Samsung LN46A650 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color Reviews

• Simply Amazing

  
  By A2K2096CZNEK5B on 2008-03-26
  I just got my TV last Friday and it is everything that I have expected. Unlike the first reviewer on this site, I have not experienced the overheating issues (fingers crossed). If you read his review he did admit the TV was great until that started happening. I just hope I don't get the same issue.
  
  On to my review:
  I spent over a year and a half researching flat panels. I came close to purchasing a Samsung 71F series, but when the salesman told me that new 2008 models were coming out in March, I decided to hold and do more research on those models. I almost purchased the 5 series, but when I found out that it does not have 120hz refresher rate, I decided to research the 6 series and ended buying the 46A650.
  
  I briefly looked at the 7 series, but when I found out the only difference between the two was that the 7 series has a USB port for your MP3 player and 1 GB of cache, I figured it was not for me. I use a dock connected to my receiver when I play my MP3, so to me that was a useless function to fork over extra $$$ for. In addition, I have a PS3 so I don't really need the 1GB of cache to use the TV as a multimedia center. If you don't have a PS3 and plan to use your TV to view pictures and play music then the 7 series might be for you.
  
  
  Pros:
  I have the 46" and I was amazed at how light it was. I was able to pick it up by myself and put it on the stand. The red is absolutely amazing. That's the favorite thing my Fiancée likes about this TV. Personally, I like the red because it is very subtle and goes great with our family room.
  
  The first night we got it we watched the movie Ratatouille on Blu-Ray Disc. Let me tell you after watching the movie my jaw was sore because I think I spent more than 3/4ths of the movie with my jaw open from the amazing picture. The picture was so clear and concise that we paused it and we were able to even see the little freckles on the mice throughout the movie, including the separate hairs.
  
  As I said earlier I play video games with my PS3, so the 120 hz refresher rate was critical to have. MLB the Show 08 is insane. Just looking at the players faces and even the fans blew me away. My brother has a 46" inch Vizio 1080P and he recommended it to me saying that there is not much difference from the two so I am better off saving. Let me tell you, he is absolutely wrong. I've watched his Vizio and to be honest, it can't even hold the jockstrap of the 46A650 if it was a male. There is a big difference believe me. The only TV that could probably match-up to this one is the XBR Bravia with 120HZ. That would've been what I would have purchased if I had not gotten this one. Up until now, I have absolutely no regrets.
  
  The reason I researched for over a year and a half is because I wanted to get a TV that if something new came on the market a few months later, I would not regret my purchase. I feel very strongly that I will not regret this purchase down the line.
  
  I love having 4 HDMI inputs. This was very important for my purchase also, since I have separate HDMI components. The TV also has an ethernet port, so I have it plugged into the internet. I can get weather, news and stock quotes through it. I'll admit, I haven't used it much, but it's nice to know, I can check the temperature at the touch of the button.
  
  The blacks on this TV are awesome and I can have my curtain open on my huge family room window and I can see the tv clearly during the day. I love the TruSurround feature, since right now I only have two speakers and a subwoofer. This feature is meant to improve the sound quality for people who use two speaker systems. I plan to get a surround sound system eventually, but it's going to be a while. That's where this tool comes in handy
  
  The screen is glossy, but I don't have an issue with it. I like the glossy look and besides, it is meant to make the colors more vibrant and intense. I've played with the different viewing modes, but actually, I like standard the best. The movie mode is a little too dark for me and the game one is a little too bright. Standard mode is my desired preference.
  
  The remote is oddly shaped and takes a while to get used to. It also has an ipod like scroll. Some people complain that it is an ugly remote. This is ridiculous; I'm sorry, but I did not purchase this TV for its remote. Anyway, I'm planning on upgrading to an RF Logitech remote this summer anyway.
  
  Cons:
  
  The TV is so good that on the tv stations with weak signals, you can see the weakness of the signal. On some you could see the lines and imperfections, due to having a weak signal. That is only a with a few channels. It's a negative, but that's what you get when the picture is very detailed; You will not only get the good qualities, but the bad also, if the signal is not strong. Regardless, that issue will be moot next year when the tv stations will be required to broadcast by digital signal.
  
  Another issue is, that when you turn it on it takes about 3-4 seconds to pick up my digital cable signal from my DVR box. In addition when you switch between sources it takes around the same amount of time to pick up the signal. I'm impatient, which is a negative quality of mine. In our household, it seems like it is an issue only with me, since it does not bother my fiancee at all or any of our friends. Maybe it would not be a con if I was not so stupidly impatient.
  
