Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

10 Comments

1. Paul Pacis says:

   November 1, 2010 at 1:35 am

   Review by Paul Pacis for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   Rating:
   I have literally been following the prices of HDTV’s for about a year now, and there is no better time for an upgrade! Samsung just released their new “C” series, and somehow they are remarkably less expensive than their pre-existing models! The majority of the websites are selling this HDTV for $800+, Amazon’s lower-than-low price is less than the rest of the market. I purchased it here on Amazon, and received my HDTV in 5 days (could have been 4 days, but I had school all day). CEVA did the shipping for my HDTV, which I was wary at first because I have only dealt with UPS and Fedex. However, CEVA provided excellent customer service as they did contact me and I verbally specified a delivery time. Packaging was very efficient, and surprisingly light too!

   For those who prefer using TV stands, you do have to assemble it on your own. Extremely easy to assemble though! All it took was 9 screws (already in the box) and I recommend using a power-screwdriver. Directions said it required two people, I did it solo! I was just eager to hook up my PS3 via HDMI cable and experience the wonderful world of 1080P.

   Okay, now for the specifics and why this HDTV deserves a spot in your living room – As I mentioned before, right up to my purchase I extensively followed the quality and price of several HDTVs. The Samsungs 530, 550, 630, 650. The Samsung 630 is the best deal for your money, here’s why: The 5 series is less expensive, but only offers refresh times of 60Hz as compared to the 630 which is 120Hz. This is a big difference, and means that your HDTV with 120Hz displays at least twice as many frames-per-second which makes movies, not only sports, very fluid and more realistic. Another difference is the response time, where as the 5 series has a 6ms response time, the 6 series has a 4ms response time. And if you are a gamer, a difference of 2ms can make a big difference. So why the Samsung 630 and not the 650? The only difference now is the contrast ratio. The 630 comes with a 80,000:1 contrast ratio which in my opinion, still creates an extraordinary depth to the display. TV contrast ratio’s are starting to become stable around the 70,000 – 100,000 range (or much higher for LEDs). Whereas, 3 years ago the highest was around 10,000 but kept constantly rising. So this HDTV is very much future proof. Yes, the 650 has a higher contrast ratio, but is it worth the extra $200 something dollars?

   All in all, if you’re not worried about price, go all out and purchase a LED HDTV. But if you want to shop smart, this HDTV is the way to go.
2. KS says:

   November 1, 2010 at 2:24 am

   Review by KS for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   Rating:
   I did a lot of research for TV’s in this price range. I’ve bought a few plasmas and LCD’s previously, and this TV blows them all away. This is a great price point, size and brand name TV. You can’t go wrong really, you will most certainly be satisfied. The 120hz setting on Clear works best, otherwise gives your TV content a weird soap opera look, so either set it to Clear or turn it off. This LCD works great with a PS3 also, and supports 1080p/24hz resolution, so when you watch blurays, the picture is crystal clear. If you experience any input lag when playing games (delay from button press to action on screen), try setting the source name of your PS3 to PC, it seems to fix that issue pretty well.
   
   The sound on this TV is very robust and clear, although when watching blurays I have to turn it up to hear dialogs, which then makes action sequences really loud, but it’s not a big deal.
   
   The design of this TV is just awesome. It has the glass bezel and gloss table top, definitely one of the best looking TV’s that I’ve ever seen. The stand also swivels, which is something every TV should have, but usually don’t.
   
   The remote works well, and is very sturdy. The onscreen menus are very clear and even provide descriptions to most of the settings so you don’t need to try and figure out what certain settings do.
   
   Its a pretty thin and light panel too, so if your mounting it, it should stay pretty flat on the wall.
   
   I’ve got nothing but positives to say about this set, its worth every penny, and I’m usually very critical about electronics, but I’d recommend this LCD to anyone. It doesn’t look that great out of the box, but after a week of playing with the color settings, I think the picture has been perfected.

   UPDATE
   
   Here are my picture settings for anyone that needs a little help getting started
   
   Mode: Standard
   
   Backlight: 14
   
   Contrast: 80
   
   Brightness: 40
   
   Sharpness: 20
   
   Color: 51
   
   Tint: G48/R52
   
   Eco Solution: all off
   
   Edge Enhancement: off
   
   Digital Noise Filter: Low (though I’m sure auto is about the same)
   
   MPEG Noise: Low
   
   Color Tone: Normal (some people seem to like the Warm settings)
   
   Auto Motion Plus 120HZ: Clear (though some people might like this more OFF)

   If you have any adjustments to these, let me know
   
3. michibilly says:

   November 1, 2010 at 2:50 am

   Review by michibilly for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   Rating:
   Up until two weeks ago, I loved this TV. I upgraded from a 32 inch non-HD/non-flat screen TV. The picture quality is wonderful, the sound was really good, but I hooked it up to a Yamaha receiver anyway.

