my PS2 games look just as good. The Wii only uses RCA but it looks great with 480i. Zelda and the Wii Sports look fantastic. Having three HDMI ports really comes in handy with a PS3 and DirecTV (HDMI 1080i).
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After reviewing the traffic at avsforums on this TV and its competitors, I decided to go with the LNT4065. There were several comments about HDMI issues and still some clouding issues were reported with this model, but I took the plunge anyway. I am very glad I did - the TV is incredible. It is a pleasure to watch and brings life to all the material I have viewed on it.
Some basics about my configuration - I have three sources that I view on this TV - a PC, an XBox connected via Monster component cables, and digital cable from comcast.
Cable:
The SD material is surprisingly watchable, and HD content looks fantastic of course. For the first time in recorded history, my wife actually chose to sit on the couch and watch a baseball game for an hour because it was such a spectacular visual experience.
PC:
Best computer monitor experience I have ever had bar none. Black levels not quite as good as the 19" trinitrons I recently donated to goodwill. But in every other way, unbelievable. Digital photographs are miraculous.
Xbox:
This was the real surprise. Games suck - not the tvs fault, its the lack of HD game content for the first gen xbox. But I primarily use the xbox as an A/V device with Xbox Media Center and when paired with this TV the experience is incredible. I purchased an Oppo 981 along with the TV and in side-by-side comparisons with the same SD-DVDs XBMC schooled the Oppo in upsampling quality. I was actually very surprised that the Oppo so clearly came in second place to XBMC - so much that I spent about a week scouring the internet for setting recommendations on the Oppo to make sure I wasn't missing something. All I can say is that it will be a LONG time before I go out and upgrade all my DVD stuff to HD.
*Update: Well not that long it turns out. Planet Earth knocked me over in 1080p and single-handedly made the case for an HD player. So after wrestling with the format war for a couple weeks I went ahead and bought a Blu-Ray drive from amazon, and found an open box HD-DVD drive at circuit city for $90.00. Been really enjoying having both formats. Been spending a lot of time watching very nice looking movies.
Some technical thoughts on the TV:
- My TV displays some extremely minor clouding - we're talking nit-pick bigtime here (thanks for the OCD avsforums...hehe). I only notice it when these three stars align: 1) the room is completely dark, 2)the TV is displaying the completely black desktop of the PC display, 3) the backlight is set above 6 of 10. I find the whites disturbingly bright above this backlight level though. I am currently enjoying the picture quality and the backlight is set to 3 on all inputs (typically watch in a shadowed to dark room).
- The glossy screen may be distracting to some, but I find it very enjoyable. Even when you are watching the TV and are not consciously seeing any "reflections" I think the gloss causes the eye to perceive the TV as a glass plane instead of the typical screen door film texture of LCD - which strengthens this TVs visual likeness to CRT displays. The same thing helps plasmas I think. Also, apparently this glossy coating has a component that also helps the contrast ratio or black levels or something - remember reading that somewhere.
- Black levels are outstanding but shadow detail is still lost a bit. I am going to be honest - its very minimal but that is the only thing that remains a negative factor to the viewing experience. On DVD content the image transitions from the darks to black a bit too abruptly - instead of a smooth transition through the dark-color gradients. Put another way - imagine 10 is white and 0 is black with shades of gray in between. It appears as though the TV displays everything .5 and less as black. Maybe .25... not a distraction, but a very slight detraction - maybe results in my happiness being 4.85 stars out of 5. I will say that of all the LCD tvs I have viewed this TV handles blacks & shadows the best. It is definitely worth living with this minor flaw of LCD technology to get the perfection this TV exhibits in every other way.
- This unit is the closest thing to Plasma as I believe you can get in an LCD tv at this time - without the unacceptable baggage that comes with plasma. I owned a 42" plasma that I returned because I wasn't interested in spending 3k on a TV and then having to live with the following crap: can't lay the tv flat (ie lay the box on its side so it fits in back of your SUV); TV weighs 90 pounds even though its a "flat panel"; static images that are displayed on the screen for a couple hours become "ghosted" faintly in the plasma's picture for the next couple days until the display phosphors loose the memory effect. Sure, the "burn-in" issue is fixed, but the ghosting thing is still real annoying. Whatever.
To summarize: I couldn't be happier with this tv and feel it was well worth the purchase price. Amazon was a pleasure to buy from, and Eagle got the tv to me without any issues. A+
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When they delivered my LNT4065F I thought I had received the wrong TV. It looks like a plasma... By far, this TV blows all the other LCD TVs that I've seen. How many TVs can boast a 15000:1 contrast ratio.
The colors on this TV are stunning. The "dynamic" setting is almost too bright at night. The blacks and whites show up very nicely.
I am also surprised at how decent the quality is for upscaled DVDs (HDMI 1080i) and Tivo content.