  Those are really the only two issues I have with the TV and to me they are very minor ones. I just pray I don't start getting the issues, the first reviewer experienced.
  
  Overall:
  
  I am very happy with my purchase. I am very satisfied and do not feel guilty or have any regrets about making this purchase. Up until now, I feel this TV is worth every penny I paid for it. I'll be updating my review as I learn more about this TV. I hope my review helped you, even if it was only a tad bit helpful, before making your investment on a flat panel television. Good luck with your search.
  
  

• Amazing picture, but surprised by some missing features

  
  By A3DI07H2BWSNY7 on 2008-04-03
  I want to say first off that I also experienced the bug where the TV unexpectedly turns itself off, but after I installed the firmware upgrade that Samsung posted on 4/5 the problem has gone away.
  
  I agree with the other reviewers that the picture is AMAZING. I am also happy to see that Samsung has added a 4th HDMI port. I was initially concerned that the "Touch Of Color" might clash with my decor, but it is very subtle especially if you mount the TV inside a cabinet. The "Infolink" feature is cute and easy to set up, but I don't see it as being extremely useful.
  
  Now for some caveats. I purchased this TV right after setting up an LNT4661F for my inlaws, and I was quite surprised to realize that the A650 is missing several features from the 4661F, despite the A650 costing $650 more. For starters, the A650 does not have rear composite video or S-video ports (only one of each on the side). This is probably not a big deal for most people, but if you are using a VCR, surveillance cam, etc. you will have a cables plugged into the side of the TV. More of a concern to me was that the A650 has only 1 antenna input versus 2 on the 4661F. That means with the A650 you can't plug in both an antenna and a cable input. I guess Samsung figures everyone is using a set top box so they cut corners there.
  
  By far my biggest complaint is with the Remote control. Again unlike the 4661F, the A650 does NOT have a universal remote! It's essentially a TV-only remote, although it CAN control Samsung "Anynet+" components connected via HDMI. This seems like a big step backwards and bothers me more than the other features that were removed. Also the remote is not described on the Samsung website so I had no way of knowing that the remote had been "de-improved". I agree with other reviewers that the navigation wheel is horrible ... it spins freely which makes it practically useless ... you spin the dial to make your selection, then as you move your finger to press the enter button inside the scroll wheel, the wheel moves and you select the wrong value. You have to wonder "what were they thinking?". I've seen Happy Meal toys with better tactile feedback!
  
  Despite my criticisms and annoyance that some features have been removed, I still rated this TV as 5 stars because in my book, picture quality is by far the biggest consideration and it looks great to me. Also the aesthetics are very nice and the new features such as 4th HDMI and Infolink make up for the removed features and poor remote control.
  
  

• Glare Issues

  
  By AD9XZQXI4QMQQ on 2008-08-16
  I was excited to have my new LN46A650 delivered today. From what I had read from the reviews and from my other research I had one fear about the TV, reflection from the screen surface. I'm sad to report I am going to be returning my Samsung for a model with a flat/matte finish on the screen.
  
  I was really disappointed when I turned this on. The reflections from the windows were terrible.
  
  My setup has the TV on a wall which is parallel to an exterior wall with (2) 30x60 windows approximately 10 feet away. The glare IMO is unbearable, bad enough that I am willing to pay the return shipping charges. I also see quite a bit of glare from a floor lamp I have in the corner of the room. It surprises me very much that this is not an issue for more people.
  
  I went as far as taking my Westinghouse LCD off the wall in my bedroom and setting it up right next to the Samsung to compare the amount of glare between the two. The cheapy Westinghouse wins hands down. No reflections whatsoever with the Westy, but with the Samsung I can actually see my neighbors house very clearly out the window in the reflection in the screen. The reflections are worse with dark screens, but are still noticeable while watching a baseball game.
  
  The picture is the best I've ever seen, and the "Touch of Red" gives it a classy look, but if you have a worry about windows reflecting on the screen, I would suggest going with a model that does not have the glossy/glass finish screen. If you are building a home theater where reflection is not an issue or if you always watch TV in the dark then this is probably the TV for you. But if reflections in the screen bother you I would think long and hard before buying this TV.
  
  
  

• About time, Or so I thought.

  
  By A162KBBCXV4G6U on 2008-03-25
  :: It seems the Shut off Issue has been corrected on my set!!::
  
  
  Prior to picking this TV up I had 2 of the 71 series televisions. Both of them had problems concerning a flicker as well as a some dim pixel clusters under the screen. I still had my last 71 under the 30 day policy so i returned it for this years new model: the 650A.
  
  The Tv itself is beautiful. The hint of red is very subdued yet adds a nice touch when you get up close. A warning about the screen, it is glossy. If your room is well lit and you get distracted by reflections, this is not for you. The benefit of the glossy screen is more vibrant colors and contrast. SO for most its worth the glare to have a beautiful picture when you close the blinds. Though in daylight I don't have a problem at all watching it, but its optimal in dark.
  
  The remote is interesting. It has an Ipod inspired turn wheel in the middle of the remote that is super touchy. It takes some getting used to but its kind of cool. The source input is now a drop down menu where you directly choose the input rather than cycling through them one by one. It also has a motion sensor in it, when activated, auto turns the light on in the remote when its moved. People complain that its an ugly remote, but seriously, its a remote. You dont stare at it like the TV's picture.
  
  Speaking of which the picture is where the tv truly shines. Vibrant colors, amazing detail, inky blacks. This is the LCD I have been waiting for. Bluray= amazing.
  
  So the TV is very similar to the 71 except 3 new modes which are called "Entertainment Modes" These are Pre-calibrated from the factory and you cannot adjust the picture at all.
  1. Sports mode: For high speed sports. This mode is a lot brighter than the others and is designed for faced paced imagery.
  2.Game: This is for games obviously. The AMP feature is toned down but the Video Processor is turned up for a smoother game play. Colors are less vibrant than sports, but just a tad.
  3. Cinema Mode: Intended for film and is a darker more film like picture. AMP is functioning at normal capacity. Some think this is to dark but I really think its Ideal.
  
  The best part about the Entertainment modes: No judder or stutter and TBE is fairly gone from the 71 series. These modes are amazing and should be the only modes used on the tv for smooth performance.
  
  You can read about more of the features but So far this TV has been exactly what I have been waiting for. There have been quite a few reports of random restarts, I have yet to have any. If this is a widespread problem it will be patched on the older models and will come out of the factory with the fix installed. Samsung tvs have had this problem before and it was fixed last time. I have no worries. (And it just restarted, hooray)
  
  
  
  

• Shuts down randomly

  
  By ATQ5ZSLXCFE95 on 2008-03-24
  I have had a 40" Sony (V2500) for over a year, and it's great. I wanted my second HDTV to have a larger screen and a faster pixel response to address the motion issue. This Samsung seemed to have everything I was looking for in an upgrade - larger screen, more HDMI 1.3 ports, a USB port (for thumb drive slide shows), plus the 4ms pixel response, the 120 MHz processor, and color improvements clinched it. I always thought Samsung was a quality alternative to Sony, but I don't anymore. The picture was spectacular and the color more natural just like the advertising said, but on the 4th day the TV suddenly shut off for no reason and then turned itself back on about 3 seconds later. This happened 4-5 times in 3 hours. When I googled the problem, I got many hits about the same problem in a number of Samsung TVs. It may be an overheating problem, a fan not working, or a bad sensor like some people guess, but after only 4 days I wasn't putting up with that. I returned it to Best Buy and got a 46" Sony XBR5. (Always stick with Sony!) I rated this 2 stars because it really was good when it worked but disappointing overall.
  
  
  
  
• Great value, even better TV
  By A22YIVOKBL40AO on 2008-04-29
  I purchased this model shortly after it was first available from Amazon upgrading my older Phillips 55" rear projection 1080i capable TV. I have now owned it for a month. I've used it with basic (non-HD) cable, basic Tivo viewing (again, non-HD), upscaled DVD viewing, HD-DVD viewing, and blu-ray viewing. I've paired it with a Yamaha 3000 soundbar. My entertainment watching has never been better.
  
  Like many people I did a lot of research before dropping this kind of money on a new TV and, also like many people, it eventually came down to the Samsung TV or one of the Sony XBRs. IMO these are the only competitive mid-range/high end flatscreens to consider for purchase. Because of the Burn in issue (which is not as bad as it was in earlier generation Plasmas) I never considered a plasma TV, though they are a little more inexpensive and often have at least as good a picture as the LCD TVs.
  
  As you've probably read outside of the several hundred dollar premimum for the Sony brand, the primary difference is that the Samsungs have a shiny screen so in high light rooms there can be some reflection vs the matte XBR screens. I generally can control the light levels while I'm viewing the TV so the vibrancy of the Samsung in mid/low light conditions made the choice easier.
  
  I was originally going to go with a 4671f until I saw the "new" 46A650 model and decided to get the new version instead. There have been some visual quality improvements with the second generation of the motion tracking technology which goes a long way to eliminating the blurring and object duplication (the "Triple Ball Effect" or TBE). It isn't entirely gone but for a "normal" person who isn't examining the visuals in minute detail; it is effectively a non-issue now. I've seen a couple sutters where the image seems to "jump" but in my opinion this is more related to the media/movie than a problem with the TV.
  
  If you ask someone who says that the TV has a stuttering problem they will usually only be able to point to one scene in a movie or two where the stuttering occurs ("Check the intro sequenece in Blue Planet from 00:01:23 to 00:01:24! This TV stutters like mad!").
  
  I contend that normal people can handle a 1 second stutter every 100 hours of viewing :)
  
  *VISUALS*
  
  The visuals on blu-ray content are often jaw dropping. This is to be expected with something like "Planet Earth" which is built around its lush visuals, even in non-HD, but even some scenes in movies that I wouldn't consider prime HD material I am often very impressed (there are some garden scenes in "Walk Hard" that are eye-popping!).
  
  Of course the non-HD experience isn't incredible, but I'm happy that it is at least on par with my old TV. Eventually I may decided to upgrade to HD cable and Tivo but my main focus is improving my movie watching, not necessarly making CSI or American Idol look better.
  
  Finally, I have three spots in my TV room where people watch TV from. With some LCDs if you get too far off center from the set then the screen dims and the vitality of the colors bleeds down. That is not a problem at all with this LCD.
  
  *PHYSICAL*
  
  On the hardware end there are plenty of inputs for HDMI and any other connection type you can think of. I have a full set of components and everything plugs right in and works well.
  
  I was a little wary of the "Touch of Color", but in a darker room it is not very obtrusive since it fades quickly to deep red which looks black in lower light. I think the red highlight actually looks really cool! It is much more pleasing to my eye then just a plain black or silver.
  
  I am so pleased with this TV I can barely describe it! Physically it looks stunning, visually it is one of the best out there.
  
  *CONS*
  
  Not everything is rosy though.
  
  There was a problem with some of the original models where the TV would randomly shutoff (mine included, though I did not encounter it often). This is easily fixed with a firmware update available off Samsungs site and is, presumably, pre-loaded on all the new sets being manufactured.
  
  The remote is not great. It has the buttons you want to do everything but the jog/shuttle wheel implementation they used is too sloppy and leads to a lot of inaccuracy. I over came this by purchasing a Logitech Harmony One remote but for using the PS3 I still have to resort to the included remote (the PS3 remote is bluetooth and doesn't work with the Harmony remote).
  
  One of the biggest problems that I have is that the TV is meant to be best viewed in lower light settings, however the labels for the controls on the TV itself can't be seen except if bright light.
  
  Even worse they are very sensitive touch controls so when I want to turn the TV off manually I often end up changing the channel instead because I miss the "off" touch region by a little. Then I either have to turn on a bunch of lights to change the channel again and then turn it off or I have to dig out the remote to change the channel and turn the set off. This is so annoying that I've resorted to keeping a small keychain flashlight beside the TV just so I can see these stupidly subdued labels.
  
  Finally, the software/interface for adjusting the settings on the TV is slow and unresponsive. This is excrabited by the crappy remote. It seems that moving through the menus and selecting settings is very laggy, and I found that I often ended up selecting items I didn't want because of the three second lag between pressing the button and actual acceptance of the setting selection. This is also pretty minor but frustrating non-the-less during the first few days when you're tweaking settings.
  
  The problems I have with the set are so small I think I can fully justify the 5 star rating but the labeling on the controls is VERY frustrating and the remote feels all but useless if you have to rely on the Jog wheel.
  
  EDIT: One last thing:
  *SHIPPING*
  I was VERY VERY VERY disappointed in the shipping company (Eagle/CAVA) used to ship my TV. When the driver got to my home he proceeded to DRAG my brand new $2600 TV (after tax) by the banding straps. Bouncing it off the back of the truck onto the street, then DRAGGING it onto the curb, BOUNCING it again, then dragging up my driveway, BOUNCING it UP the three stairs to my door and finally dragging into the living room.
  
  I had thought that I was getting white glove delivery but the driver turned to leave as soon as he bounced the TV into my viewing room. I asked him to help me at least lift it out of the box. So he tears indacriminately into the box with his knife and starts trying to lift the TV out by pressing on the corner of the screen itself, not the bezal!
  
  I was shocked. I will NEVER do business with a company that employs this shipping company again. The callous attitude of the driver and the lack of respect for my package was horrid.
  
  
• Couldn't be happier...
  By ATG9GIKHAZWIG on 2008-05-25
  Although a novice with the new generation of HDTVs, I purchased this on advice of my installer, who could have sold me anything, and I couldn't be happier.
  
  In layman's terms (the only I can speak) I love the deep colors, the versatility (you can very easily switch viewing modes depending on the room's brightness) and the high refresh rates that make it great for sports (no trailing images of hockey pucks, etc).
  
  Anyway, buy it, be happy, and forget all the high tech junk you've been cramming in your head for the past 6 months while you've been dreaming of the new TV.
  
  
• Amazon and Samsung service is terrible.
  By A2PHVCMMKT9JTW on 2008-07-13
  On June 12, I ordered the Samsung LN46A650 from Amazon. Amazon farmed the order out to Adorama and I received the TV on June 20 with no shipping crate damage; HOWEVER, the product was an out-of-crate failure. About 1/3 of the screen was black in a irregular pattern. On June 21, Samsung wsa called, and on Monday, June 23 Adorama and Amazon were called and a replacement was requested. Nothing happened until July 2, when a Samsung contracted repair shop picked up the TV. As of July 13, I still have no TV and no one has offered to replace the defective set.
  
  Interestingly, the Samsung work order gave a purchase date of 5/31, which leads me to believe that I was knowingly shipped a defective set that a previous customer had purchased on 5/31 and returned to Adorama. I can not recommend this TV because of the extremely poor service from Samsung, Amazon, and Adorama.
  
  
• Mixed Blessings--Kudos to Amazon
  By A262CK9L0QOQPM on 2008-08-02
  This may seem like a strange review because while this is being typed I'm in the process of returning the television.
  
  This television was delivered via Amazon's White-Glove Service. It arrived earlier than promised, everything to the point of turning on the television went flawlessly. (+ points to Amazon).
  
  Immediately upon turning it on I was struck by two things. First, the picture was absolutely stunning. Second...there appeared to be a problem because the display showed patterns of small fluorescent green dots that clustered around changes of color. It looked much like "poor reception snow" except it was green...and it only appeared in certain colors (lots in green backgrounds, often in flesh-tones, especially where the tones changed due to highlights, and sometimes in grays or dark colors). This occurred no matter what the signal source was (cable, DVD, satellite) and no matter what method was used to transmit the signal (HDMI, Off-Air, Composite).
  
  I went to the manufacturer's website and went through their troubleshooting procedures...and nothing clearly matched my problem. I looked on the internet and found evidence that this had happened to someone else and the result was Samsung sending out a repair person to fix it. I called Samsung, explained the problem, and (voila!) I'm told the problem will require repair and they'll contact me within 48 hours to tell me when this person will come. It was at this point things started to go downhill...when the Samsung rep suggested I could buy an "extended warranty". I try to be reasonable about these things, though...so I figured I'd wait until they called me back to push matters. After no callback at the 48 hour point, I called THEM back. Some irritating young lady then explained to me that because I lived in a "no service area" they "technically" had 5 to 8 business days to find someone to repair the television.
  
  At this point, I'm being told by Samsung that 1) It's just my tough luck that I bought what I thought was a brand-new television and now I'll own what could more accurately described as a "refurbished television" 2)It's more tough luck because I live in the boonies and 3)I should give them MORE money since the tough luck mentioned above has not given me reason to believe my television may not LAST beyond the warranty period.
  
  I called Amazon to ask for help. Amazon immediately agreed that I had a problem, my attitude wasn't unreasonable, I had tried to work it out with the manufacturer....and agreed to send me a new television and pick up the old one at the same time.
  
  I was absolutely stunned! Thank you, Amazon.
  
  I guess the reason this is such a strange review is that I'm complaining about the manufacturer while agreeing to replace it with the same television. Part of it is because I believe that it really was just a stroke of bad luck...the main reason is that except for this problem, I truly am very pleased with the television.
  
  I'm now especially pleased with Amazon. They're amazing.
  
  
• RANDOM SHUT OFF ISSUE FIXED
  By A3BRXOBIWQL10H on 2008-04-04
  Just a heads up to anyone owning any size model of the 650 series...
  
