Comment on Samsung UN40EH5300 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Black) by Espy.
The best LED-lit television at a budget price,
Samsung’s 2012 line of LCD televisions focuses primarily on switching their backlighting from CCFL to direct-array LED. Unlike CCFL lighting, LEDs don’t diminish in brightness over time and have an incredibly long lifespan. Additionally, these sets are significantly lighter than their old CCFL counterparts which makes moving them around easier. However, this model is not edge-lit which means it’s not really thinner despite the weight savings. The lights are directly behind the screen (i.e. direct-array), which many video purists prefer since it makes the lighting more even. This model does not support local dimming.
Pros:
1080p
Direct array LED lighting
Deep blacks
Built-in WiFi
Very lightweight
3 HDMI ports
2 USB ports (including 1 that has extra power for portable hard drives)
Great DLNA support and file playback support (including 720p MKV files!)
Keyboard and Mouse support via USB
Cons:
Semi-glossy screen
Lackluster sound
Lack of swivel base
No S-Video port
U.I. is consistently clunky
Some important settings are made obscure
Display
To start off, the display is fantastic. Colors are rich and the blacks are deep. The set only supports 60hz, but I have never really found myself needing more than that. The lighting is mostly even, but there is noticeably dimming in the corners of the set. The screen is semi-glossy, which I dislike greatly because I can see reflections of myself or the room in darker scenes. Glare from windows is also pretty obvious, so definitely factor that in about where to put this set before you buy it. The bezel which actually makes it look smaller than it is for some reason. The controls for the set are a 4-way joystick hidden under the bottom right side of the bezel.
Sound
The problem with thinner TVs is that sound suffers. My last LCD TV was a regular CCFL set and it had excellent sound. I am not an audiophile at all, but I can’t find an audio setting I like for watching regular TV or movies. Either the dialogue is drowned out by music with heavy bass, or you can hear the dialogue (with added bass) and the music is barely audible. I fiddled around with a lot of settings and I just can’t find one I like. After a few weeks I’ve gotten used to it, but for the first time ever I’m considering getting a stereo system to get “normal” sound back.
Connectivity
Samsung has reduced the number of HDMI ports on their cheaper, no-frills models to encourage people to upgrade to their more expensive lines. The “dumb” models only have 2 HDMI ports, this one has 3. Additionally, it seems as though no models support S-Video any more, and this set integrates composite and component into one set of ports. There are two USB ports, one of which is labeled as the “hard drive” port because it supplies extra power. WiFi is built in, and I’m able to stream content from YouTube without stuttering or buffering. The TV can download and apply updates very easily, too. After the last update, file playback includes 720p MKV files, although options during playback are limited. DLNA support is fantastic, but refreshing of file lists doesn’t work very well. The menu has settings that allow for mouse and keyboard control via USB, which is useful if you use searches a lot in the smart TV apps. It would be great if you could sign into Samsung’s app site and click which ones you want to download rather than doing it from the TV. The interface in general is kind of clunky.
Overall
It’s a great buy. Lots of connectivity, access to smart apps (I enjoy the YouTube one, Netflix is also available and they are adding more). Definitely recommended.
Tips and Caveats
If you plan to use this as a monitor, make sure you label the source as “PC” of some kind. This removes a lot of post-processing. There is also a “Game Mode” under general that makes the display more responsive, but the downside to using this mode for me is that audio is stuck in “movie” mode which is very bass heavy.