When in 1080p mode, the quality is almost too good. While watching "King Kong" on HD-DVD, the detail was so amazing that the people looked blue-screened against the digital backgrounds. XBox 360 looks absolutely amazing in 1080p mode.
Although I use a surround sound system for my audio, my Tivo content runs the audio through the TV. The audio quality is very good for an internal system.
Extremely minor complaint: The TV's internal sound system only does 2 channel audio. However, there is a digital optical out for connecting to a surround sound system. I have not yet found a way to pass 5.1 channel sound through the unit's optical out. So when I play DVDs, I mute the TV's internal sound. For the price, quality and features, this is a very minor inconvenience that's perfectly tolerable.
The only complaints I had heard about older Samsung HDTVs were about the glowing blue Samsung LED on the front of the unit that could not be turned off. This unit fixes that with a menu option to keep off the external light. Nice!
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Pros:
Lots of options/settings when it comes to picture quality. Tons of inputs. 3 HMDI v1.3, 2 component, 2 composite, 1 VGA, 1 S-video, OTA and coax hookups. The HDMI, VGA, and component are compatible at 1080p with the tv. The picture itself is amazing. With all the tvs I physically looked at, this one just looked the best to me. Blacks look black, not grey. Aesthically it looks amazing too. Black finish along the tv, with the speakers hidden. I thought the sound quality, given where the speakers are located and the size of them, was exceptional (for factory tv speakers). No handshake or banding issues. No dead pixles. There are lots of options with size. I love how the tv auto syncs with other samsung equipment, allowing the use of just the tv control for everything. Have it connected to a 1080P samsung upconverter which works well.
Cons:
When using HDMI/DVI cable from my PC to the tv about once every 2 hours i will get a very quick pink or green flash. For some reason it is only from the PC, never from any other source, and does not happen when PC runs thru the VGA. I was disappointed with the PIP function. You can only watch TV (or any source run thru the coax) with PIP. IE, if your playing a PC game, u can watch TV. But you cant play a game and watch your DVD player thru PIP (dont know if this is consistent with other tvs thou, but I wish this one did). No ghosting with this tv, but on fast moving close ups you can see some pixilation. IE while watching a bball game, player makes a shot, camera zooms on his face as he runs down the court. Only time ever noticed this.
note: Eagle GL shipped my package. Package looked like it was handled properly, and they called me on time to deliver the package. However, i elected to pick it up Friday instead of having them deliver it Monday (they dont do weekends, dont ask me why). I was not very impressed with them when picking up the package. The lady at the desk did not even know how to let me sign for it! But package was unharmed, free dilvery by amazon.
Other notes:
4065 has a glass finish on it, which makes colors more vibrant and more realistic. However, for some people it may cause glare. I have had no glares problems when using proper lighting. One note with pixilation, happens on all LCDs. I have only noticed it a few times, on closeups on fast moving objects. One reason why I chose this tv, over the 4665 or any larger LCD, is the pixilation and ghosting become more apparent on larger screens with the same refresh rate. But like I said, practically none on this one and its smaller size of 40".
Conclusion:
Overall, a TV needs to have great Picture Quality, and this one has the best I have seen with tvs 40" and up.
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I've owned many LCD TV's and I have to say this is by far the most impressive yet! The black levels on it are comparable to a plasma, but without the worries of burn-in, I use it as a PC monitor with Vista Ultimate and it looks gorgeous @ 1920x1080. I also have an SA 8300HD DVR and I'm amazed how natural the flesh tones are, especially The Sopranos and Entourage. Letterman & Leno look crisp! Next investment is a 1080p HD/Bluray player. But for the time being I have an upconverting Sony DVD changer that looks great. With 3 HDMI inputs I've cut the cable clutter down by half! The built in media center "Wiselink" (USB Thumbdrive) is kinda lame, I wish it could play videos like Dvix, H.264 or WMV, but only reads mp3's and jpg's, maybe Samsung will add new features with the built-in firmware update feature. Okay, that's my take. Happy Viewing
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To sum it all up - a great product, with great service at a darn good price.
The Samsung LNT 4065F has met all my high expectations. The picture quality is excellent, the sound "stages" are terrific and the menu is easy to navigate and play around with. To respond to a few of the issues previous reviewers have raised:
a. Glare off the screen: I've got windows (with wood shutters) facing the screen and do notice the reflection during daylight hours. Although I primarily watch TV at night, when I do want to watch during the day, I just close the shutters, and all is great; the picture is superb despite the ambient daylight.
b. Firmware/software versions: The set from Amazon, delivered in mid-July, had the up-to-date versions (1024/1008).
c. Shipping Carrier: No problems whatsoever. Carrier called a day in advance ( 2 days earlier than estimated )and set up a delivery window, and delivered as scheduled.