  Samsung issued a firmware update, via their website on 4/3/08, that fixes the random shut off problem. You will need a USB flash drive to apply the update via the Wiselink USB port on the TV. This firmware update also enhances the AMP effect on all sets.
  
  
• Problem Fixed!
  By A2CJKRM3GM9R91 on 2008-04-16
  Just as an FYI, Samsung has issued a firmware update that is available via their home website that fixes the off/on issue mentioned in another review. I have been using this TV for over two weeks now, since the update which was released on 4/9/08, I have had ZERO issues with this unit. The picture is FANTASTIC, probably the most clear HDTV that I have seen on the market to date. The 120 Hz makes the biggest difference of all. Don't get me wrong, I have been a faithful fan of SONY for years and I never thought anyone would be able to match the performance of their HDTV products or steer me away from being a faithful customer. My brother even purchased the XBR5 series of the 46 inch and is NOW looking to sell it so that he can switch to the Samsung LN46A650.
  2 years ago there would have been no choice for me between the two, but now I can see that Samsung is finally giving Sony a run for their money. Hands down, for now anyway, Samsung is clearly the best choice to go with when it comes to an LCD HDTV of this size.
  
  
• BEST TV EVER - WORST as A COMPUTER MONITOR
  By A11ZAOQCZG6J4 on 2008-06-12
  Samsung LN46A650 46-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
  
  Its been 2 weeks since I recieved this TV. This Samsung LN46A650 replaced my 42" Westinghouse monitor which I took to my office.
  
  For its MAIN intended use as a TV . . . its superb. HDTV broadcast over cable is beautiful and Blue Ray play back is just STUNNING ! Compared to my Westinghouse, the black level performance is breathtakingly better. I've only had this unit for 2 weeks so I have not explored everything to the n-th degree. I use this TV for my work almost 50% of the time. This TV is used as a computer monitor for CAD drafting (AutoCad).
  
  IF . . . your use is 95% as a TV for movies and cable/satellite broadcast, you can't ask for a better TV. 4-1/2 STAR RATiNG AS A TV !
  
  CONS (USING AS A TV) :
  --> ONLY 3 CUSTOM SETTING - If you are picky about PICTURE SETTINGS for different INPUTS, this TV DOES NOT allow a specific setting for each input. I am used to being able to have specific setting for Cable, DVD/Blue Ray, Game and PC inputs. There are 3 PICTURE MODES, "Dynamic", "Standard" and "Movie". You do your specific tweaking for each mode THEN apply the "Mode" of choice to each input. So far I have my Blue Ray connected to "HDMI 1" and my HD cable to "Component" and I was able to tweak to my heart's desire for both inputs. BUT . . . (continued below in "used as computer monitor")
  
  --> PIP IS ONLY FOR THE STANDARD DEFINITION "ANTENNA/CABLE" INPUT : Only the analog input can be over-layed on the main picture. YOU CAN NOT DISPLAY ANY COMPONENT, HDMI OR PC INPUT AS PIP SOURCE . . . AND YOU CAN NOT SWAP PIP AND MAIN SCREEN. I spent how much? . . . and I can't have an HD PIP while working on my computer ?? DISAPPOINTED !!
  
  --> NO PIP BUTTON ON THE REMOTE : The only way to turn on the PIP is to go through the MAIN MENU . . . very cumbersome.
  
  --> WORST DESIGNED REMOTE I'VE EVER USED - I hate it and so does everyone else.
  
  -----------------------
  CONS (USING TV AS A COMPUTER MONITOR) : MY REASON for a 1 STAR RATING OVERALL
  
  -->> NOT ALL ADJUSTABLE SETTINGS WORK WITH ALL "MODES" OR "INPUTS" - I connected my laptop (DVI output via DVI-to-HDMI cable) to the HDMI 2. I have my video card to output at 1920x1080, the same setting I used for my Westinghouse. FIRST IMPRESSION IS "WOW ITS FUZZY" AND IT DOES NOT FILL THE SCREEN. THERE IS A BLACK BAND OF BOUT AN INCH ALL AROUND THE FULL SIZE WINDOW !! Ok, it needs to be tweaked. So I selected "Standard" mode BUT much to my surprise some settings were "greyed out" and not accessible. I can't change the "sharpness" setting for use as a computer monitor through either the HDMI 2 or the PC input using the VGA cable!! ITS STUCK AT 50 IN THE RANGE OF 0 to 100 AND CAN'T BE ADJUSTED !!! I NEED TO SET IT TO 100.
  
