Introduction
Tour & Design
Front
The Samsung LN40B650 has a clean and simple design, for the most part. The front of the set has a thick, piano black bezel. It's definitely reflective and picks up fingerprints, but that's clearly the design du jour, because it's hard to find an alternative these days. Along the bottom edge, below the Samsung logo, is a thin strip of translucent plastic. Why? The designer wants it there, that's why.
Back
It's big, it's flat, it's the back of the TV. There's very little here except the ports in the lower corner. They're located close to the edge. With the swivel base factored in, that makes for easy access when you need it. For information about the ports on the back of the Samsung LN40B530 see our Connectivity section.
Sides
The Samsung LN40B650 is a little unusual in that it has no ports on the side of its body, despite having plenty of room for them. Typically, TVs that are wide enough offer a smattering of ports on one side for easy access. On the right side, Samsung did include on-board button controls.
Stand/Mount
The stand for the Samsung LN40B650 is a smooth, sexy, circular pedestal that rises up gracefully from a wide, shiny base. It swivels, too, allowing for approximately 45-degree rotations in either direction. That's exactly the kind of access you need when all the ports are located on the back of the TV.
Controls
There are just a few buttons on the side: Source, Menu Volume up/down, Channel up/down, and Power.
Remote Control
The remote control for the Samsung LN40B650 (specifically the BN59-00856A model remote control) is nicely balanced and has a smart button layout that puts the important controls within reach. For more details, read the Remote Control section of the review.
In The Box*(8.0)*
The Samsung LN40B650 ships with a remote control, batteries, a screen wipe, and the necessary documentation. There are no cables included.
Aesthetics*(8.0)*
The Samsung LN40B650 is framed in highly reflective black plastic. It's a popular look, but be warned that it picks up finger prints very easily.
Blacks & Whites
Black Level*(7.12)*
The Samsung LN40B530 could not produce blacks as deep as many of the TVs we've reviewed, but it performed better than the JVC LT-42P300. Practically speaking, you won't see a huge difference because the contrast ratio on the Samsung LN40B530 is decent, and the greyscale gamma curve is pretty good, so you won't see much banding in transitions from shadows to highlights.
Peak Brightness*(9.2)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has no problems hitting those peak whites for bright scenes. As you see from the chart below, the TV actually surpassed the comparison models, producing brighter whites than any of them.
Contrast*(7.71)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has a tested contrast ratio of 2580:1, a solid performance when compared to the competition. This number stands in contrast to the manufacturer's claim of 60,000:1. That's okay, all the manufacturers exaggerate this number by testing it 'dynamically,' which usually means turning the backlight all the way down to measure the blacks, then turning the backlight all the way up to measure the whites. Of course, this bears no resemblance to how you would normally watch a TV. We test at a single backlight level and present the real world results.
Tunnel Contrast*(9.94)*
This test measures how well the Samsung LN40B530 can maintain its black levels when there is an increasing amount of white on the screen. Like most LCD TVs, the LN40B530 did just fine on this test. It's typically plasma TVs that have a harder time with even blacks and whites.
White Falloff*(9.8)*
The white falloff test measures how well a TV maintains its white levels with an increasing amount of black on the screen. The Samsung LN40B530 performed well, as do most LCD televisions.
Uniformity*(7.13)*
Uniformity refers to how even the illumination looks across the screen. The Samsung LN40B530 uses a series of fluorescent light bulbs, which can never offer perfectly even illumination. Overall, the uniformity was good, but not outstanding. We saw some 'flashlighting' in the corners – a common problem – but few other glaring issues.
Greyscale Gamma*(5.59)*
The Samsung LN40B530's greyscale gamma is indicative of how smooth the transitions from shadows to highlights will be. A perfect gamma is between 2.0 and 2.2. The Samsung LN40B530 produced a 2.94, which is just barely within an acceptable range. Overall, it's fine.
Resolution Scaling*(7.28)*
The Samsung LN40B530 is a native 1080p device. However, most footage you'll watch is probably of a different resolution.
480p
When watching 480P content, the Samsung LN40B530 lost the outer 3% of the top and bottom, and 2% of the sides. Compared to other TVs, it's not perfect, but it's not bad.
720p
With 720p content, the Samsung LN40B530 lost 2% of the top and bottom, and 1% of the sides.
1080i
The Samsung LN40B530 lost none of the image when watching 1080i content.
Color Accuracy
Color Temperature*(7.1)*
The Samsung LN40B530 produced an even color temperature from very bright light down to fairly dark shadows. But, as the chart below illustrates, when the picture got too dark, the color temperature became quite warm. Because this unevenness happened at the extreme end of the scale, we did not penalize it much. You probably won't notice the issue.
RGB Curves*(8.23)*
The Samsung LN40B530 produced good, smooth RGB curves. Practically speaking, this means that color gradations will appear smooth and unbroken. A poor performance – one with lots of bumps or stair-stepping in the curves – would appear as color banding on your screen. The Samsung LN40B530 is not the best of the comparison models (that award goes to the Samsung LN40B650), but we were satisfied.
Below is a visual representation of how each primary color appeared on the Samsung LN40B530, as well as its competitors.
Color Gamut*(5.75)*
The color gamut test measures how well the Samsung LN40B530 holds up to the international standard, Rec.709. Just so you know, we've never seen a TV that can perfectly match the standard, and we probably never will.If you look at the tips of the triangle in the chart below, you'll see that the Samsung LN40B530 undersaturated the greens, but matched the blues and reds extremely well. The white point – the circle in the center – leans slightly towards the reds, but only slightly.
Tech-heads, the chart below is for you.
Motion
Motion Smoothness*(6.13)*
When it came to motion smoothness, the Samsung LN40B530 produced a satisfactory performance. We saw some undeniable stuttering and blurring, but it didn't kill the image in our opinion. Unlike a lot of TVs, the Samsung LN40B530 does not offer any special motion processing features like 120Hz or the like. And that's fine, because much or the time those features just create more problems.
Motion Artifacting*(6.63)*
The Samsung LN40B530 produced only a little motion artifacting. In high contrast areas, we saw some jittery effects that looked like 'anticipatory trailing,' meaning random pixels that were colored the same as the object that was about to pass. That was really the worst of it, though. Overall, you shouldn't see too many issues.
3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(7.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 could perform 3:2 pulldown with no problem.
Viewing Effects
Viewing Angle*(5.78)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has poor viewing angle, though an average one for an LCD TV. It loses 50% of its contrast at only 23 degrees. From the chart below, you can see the RCA L40FHD41 and Samsung LN40B650 had even narrower viewing angles, so none of them were great. If you need a TV for a very wide room, be sure to check out plasma TVs before you make your final purchase.
Reflectance*(8.5)*
The Samsung LN40B530 did a good job fending off reflective light from outside sources. Some TVs try a light dispersion technology that creates bizarre star patterns, but not the Samsung. If a light shines straight on, it creates a soft glow. When the light is coming in from an angle, it's almost hard to notice. Nice job, Samsung.
Video Processing*(2.5)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has just a few special processing features, and none of the 120Hz processing or motion smoothing that you frequently see in TVs.
Calibration
Calibration
[
](http://www.displaymate.com/)The following are the calibration settings we used for the Samsung LN40B530.
Video Modes
There are just three modes here. We generally put TVs in Movie mode as our starting point for calibration, because it tends to produce the most accurate results.
Remote Control
Ergonomics & Durability*(7.2)*
The remote control for the Samsung LN40B530, like all the Samsung remote controls, is quite comfortable. It lacks the groove along the bottom that you'll find on other remotes, but we didn't find it likely to slip from our hands. The remote is quite light, which is great. However, it does not feel like it would survive a bad fall intact.
Unlike other Samsung remotes, it does not offer a backlight.