I was going to purchase a larger screen, since a 52 inch would just fit into the primary viewing space I had available. However, since the price from Amazon was so attractive ($1670 at the time) for this 1080 HDTV, and because I had a secondary viewing room I'd eventually want an HDTV in, I decided to get this smaller screen size and then wait a year before getting a larger screen - with presumably even newer technology built in. When I do that, this 40 incher will go into the other "secondary" location. Anyhow, sitting eight feet away from this 40-inch screen actually works out extremely well. Those of you who may not have the bigger bucks to spend on a larger screen will not have to worry if your viewing spot is around eight feet from the screen. It really works well.
Lastly, the price and the post-price guarantee from Amazon is purty darn good. This set has fluctuated in price since my purchase. It went down around $35, and I quickly called Amazon, and they credited me for that difference. Then it went up higher than my original purchase price, and I just smiled. Then the price went down to $1575 within the "30-day from shipping date" period, so I called Amazon again, and again they credited my account. What great service!
I have patronized Amazon for years, but had never purchased a "big ticket" item before. This latest experience has certainly eliminated any qualms I may have had about buying expensive electronics from Amazon. Thank you folks!
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I purchased this set on May 16, 2007 and according to Amazon it shipped the next day. The tracking information was starting to show up and everything was great. I live up in Boston and the TV seemed to be coming from Harrisburg, PA. Not too far away and I thought this shouldn't take long. 10 days go by and the tracking information finally updated. Now the item showed up as being in Philadelphia. I was starting to get suspicious and surely we past the expected delivery date. I called Amazon and EAGLE and they said they would look into it. Another 10 days go by. I suppose I am a patient person, but after calling again, they told me that my TV had been lost in transit and that they can either offer me a refund or ship out another one. I had enough at that point and decided to pick it up at a Circuit City locally and didn't pay a lot more. EAGLE shipping should be called EVIL shipping. Beware of their service!!!
The TV is near perfect. I get some odd green and purple flashes and sometimes the picture drops out alltogether but this is only when I have a computer hooked up to it. My Comcast DVR works just fine. They tell me I should try a different cable. We'll see.
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I researched this purchase for nearly 6 months, as I wanted a TV both larger and with a better picture than my Samsung 26" LCD. The 40" size is not too big and not too small. It works wonderfully in a modest sized room, say 15 x 25. The picture is nothing less than spectacular, sound very good, and easy to set up and operate. I read numerous reviews and watched an endless array of HD LCD TVs at Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. The LNT4065F was the best. The xx65F series of Samsung sets comes in other sizes too.
As for price, not a single retailer (even of sale) came close to matching the Amazon price. Delivery was fast and smooth.
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I recently purchased the Samsung LNT4065F from Amazon. I read a lot of reviews, the vast majority were very positive. I also viewed a LNT4665F at a local retailer. The picture was far superior to the others in the store. The Amazon price included shipping and was about $500 less than that at the retailer after taking sales tax into account.
Some of the reviewers had problems with shipping, but my experience was fantastic. They were actually a week ahead of the initial estimated delivery date. It was delivered in 7 days from the date I ordered it. The shipper called 2 days before delivery to schedule the date and time. They were right on time. They also unpacked the unit and set it where I requested. They would also have disposed of the packing materials if I wanted them to, but I kept these materials in case there's a problem.
After two weeks, we have had no issues. The picture is great, particulary HD material. Over the AIR regular analog broadcasts are not as good, but acceptable. The good news is all of our local stations offer HD, which is far better. The tuner is very good. The HD stations are perfect and the analog broadcasts are better than our old set. We also have a DVD player that up-converts to 1080p and provides an excellent picture.
The unit has ample connections and the HDMI connections provide the true HD material along with 5.1 audio (also available thru the optical audio connection).
The speakers in the TV are surprisingly good for their size and power, although for DVD's we generally run the sound thruogh the HT speaker system.
The remote and TV set-up was fairly easy if you read the manual.
Overall, we are very pleased with our purchase, the product itself, the price through Amazon and the delivery. It's certainly one of the best on the market right now.
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My old Quasar was old enough to vote so I started reviewing the HD market and decided to go for the plunge when I saw this set in Circuit City. I went on the web to check it out and found Amazon had it at a slightly better price. I went to Best Buy and Circuit City but they weren't wanting to deal and by the time I went back to Amazon they had resuced the price more (>30%less!) They delivered one week after my order was placed and the trucker helped me set it in place.
My wife and I am wowed by the picture. The normal channels are clear and brighter than I expected and the HD channels are like pictures from National Geographic. I have not had to upgrade my cable to get the HD because the QAM just found them. I could want more channels sometime and I guess get the box, but do I really need more TV watching inducements?
I'm glad that I waited for this tv.
Stan
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