Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
by Samsung
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SamsungModel: LN40C530
Color: Black
Product features:
- 10Wx2 audio output
- Wide Color Enhancer
- ConnectShare? Movie
- 3 HDMI (ver 1.3), HDMI-CEC
- 2 Components & PC input
- ConnectShare Movie
- AmazonBasics HDMI to DVI Adapter Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable Braided (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics 3RCA Component Video Cable (6 Feet)
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - Braided (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Customer Review: An excellent TV for an excellent price
Summary: 5 Stars
Visually, this TV is excellent. The colors are vibrant and on-target (no purple cast like I've seen on some lower-end LCD TVs) and there's no ghosting. Like with any high-resolution TV without an expensive upscaler built in, regular definition sources (e.g. older DVD players and game consoles) look a little blocky. You can fix this with a fancy upscaling circuit like you find in the more expensive A/V receivers, but otherwise it's something you'll find on every TV.
The audio is pretty good for built-in speakers. It certainly has more bass than our old tube TV did; built-in amplifier technology on the TVs has advanced considerably over the past 5 years or so. The volume control seems a little odd, though, in that when it's quiet you have to nearly double the numeric volume before it's noticeably louder. I wonder if it might be using a linear scale instead of a logarithmic one (decibels, for example, are logarithmic). Still, decent built-in speakers; if you want really nice sound, you'll want an external receiver (which is probably true of any built-in TV speakers anywhere). It has optical and analog audio out if you want to plug it into a cheaper stereo instead of finding a more expensive receiver unit and speakers, which is nice (the analog is in the form of a stereo miniplug (headphone jack), which you can either plug in directly or get an RCA jack Y-adaptor for most stereos).
One of the HDMI jacks has a stereo miniplug linked to it for audio input so you can plug your DVI-capable computer in and pass the audio in through the analog jack (since many computers have DVI, which is easily and cheaply adapted to HDMI but does not carry audio content). This is a nice feature if you have a media PC or plug your laptop in for photo shows, etc.
One thing I wasn't such a fan of was the menu system. Samsung has always made nice TVs, but I feel their menu system has always been a little clunky (my old roommate had an older model and it was almost the same). This machine is at least pretty responsive when you push the buttons, unlike older ones which were a little sluggish, but the menu system goes far too deep and doesn't seem particularly well organized. I still can't figure out how to turn off the dynamic contrast scaling; the menu says it's off, but black screens full of white text (like the credits after The Office) cause the contrast to adjust up and down, making the text a different brightness on each subsequent screen depending on how much white text there is. Minor quibble, and it probably does improve the picture on the show itself, but still.
And, like most LCD TVs these days, it takes about 5 seconds to turn on or off, which is puzzling for people when they hit the power button and nothing happens instantaneously. This isn't unique to this TV or even Samsung TVs, of course, but if it's a surprise to you, don't panic.
My chief complaint about the menu system is that you can really only select from a handful of preset names for each of the sources; items like "TV", "Game", "DVD", "DVR" and a few other assorted oddities. I have a PS2, an XBox and a Wii; I guess I name them all "Game" and hope I can remember which input goes with which? I also have the new AppleTV (which is wonderful), but the closest category that fits it (to my mind) was "IPTV". This is somewhat superficial and not at all a dealbreaker, but it does occasionally confuse the less technical members of my household. Given that it would have been trivial for their software engineers to add an option for specifying a custom name, it's a little disappointing. I think I actually remember being able to do that on my old roommate's older Samsung TV, but maybe I'm misremembering.
Last complaint: No S-Video input. I'm probably part of a sub-1% group that finds this annoying, but I have several older game consoles which provide S-Video out and not component out, and their composite looks terrible (specifically the Super Nintendo). I suppose I'll just have to wait until I get a real receiver, most of which do have S-Video inputs (and better upscaling). I think I was just more surprised than anything else, since this is the first TV I've seen that doesn't have any S-Video inputs.
All in all, I am 100% happy with this TV, and I can't say I've ever seen a modern-day HDTV with a reasonable menu system. Make sure you measure your space before you pick the size, though! I did, and 40" is the perfect size for us; my wife thought it sounded way too big, and we almost went with the 36" (which would have looked oddly small in the space it's in). Eyeballing it is a good way to wind up with a TV that's too big (won't fit or overwhelms people at the viewing distance) or too small.
And, of course, if you're looking for bells and whistles like 120 Hz (I don't really watch anything that takes advantage of it, so it seemed like a waste of money to me), you'll need to pick a higher-end model.
Description of Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung's LN40C530 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 40-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money.Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
Similar Digital Cameras & Photo Products
![Apple TV MC572LL/A (2010) [OLD VERSION] Image](/images/Apple-TV-MC572LL-A-2010-OLD-VERSION-B001FA1NK0-X.jpg)
Apple TV MC572LL/ A (2010) [OLD VERSION]Apple Computer; Apple; Apple Computer; Electronics; Home Theater
Best price: $177.77
LG BD570 Network Blu-ray Disc PlayerLG; LG; LG; Electronics; Home Theater
Best price: $169.99
Price in other shops:
![Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - (6 Feet) - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available] Image](/images/Mediabridge-Ultra-Series-High-Speed-HDMI-Cable-with-Ethernet-6-Feet-Category-2-Certified-Supports-3D-Audio-Return-Channel-Latest-HDMI-Version-Availabl-B0019EHU8G-X.jpg)
Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - (6 Feet) - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available]Mediabridge Products, LLC.; CE
Best price: $8.90
Price in other shops:
![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) - Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return [Newest Standard] Image](/images/AmazonBasics-High-Speed-HDMI-Cable-6-5-Feet-2-0-Meters-Supports-Ethernet-3D-and-Audio-Return-Newest-Standard-B003L1ZYYM-X.jpg){kind=small}
AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/ 2.0 Meters) - Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return [Newest Standard]AmazonBasics; CE
Best price: $5.49
Techcraft Bernini Series BG4020 42-Inch Flat Panel Television StandTECHCRAFT; Techcraft; TECHCRAFT; Electronics; Home Theater
Price in other shops:
VideoSecu Tilt TV Wall Mount for Most 32"-65" LCD LED Plasma TV Flat Screen, Sturdy Steel Wall Plate Free HDMI Cable and 6" Bubble Level M43Videosecu; CE
Best price: $18.95
Price in other shops:
Cheetah Mounts APTMM2B Flat Screen TV Wall Mount Bracket for 32-65-Inch Plasma LED LCD TVCheetah Mounts LLC; Cheetah; Cheetah Mounts LLC; Electronics; Home Theater
Best price: $23.95
Price in other shops:
Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc PlayerSamsung; Samsung; Samsung; Release date: 2010-02-10; Electronics; Home Theater
Best price: $169.95
Price in other shops:
Peerless Articulating Arm 22 - 40 Inches LCD, BlackPeerless; Peerless; Peerless; Release date: 2012-01-24; Electronics; Home Theater
Price in other shops:
DVI Gear HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet)DVI Gear; DVI Gear; DVI Gear; Electronics; Speakers
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops: