Samsung LN40C630

1080p televisions are no longer revolutionary these days, but that will not stop manufacturers from bringing out new technologies to possibly convince even existing 1080p TV owners to upgrade their model. The good news is also that not all new models have to be very expensive. In fact, manufacturers are not leaving budget consumers behind because they are trying to convince them to take advantage of the quality that HD offers. A 40-inch TV is a great start for appreciating 1080p and Samsung is out to prove it with their new Samsung LN40C630 which is a sub-$1,000 model that offers some neat features.

Samsung LN40C630

Technical Features

The Samsung LN40C630 looks like a step backward in terms of design with the curves less emphasized and the red Touch of Color design being absent. Still Samsung advertises this as a TV that features the Touch of Color design and it still looks sleek and the screen has a matte finish so there is not any worry about reflective issues. Overall, the design of the Samsung LN40C630 may not be convincing enough for people to change their existing LCD TV, but this isn’t Samsung’s big focus.

What the Samsung LN40C630 focuses more on is the power consumption and this is a good approach by Samsung considering the heavy competition of 40-inch displays. Now the LN40C630 and other models of the C630 series exceed the Energy Star standards boasting an additional 43% energy savings.

The energy savings are nice and can save a lot of money for people especially if they use their TV often. What is even better is that Samsung does not hold back with the specifications either. The 120,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio should impress folks that are into watching high-definition movies and ordinary TV programs complete with their deep blacks and pristine whites. Gamers can further turn up the clarity by activating the “Game Mode” feature. This feature also adjusts the picture and sound settings to optimal gaming quality.

The Samsung LN40C630 is well-rounded with ports on the on both the back and side. Three usable HDMI ports can be found on the back and are coupled with the usual support for composite and component connections. There is an additional HDMI port on the side and 2 USB ports which both take advantage of the ConnectShare Movie feature. Although there are no Internet features, there is an Ethernet port on the back of the unit which the AllShare feature uses.

Technologies

120 Hz technologies used to be found in high-end TVs, but now they are making their way to smaller sizes so people can enjoy the reduced response time and more accurate reproduction of images. Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120 Hz technology eliminates blur very well and is great for watching high-speed action. For its rich colors, the Wide Color Enhancer Pro technology offers the complete spectrum of color to preserve the rich detail of images. The new BD Wise technology can take into effect too if a Samsung BD Wise supported player is connected which results to improved image and sound quality.

Actual user review:
“Fantastic TV for the price. I use my laptop with an HDMI connection to run the TV. Everything looks great and works well. The sound quality is definitely above-par for a TV, but ofcourse can’t really compare to proper sound system. Lots of options and settings to tweak in the menus, which can be a little overwhelming, but I really appreciate them. Has a network connection (wired, or optional wireless), but it is only for media sharing capabilities, this TV does not support streaming Netflix. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, because I read a review where they said it does support Netflix. Oh well, aside from that, I highly recommend this TV to anyone who values high picture quality, very little artifacting (stuttering, shuddering, etc). The bezel attracts a lot of dust, but we have 2 cats, so we probably have more hair/dust flying around than most people.” – Jason Visser(Los Angeles,CA,USA)

Extra Features

Even without a connected Blu-ray or DVD player, the Samsung LN40C630 serves as a fine multimedia center thanks to the 2 USB ports on the side. Any USB storage device including external HDDs can be inserted in any of these ports so the TV can play back any movies, music, or photos stored in the device. Called the ConnectShare Movie feature, a nice user-interface is provided to make this possible.

The Anynet+ feature makes it easy to control various devices using a single remote control as long as they are connected via HDMI. The AllShare feature allows the LN40C630 to reach out to other devices so the TV can stream from computers via Ethernet. Although there is no wireless functionality, a wireless router can be connected to the TV so all Wi-Fi-enabled devices can access the TV.

Bottom Line

Many of the features in the Samsung LN40C630 are found in older models, but this model still shines because of its massive energy savings and low cost for a 40-inch model. Currently priced at around $900, there are no major weaknesses of this TV and it should look great in any small home theater system.

Average User Rating:

Actual User Reviews:
• “I’m an everyday user, i.e. NOT a technophile. I did some research before buying, but at the end of the day, I wanted something I could enjoy without spending a fortune, and I’m happy with what we got. Some tips on buying your TV, whether this one or another:
1) 120 Hz refresh rate — great for future-proofing, but realize that your cable box may not yet transmit in anything faster than 60 Hz. I don’t know if this is different for satellite or antenna transmissions. Also, make sure you buy an appropriate HDMI cable that supports 120 Hz…this should be listed on the package. (Although it may not be needed now, it will be when the cable boxes update again.)
2) 1080p — crystal-clear picture when watching 720p or 1080i programming (nothing on cable is shot in 1080p yet) or 1080p Blu-Ray video. The picture is almost kind of eerie at first, sort of like a soap opera-type appearance, which can be unusual if you’re not used to it. I adjusted to it quickly, but it took my wife some time. In the store, ask them to show you something on the airwaves in full HD, or have them run a standard DVD if you think you’ll be watching that some via your Blu-Ray player. It is definitely an adjustment.
3) Sound — always a knock on TVs, though for my purposes, it’s fine (it’s in our living room, not our media room). I really like the “night” option for the sound; it keeps the sounds from ebbing-and-flowing as dramatically, i.e. from conversation to a car chase, which is nice when you have kids in bed.
4) Computer connectivity — I have a laptop with HDMI output, so we have connected that the TV and watched something streaming from websites. You can pay extra for “internet connectivity” applications like Netflix, Blockbuster, etc., though since we already had that with our Blu-Ray, we didn’t duplicate with the TV. The easy computer connectivity is a nice feature.” – Aggie(San Antonio,TX,USA)

• “After purchasing various items from Amazon and being completely satisfied, I decided to purchase a TV which I consider a major purchase. Delivery went like clockwork, Ceva unpacked, assembled and placed the TV. After they were sure it was working, they removed packing and left.
The TV quality is excellent. I have cable, the picture was great, I upgraded to a HD box, the picture is even better. I had some tech questions, called Samsung received quick and courteous answers. This is the best 40 inch LCD TV I have seen.
Amazon is a great place to buy.” – Judy(Florida,USA)

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