Button Layout & Use*(4.85)*
The button layout is smart. Holding it in the natural position, the menu controls, channel up/down, and volume up/down controls are close at hand. Depending on your reach, the mute button might be accessible, as well. Not all of the buttons have an instinctive feel, like the source button, but overall it's good.
The number buttons are not great, but if you're watching TV, chances are you're using the cable box remote control instead. You certainly won't be using the Samsung remote to control anything else, because it's not programmable.
Programming & Flexibility*(1.0)*
The remote that comes with the Samsung LN40B530 cannot be programmed to control other devices. Sorry. However, it can work with other Samsung devices if they're connected with HDMI. One point for effort.
Connectivity
Input Ports*(4.5)*
All the ports on the Samsung LN40B530 are located on the back, which is a little unusual. Most TVs that are not ultra-thin – and the LN40B530 is definitely not ultra-thin – have a few ports on the side for easier accessibility. No so, here.
The Samsung LN40B530 has 3 HDMI ports, 1 component, 1 composite, 1 VGA, and 3 analog audio-ins.
Output Ports*(2.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has 1 analog audio-out and 1 digital audio-out.
Other Connections*(1.0)*
There are no other connections on the Samsung LN40B530. It lacks USB or card slots for showing photos, video clips, and music. It's also missing a LAN port for internet connectivity, which is becoming increasingly common. Granted, the Samsung LN40B530 is a relatively inexpensive TV for its size, so you shouldn't expect too much.
Media*(0.0)*
None.
Placement*(5.5)*
As written above, all the ports on the Samsung LN40B530 are located on the back. This is unusual, because the TV has plenty of room on the side, but Samsung neglected it as viable real estate space. Fortunately, the TV has a swivel mount that makes it easier to reach those rear ports.
Audio & Menus
Audio Quality*(3.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 does not perform satisfactorily. The speakers may be fine for watching the news or your terrible, secret addictions to reality TV, but regular movie viewers will want to look at TVs with better audio performance, or investing in a decent speaker set.
The issue, as with so many TVs, was the bass response. Those tiny speakers simply can't produce the necessary oomph. Even with the LN40B530's custom controls, which allow you to tweak a small, onscreen equalizer, you'll never get better than a muffled, crumpled bass tone.
Menu Interface*(7.0)*
The menu interface on the Samsung LN40B530 is simple and intuitive. As you can see from the screen shot below, the submenus are broken up by icons, which are more or less understandable. It gets a little vague when you see the TV with a magic wand in front of it, but the great navigation makes up for any misunderstood iconography.
Occasionally, a sub-submenu steps away from the pleasant navigation, and you need to look down and find the Return button on the remote control.
Manual*(6.5)*
The manual that ships with the LN40B530 is pretty good. It walks you through all the features and controls. Samsung's explanations of the features is not always elucidating. For instance, the Dynamic Contrast feature is described as 'You can adjust the screen contrast so that the optimal contrast is provided.' Really? Thanks, Samsung, but telling us that this feature actually makes the contrast jump up and down depending on the signal intensity would have been more useful. You can find the Samsung LN40B530's manual online here.
Formats & Media
Formats*(10.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 is a native 1080p television, which means it can play all current varieties of standard and high definition signals. It also supports 3:2 pulldown and 24fps.
Photo Playback*(0.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 cannot playback photos, as it has no USB or memory card slot. Of course, if Bravo happens to be doing a one-hour special on your photo album, you're in luck.
Music & Video Playback*(0.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 does not playback music or video from USB or memory cards.
Streaming Playback*(0.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 has no LAN or WiFi connections.
Other Media*(0.0)*
The Samsung LN40B530 does not support any other type of media.
Power Consumption
Power Consumption*(8.80)*
The Samsung LN40B530 consumes a modest amount of power for an LCD TV. On average, you can expect a total cost of $24.08. Of course, the power drain depends on how high the backlighting is set. Details are in the table below.