  -->> SINGLE LINE COLOR FOR CAD SOFTWARE IS IMPROPERLY DISPLAYED - AutoCad using 256 color palette displayed on a black backgroud displays wrong color vertically and diagonally. The correct color is displayed only when its perfectly horizontal. The way my AutoCad is set up, plotted line width is dependant on the color. EACH OF MY MAIN COLOR HAS 3 DIFFERENT SHADES DENOTING 3 DIFFERENT LINE WITDH OR SCREENING WHEN PLOTTED. THESE SHADES ARE NOT DISTINGUISHABLE. This may be a problem of vertical and horizontal sync frequency BUT THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMENTS AVAILABLE to correct the problem. I've tried everything on the video card but can't get rid of this problem. I'm going to contact Samsung for a specific driver for the 650 series LCD (IF THEY HAVE ONE) to see if that would fix it. The TV is recieving 1920x1080 but does not fill the screen. It measures about 43" viewable area.
  
  -->> FONTS IN INTERNET PAGES AND WORD PROCESSOR IS FUZZY : I thought it was just a problem with AutoCad but ALL software windows displayed as "graphics" is fuzzy. The only thing that looks DECENT are photos and 3D renderings.
  
  
  CONCLUSION :
  This TV IS SUPERB, as a TV . . . no questions about that. But . . . IT FAILS MISERABLY AS A COMPUTER MONITOR. My inferior Westinghouse runs circles around this Samsung when used as a COMPUTER MONITOR. It might be the combination of my video card and this TV, but I doubt it. If you intend to use this TV as a computer monitor more than ocaisionally, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED.
  
  With my old Westinghouse, I just plugged in the DVI out from my computer and it displayed the image full screen with accurate color. A little tweak on "brightness", "contrast", "backlight" and "hue" and it looked just as sharp as my LCD monitor on my laptop. . . NO MATTER WHAT SOFTWARE I RAN.
  
  I had expected THIS SAMSUNG TV to be at least equal to the Westinghouse as a computer monitor. I WAS WRONG AND DISAPPOINTED. Take your laptop to a local store and try it out FIRST. . . then buy from Amazon at a better price. AS A COMPUTER MONITOR FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN E-MAIL AND WORD PROCESSING, THIS UNIT IS NEARLY UNUSABLE.
  
  
• My first 1080p set and biggest purchase from Amazon, a fantastic experience
  By AYOZ71QY133FH on 2008-06-22
  Delievery from CEVA/Eagle was quick and even thought I had a 2 hour delivery window the driver called the night before and said he'd call 15 minutes before delivery so I didn't have to wait around and miss work. The picture is fantasic, I'm still fooling around with settings but it looks great no matter how I mess it up! ;-P
  The blu-ray picture is fantastic and 1080i HD cable telecasts look great as well.
  Another great thing is Amazon's 30 day price guarantee. I've called in twice after price drops and gotten two sizable refunds in the two weeks since it was shipped.
  I like the higher level of contrast this model has over the 550 model so I'm glad I got this 650 model but the other touted difference between the models is confusing/disappointing and that's the 120hz feature. I've tried numerous ways viewing different sources with all sorts of settings and I can't see much, if any, difference with the 120hz turned on or off. I don't even see a difference when the demo function is running and you're supposedly seeing 120hz on the left and 60hz on the right. There might be the slightest difference but I might just be thinking that because I've been told there should be. So I'm not disappointed I got this one instead of the 550 because the higher contrast makes the blacks very deep but don't let the 120hz be the decisive factor in whether you get this set.
  
  
• Absolutely AMAZING!!!
  By A3LJ51X25ELKF9 on 2008-05-16
  Just set this up. CEVA Delivery was wonderful. I worried about having a high priced item like this delivered, but it is very well packaged and arrived perfect! We just threw in the movie "Cars"--not even in high def and we are blown away!!! What an incredible picture. I read other reviews about glare, but this is right next to an open window on a sunny day and there is NO glare! The colors are fantastic. I am so, so glad my husband talked me into the extra 400 bucks to get the 650 series. SO worth it for the 120hz, and the red touch of color is beautiful. I couldn't be happier!!!! What a bargain, too. Free shipping, no tax, and priced 700 less than B--- B--.
  