   Here’s what happened. A little over two weeks ago we had been watching the TV, and then left to go outside to do some yard work. After dinner we decided to watch a movie so I turned on the TV. Nothing. Usually when a Samsung TV is off, there is a small red light. When you turn it on, the picture emerges and the little red light goes off. No red light. I unplugged the TV from the power supply and plugged it directly into an outlet (the DVD was on the same power strip and was working). Then I took the power cord off and went into the kitchen and plugged it into the little Samsung TV in there. Worked great. Dang. I pulled out the TV information and the TV was still under warranty. I called Samsung.

   After just a few seconds on hold a real person answered and I explained the dead power supply problem. She told me somebody would call me in three to five working days to arrange for the repair. WHAT? Three to five days just to talk to somebody to schedule a repair???? NINE days later somebody finally called and said that my ‘ticket’ would be sent to troubleshooting. WHAT? After nine days, still no appointment for repair???? On day twelve I got a call from a repair guy from a local business contracted to do the repair, and he asked me if the part, the power supply, had come yet. WHAT? What part? I called Samsung again and they gave me the number of GURU, the company they contract to do their repairs, and the company that subcontracts to other local repair services. I now realize that I’m twice-removed from Samsung and NOBODY is coordinating this repair but ME.

   I call GURU again after two weeks, and the part has not yet been ordered!!!!! Two weeks after my initial call and the part isn’t ordered yet???? WHY NOT? Nobody knew why it wasn’t ordered by GURU so they immediately blamed Samsung. Now I’m thinking Samsung is stalling until the warranty runs out, which will happen in about two weeks. Why in the world would there have to be so many layers of uncoordinated mayhem to do a simple swap of a power supply? I’m guessing sometime within the next month or two somebody will fix this TV, and I’m guessing it will be about a 15 minute job.

   When the TV worked we loved it. The picture quality was great and the sound was pretty good as well. It has nice features that were pretty easy to figure out and setup. However, would I buy another one? Probably not.
4. Is2r says:

   November 1, 2010 at 2:59 am

   Review by Is2r for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   Rating:
   For being my first HDTV, I am more than happy with my purchase. I was debating for months to get the LN40B630, but the price didn’t come back down to below $800. Searching Amazon, I saw this year’s model for less than last year’s model, so I decided it was time to get one. I’m more than impressed by what this TV can do: already I have hooked my PS3 and DVD player up to it. The visuals are absoulutley outstanding — I feel like I’m actually there. Reading reviews from last year’s model, I saw negative comments about sound quality; this year’s model, in my opinion, exceeds expectations.

   Amazon had this delivered to me in under a week with super saver shipping — I couldn’t ask for better. Out of the box the stand was easy to install: just slip the TV over the guide stand, screw in, and you’re good to go. Setup up was easy; the only thing I have an issue with so far is that you can’t go directly to a different source/input unless the TV is picking up a signal from the device. Starting up other equipment and then having to select the input again is a bit annoying because you miss the start up unless you leave it on that input. Not sure if I’ve calibrated it right though, at this point, it seems fine and looks fantastic with some of the default settings. The manual isn’t very informative in setting most of the options; still being new to HDTV’s, I have to look up guides on how to optimize it for different viewing situations.

   I can’t say for sure if this TV is better than all the rest or how it matches up, but side to side at electronic stores it had the best picture in mine and my spouse’s opinions. The Allshare feature is also a nice addition: I am able to stream files from my network devices on to the TV with only having to run an ethernet cord to the router. In conclusion, I beleive this TV will be more then enough for at least the next 3 years until I consider an upgrade, and I mean a BIGGER upgrade ^.^ Thanks Samsung!
5. Aggie Anesthesiologist says:

   November 1, 2010 at 3:58 am

   Review by Aggie Anesthesiologist for Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
   Rating:
   “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.”
6. M. R. B. says:

   November 1, 2010 at 4:26 am

   Review by M. R. B. for LG 32LD450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
   Rating:
   After comparison shopping for a LCD set to replace my current Sharp Aquos LC20D42U (also reviewed), I settled on this TV.

   I’m not going to write a book – but the following are my initial impressions.

   Given that my outgoing Sharp display had only 1 HDMI input, the LG’s 2 inputs are acceptable for my needs (HD cable/DVR & PS3) but for others with more peripherals (stand alone Blu-Ray, DVD, multiple gaming consoles, etc), 2 HDMI inputs may not be enough. The set also has a component input (probably acceptable for use w/ a non-upscaling DVD player).

   Unboxing the TV in my living room, I cranked all my lights to check for blemishes / defects. While the TV was in good condition, both the screen and the glossy black bezel had hand/finger prints in multiple locations. I’m not sure if this happened at the factory (made in Mexico) or if I got a unit that had been previously unboxed (manuals, remote, stand were all still in sealed plastic – so I’m guessing factory), but it was a little unsettling, even at this price point. It took me a few extra minutes to wet a cloth and clean the TV before setting it up.

