Customer Reviews
What an AMAZING picture! 
2008-05-13
I've had the Samsung LN40A550 for 2 weeks now and absolutely love this TV.
Delivery was hassle free and quicker than Amazon predicted.
I'm using an HDMI connection between my Comcast cable box/DVR and the TV and the picture quality is spectacular! The sound quality is perfectly acceptable as well. Although I have the TV connected to a home theater sound system, I only run that when watching a movie or sporting event. I see no need to have it on for regular TV programming, since the sound from this TV is very good.
I agree with the accolades others have given to the Samsung LN40A550; it is truly exceptional. Thanks Amazon for an great deal on an excellent HDTV!
Can't beat the price! 2008-05-13
You can't beat this for the price. I was pricing out older models at the box stores (only 15,000:1 contrast and 8 MS refresh rate) and even those were still more expensive. The order went well and the delivery was faster than Amazon predicted.
The picture on the TV is amazing, although you can notice shadows on fast movement if you are viewing the tv from the side. Other than that, the tv is wonderful!!!!
What else can be said? 2008-05-11
There's not much detail I can add to what's already been written, so I'll just add one more '5 star' review, and a few brief/random thoughts.
Like several other reviewers here, I did quite a bit of big-box store shopping before ordering this unit. I'm pretty particular about my electronics, so I feel I made the best choice with this model. Sony has some catching up to do now. ;-)
After watching BBC's Planet Earth Series on a standard def TV, and then finally getting to experience it on this TV, I finally understand all the praise over HD. In a word, S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.
The built in speakers are terrible; very anemic and tinny. In this day and age, most folks are setting up with audio equipment, so, I guess the built-in speakers are for the most part, going to be overlooked.
Another complaint to lodge, but not the fault of the TV: standard def cable picture is awful; blurry and over saturated. Some channels look fine, most are less-than-pleasing. I'm starting to get accustomed to it, but overall, YUK.
FYI: You can bypass your SD cable box to get over-the-air HD channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc)--just connect the cable directly to the TV. I get about 8 HD channels on Comcast. I also get pay-per-views and on-demand people are watching in my neighborhood on the upper channels. BONUS!
Largely excellent - could do better on some fronts though! 
2008-05-11
I was very apprehensive buying a LCD TV on the internet. I was bothered about dead pixels (though I hear these are no longer the kind of problem these used to be), getting an inferior quality/scratched unit etc. etc. And man I am glad the way it all turned out. The shipping may be a slight problem - these freight companies just like the movers are so hard to tame!!!
Features/results I liked:
1. Color/contrast are outstanding (yes it beats my friend's much more expensive Sony 'x' series)
2. Back light can be made very bright indeed and the contrast holds up to these high levels just so well
3. Menus are iconic and rich text based and quite intuitive
Features I didn't:
1. I find myself fumbling a lot trying to switch between the sources. I wish this was more intelligent. Why can't this TV just identify the active sources and just play them all one by one and let me choose?
2. Why can't I switch on the TV on with a source preselected? If my home theater can switch on on the Aux mode, why can't this TV be switched on on HDMI1?
3. There are interdependencies between menu items. If one part of the menu is selected one way, certain other parts would appear disabled! This is outrageous (Strangely this applies to DNIe, one of Samsung's hotly advertised features)
4. If I use component cable, the non HD channels actually look better than when I use the HDMI cable. Where are all the up-conversion algorithms?
5. The speakers are OK but by listening to them, I always get the feeling that these manufacturers force you to buy home theaters!
My overall view. Great buy looking at the competition it has!
Fantastic TV!! 2008-05-10
After much research, I decided on this TV. I ordered from Amazon on 4/30 with an est delivery date of 5/9 and, CEVA delivered it on 5/7 (free white glove service). The TV has a fantastic picture, TV's setup/config is very intuitive, and the sound is surprisingly good for a 10wx2 TV speaker system. There are plenty of connections, too. Currently the devices I've connected to the TV are a cable HD/DVR via HDMI, a progressive scan DVD player via component video, and a ReplayTV 5040 DVR via component video. I've routed the TV sound out to my Denon amp, even though it's standard stereo. My only real criticism, and a minor one at that, is the size of the remote which initially seems *huge*! I'm quickly getting used to it though, as the layout is quite intuitive. The remote is also backlit, a real plus when watching in a dark room!