Vs RCA L40FHD41
Value Comparison Summary
The RCA L40FHD41 is a cheaper TV in all possible meanings. It retails for about $200 cheaper than the Samsung LN40B530. It scored a little worse in just about every test in our rubric, though it didn't really bomb in anything except the viewing angle test. The selection of ports on the RCA is a little better, but not enough to change our recommending the Samsung.
Blacks & Whites
The RCA L40FHD41 could produce deeper blacks, but the Samsung had brighter whites. Which is better? Considering that the contrast ratio is about the same, you may not notice much of a difference.
Color Accuracy
Neither TV is a fantastic at keeping its color temperature consistent from deep blacks to bright whites, but the RCA showed a little more trouble in the mid-range, where you're more likely to notice. The Samsung only failed when the picture got very dark. The rest of the color tests were close, but the Samsung always performed slightly better.
Motion
The RCA L40FHD41 did not have the best motion smoothness, and it created a fair amount of artifacting. In this contest, the Samsung LN40B530 is the winner.
Viewing Effects
The RCA L40FHD41's viewing angle is just plain bad, losing 50% of its contrast at only 16 degrees from center. Samsung wins.
Connectivity
The RCA offers more ports, which is particularly useful if you have more than one piece of standard definition equipment that needs the composite AV jacks or S-Video. Neither have media slots or internet connections.
Vs JVC LT 42P300
Value Comparison Summary
The JVC LT-42P300 has a few tricks that may entice, but the Samsung is the all-around better performer. JVC has certainly not been shy about advertising the built-in iPod dock, allowing the TV to interface with the world's most popular media player. But it failed to live up to expectations in our core performance tests.
Blacks & Whites
This was an area where the JVC LT-42P300 did particularly poorly. The TV was not capable of achieving a good, dark black. The contrast ratio was also quite poor.
Color Accuracy
Color temperature consistency was one area where the JVC LT-42P300 performed well. The RGB curves, which indicates the smoothness of color gradients, were not as good as the Samsung.
Motion
The JVC LT-42P300 was knocked in its review for very poor motion smoothness and artifacting. The Samsung was far from perfect, but outperformed the JVC.
Viewing Effects
The JVC LT-42P300 had the best viewing angle of the four TVs in this comparison group, allowing a decent picture as wide as 34 degrees from center.
Connectivity
The JVC LT-42P300 has a strong advantage over the Samsung LN40B530 when it comes to ports. It has one additional component AV, one additional composite AV, a USB port for photo playback, and most notably, an iPod dock. Is that worth an extra $250? Considering you can buy a component AV cable set from Apple for $49, maybe not.
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Vs Samsung LN40B650
Value Comparison Summary
The Samsung LN40B650 is a better TV than the Samsung LN40B530, undeniably. It's a lot more expensive, has more features, and offers better performance. But is it worth nearly twice the price? The results from our lab tests indicate that the the LN40B560 did not perform twice as well, if that's any answer. But it was better, especially in its contrast ratio, motion smoothness, and variety of ports. The LN40B650 is a good TV, but for $1599, you may be better off buying a larger Samsung TV in a cheaper series.
Blacks & Whites
The Samsung LN40B650 produced much deeper blacks and a much, much larger contrast ratio. This is definitely a category in which the upper-tier Samsungs shine.
Color Accuracy
The color performance, overall, was a bit of a draw between these two Samsung TVs.
Motion
The Samsung LN40B650 offers a 120Hz refresh rate to reduce blurring, something the LN40B530 lacks. However, the feature seems to produce additional motion artifacting.
Viewing Effects
The viewing angle is more or less the same between both Samsungs.
Connectivity
There are far more ports on the Samsung LN40B650, including an additional HDMI, an additional component AV, an additional analog audio-in, two USB ports for media playback (one of which allows you to connect to a hard drive), and a LAN port for internet connectivity. So many ports makes a marked change between the two models. The LN40B530 is a TV, while the LN40B650 is a networked home entertainment center.
Conclusion
Series Comparison
LNxxB530 Series
There's precious little difference between any of the models in the LNxxB530 series, except for the screen size.
Meet the tester
David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.
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