   The glossy black bezel is unremarkable – it doesn’t look bad, but it does look (and feel) a little cheap. This is not a TV I would mount or place conspicuously – especially among high quality peripherals, audio equipment or as the anchor of an expensive entertainment center (of course it’s doubtful that a 32″ TV would typically form the center of an expensive piece of furniture like that).

   After setting the TV up, I obviously turned it on. I was not immediately impressed. Like most new TV’s, this one is pre-programmed to default to wild backlight / brightness / color settings (with the aim of display sets not washing out under bright store lights, I presume). After spending some time tuning the picture, I was able to achieve settings that were to my liking. The tuned picture is fairly impressive at this price point – solid processing, even backlighting, good black levels for a CCFL-backlit TV, and fairly accurate color although off-angle viewing could be better. Speaking of tuning, the menu / interface is very simple and very easy to use – both because of good menu design and also because there are not a whole lot of features on this set to be configured.

   Which brings me to features – this is not among the next generation of LCD TV’s; it has no LED backlight, it is not 120hz, it is not thinner than a strand of hair, it does not connect wirelessly or offer widgets or video streaming, and it is not 3D compatible (a feature I sincerely hope does not catch on for cinema or television – who wants to wear 3D glasses all evening?).

   But if you don’t want to spend a lot, don’t need the TV to be a conversation piece while it is turned off, don’t need to the TV to perform functions that your other devices would likely make redundant, and are looking primarily for decent quality picture and good value – then I’d recommend this TV to you.

   Full specs can be found at the following location: [...]
7. J. Harvey says:

   November 1, 2010 at 5:20 am

   Review by J. Harvey for LG 32LD450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
   Rating:
   I have had this TV for about 2 months and really am enjoying it. It has a great picture and color clarity. Works well with DVD, VHS, blu-ray/ PS3, wii, and a computer hooked up. I have all of this hooked up constantly and there were plenty of different types of ports to make it all work. The only negative is the menu system. For some things you have to go through 3 or 4 screens to get to the setting that you want. Not a huge deal, but it could be better.
8. Jason Gregory says:

   November 1, 2010 at 6:14 am

   Review by Jason Gregory for LG 32LD450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
   Rating:
   1080 true p awesome picture wizard to set it up. 2 hdmi ports usb port to connect your ipod and play music right from your tv. great digital sound system. you cant get much better than this for the price!ohh and a headphone jack incase u wanna play movies late and not disturb others plus ethernet and aloso rgb soo it can be used as an computer monitor. its a great tv dont let anyone tell you diff ^^
9. TCS says:

   November 1, 2010 at 6:23 am

   Review by TCS for LG 32LD450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
   Rating:
   Ordered the TV and it arrived quickly, great service from Amazon. Hooked it up to get over the air programming and to my PC via HDMI – exceptional, but not perfect, picture. Colors were good after calibrating, got 1:1 pixel mapping, and viewing angle on this was pretty good. Black levels were alright, not great but not bad enough to break the deal. But what bothered me the most was when I started watching movies and TV shows. I noticed blurring/motion lag with the picture with both HDMI and the built-in tuner. I’ve owned other HDTVs and this was the only TV I’ve noticed this on. The picture blew me away at first but after seeing the motion blur I knew down the road I wouldn’t be happy with it. Sent it back because I’d rather do that than to sell it a year from now to “upgrade” my TV. BTW you can turn off the ON/OFF indicator light at the corner of the TV by going into the menu if you find it distracting.

   Pros
   
   + Great Colors
   
   + Good Viewing Angles
   
   + Works great ac a PC monitor

   Cons
   
   - Terrible Motion Blur
   
   - Mediocre Blacks

   At the end of the day you get what you pay for. It’s not a terrible TV but this motion blur problem doesn’t exist on other 60hz LCDs. Sadly I wouldn’t recommend this TV to a friend.
10. William A. Broussard says:

    November 1, 2010 at 6:45 am

    Review by William A. Broussard for LG 32LD450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV
    Rating:
    This is my first flat panel TV, and I shopped around alot before I purchased this set. It came promptly, was very well packed for shipment, and came out of the box in pristine condition. I mounted it in the bedroom, on the Cheetah brand wall mount, and used the screws supplied with the set that would normally have been used for the table mount. They fit the wall mount holes as well, which made it nice. The only problem there is that the wall mount bracket blocks one of the HDMI jacks.

    The set works fine, and the picture quality is excellent, especially on Blue Ray DVD’s. I don’t have my HD satellite service hooked up yet, but I am very happy with the set, and I’m sure that my satellite HD reception will be as nice as the Blue Ray DVD’s.

    All in all, a very positive ordering experience, and a very good TV.

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