When researching HDTVs, I also considered the 650 and 750 series and compared all to Sony LCDs, but I found the picture on the Samsungs to be *much* better. Although I would have liked an ethernet connection (on the 750 series), I really didn't want the high-gloss planels on the 650 and 750 series. (My viewing room is quite bright during the day, and although the glossy LCDs do seem to have an improved picture quality, the added glare turns that into a big negative for me.) Initially I intended to go for a 120Hz set, but as I did more research, I decided that was a feature I could forgo. The HD picture from the cable box is phenomenal. I notice no ghosting, graininess or pixelation. Even standard def (stretched) is fine to watch. I expect HDMI-CEC will be a very handy feature as I upgrade components down the road, but for now, I'm unable to make use of it.
In sum, I'm very, very pleased with this TV, with CEVA's white glove delivery service, the price I paid, and the 12-month no interest deal I got using Amazon's credit card. I would definitely buy this TV again and have already recommended it to friends who are currently HDTV shopping.
When the Price is Right... 2008-05-10
40" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) * high-gloss black finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * 1920 x 1080 pixels *
Never Buy it From Amazon LLC 
2008-05-09
I bought it on 4/30 and Amazon said it will be delivered on 5/9. Actually on the 2nd day it is already in the stock in Dallas ( I live in Dallas). 10 days passed and no delivered made yet! I called the service guy and CEVA several times and they still can not figure out when can I get my TV. So I tell Amazon I want to cancel the order. This kind of delivery makes me upset. Guess what? They said they need to charge me $109 to return the TV and refund! I never receive the TV and I need to pay for $109 to return the TV to cancel this order. I've lost my 1300 for 10 days and they want me to pay 109 for they to have had my money for 10 day. That's an amazing good job Amazon provides!
Very Pleased 2008-05-09
Picture is great only had one minor problem and Amazon addressed that at once! Delivery took a couple days longer than I expected but overall I am very satisfied with the end results.
Beautiful Picture - Great Service 2008-05-06
One of my biggest purchases with Amazon and it went as smooth as possible. The picture on this TV is amazing. FiOS HD can be almost too much pretty on one screen with this TV, it's a bit overwhelming at first. Standard def channels are of course a less clear but better than expected. The only issue I have with this TV is the length of time to power on and off. You also have to point the remote just right sometimes or the function won't register. Small issue though, hardly worth docking points off this unit.
The menu is wonderful and gives complete control over settings. Each input saves your settings too! The AVS Forums have a great thread concerning settings for each input that should be checked out and tested. A little tweaking got the black levels and skin tone just right.
I haven't tested the VGA input, but my Macbook Pro connected with a DVI-HDMI cable is amazing! My FiOS is connected via HDMI and as I mentioned, quite beautiful. I also have a Wii hooked up via component. The Wii maxes out at 480p but really shines on this TV despite the 1080p native res. Don't be fooled though, the picture is a little fuzzy but through some tweaking you can get a great picture without springing for a separate upconverter.
Shipping was of course through Eagle/CEVA. Make sure to call and verify they've got your info. They didn't have my phone number on record at first so I corrected that. My delivery man was Rick. He was great! He called to setup the appointment, was on time, very delicate with the unit, and very personable. I couldn't be more pleased.
UPDATE: Just wanted to mention the finish of the screen. Originally, I was debating between this model and the older lnt4069fx due to the matte screen. I chose this model for several reasons. First, it was cheaper. Second, I decided 120Hz wasn't worth the extra 400 bucks. Third, the screen isn't glossy but it isn't matte it's more of an in-between, satin-like finish that works great in my TV watching room that has a glass front door to the outside and 2 windows. Glare isn't a problem at all for me even with lamps behind me. It really is great. The ultra gloss on the 600 and 700 models are way to much for my multipurpose room. Hope that helps anyone on the fence that cares about gloss vs. matte finishes.
Excellent TV; Great price! 2008-05-06
Ordered this TV from amazon on 4/30 and came to my apartment on 5/5...not a bad turn-around time. The TV was actually ready for delivery on 5/2 but I was stuck at work.
Easy set-up, using HDMI to Time Warner cable.
I'm a sports fanatic and there's absolutely nothing better than HD sports on this set. The colors are so detailed, bright...flawless picture. Baseball looks great but I must admit, Basketball in HD is breath-taking.
Comes with 3 HDMI ports so I will eventually buy a PS3 for the blu-ray experience.
The casing itself is glossy black and comes with a neat blue light at the bottom of the Samsung.
Also priced $400-500 cheaper than any big retail store, this is a deal. My only gripe was the delivery service Amazon used. The company is called CEVO and I scheduled a delivery appointment for 9am-1apm. Driver didn't come until 4:30pm and never called ahead of time to tell me he was going to be late. The manager was very apologetic and seemed to push the driver to get to my place ASAP.
For a 1080p set, you won't find a better quality for the price. Looks like i'll be staying in a lot now.