  
• Great HDTV - very happy with this purchase!
  By A1B9TIERY43Q8H on 2008-07-28
  I purchased this TV last week. Although I have only used it for one week, it is a night-and-day difference from my smaller 32" LG HDTV I purchased in 2006. This TV really lives up to the reviews I found on the net. The picture is simply stunning...
  
  Deep blacks - this LCD rivals plasmas for its black levels. Black levels are extremely important in an HD set, arguably one the most important features in determining its overall picture quality. This thing puts out absolutely gorgeous black levels, very deep and "inky". My old set had very poor black levels, never really going below a dark grey color. As soon as I powered this Samsung set on, the difference (even right out of the box at factory settings) was drastic. The 50,000:1 contrast ratio and 4ms response times add to the quality as well. For a nice review detailing the picture, Google for CNET's review of the LN52A650 (the 52" version, same TV). They called the picture one of the best LCDs they have ever reviewed.
  
  The 120hz mode works well, if you like the effect. Personally, I do not like it at all. It detracts from the film feel of a movie, and feels fake and processed. When watching Discovery HD, HD sports or something like that, I could see how you may want to use it, but I prefer watching HD content as delivered.
  
  I have it paired with both a Toshiba HD-DVD player as well as a PS3. Both pictures are just phenomenal, especially the PS3. The 1080p resolution, combined with the 1080p/24 mode the PS3 outputs, is striking (yes, this TV does 1080p/24, Google it to learn more about why 1080p/24 is important).
  
  Overall, I cannot say that I have found much wrong with this TV. During high motion camera pans or intense action I have notices some very minor "judder", but nothing that would prevent me from recommending this TV to everyone.
  
  As other reviewers have stated, this TV does have a red tint around the bezel (dubbed "Touch of Color" by Samsung). I worried about this initially, as I prefer a single, black color to a bezel. Don't let it fool you, the red is VERY subdued in the frame, really just more of a highlight than anything (and only apparent if you are looking for it, or if the light hits it just right). I think it does make the TV look distinguished, and is something I started liking about 5 minutes after I saw it. The best way to sum up the color is like a very, very deep red wine in a clear wine glass. It looks black for the most part, with just a tinge of red when viewed at the right angle. Being a wine fan (especially reds!) this makes it even more pleasing
  
  The sound is standard for an HDTV. If you are watching TV, it works just fine. Not the best sound from a TV, but nothing bad either. Let's be honest - the sound is not why you would buy this set anyways. Hook it up to a 5.1 receiver to match the great picture.
  
  The price has come down on this model considerably, with the announcement of Samsung's new line of HDTVs. If you are trying to decide between this model and the a750, go for this one. The 750 has the same specs, with more built in networking potential, recipes, etc. Personally, I think those are just overkill and not needed anyways. This TV does have an Ethernet port for getting live information from the Internet, though I haven't even tried it out, and may never.
  
  This set is just a pleasure to watch and you can configure it all day long. Some sets suffer from being too "basic" when it comes to customizing the picture (brightness, contrast, color and not much else). Not this one. You can really tweak it all you want and change the picture to suit your palate. I REALLY like the amount of choices you have when being able to adjust the picture.
  
  The remote does look kind of "kiddy" looking, but if you have a universal remote, you won't use it anyways. The remote is never a deal breaker for me on TVs, and this one is no exception. Some don't like the scroll wheel, which I can understand, but even if you don't want to use the scroll, it still functions like a standard remote by pressing up, down, left, right on the wheel anyways.
  
  As for connections, my old TV had two HDMI ports, which is just not enough. This baby had 4 HDMI ports, 2 component inputs, VGA (for computer connections), a USB port, and Ethernet port - everything you'd need to connect it to pretty much anything you want.
  
  
  So overall, this TV has exceeded my expectations. The picture quality looked even better at home than in the store. If you are in the market for an HDTV that is a joy to watch, look no further. I recommend this set highly. I hope you will too!
  
  
  
• Touch of Color bezel ruins otherwise good TV
  By A3A1J9JNYJ4LDA on 2008-08-16
  The Touch of Color plastic bezel is made of such soft plastic that it is impossible not to scratch. No matter how carefully you try to protect the plastic, any attempt to dust or clean the bezel results in fine scratches and eventually a white haze. What's worse, any lights in the room catch the hazy scratches and cause horrible, glaring reflections. I called Samsung technical support twice about this problem, and all they said was "we don't warrant against physical damage."
  
  It's a shame, because the quality of the picture is very good. But you can't watch the picture because your view is constantly distracted by the glare from the bezel.
  
  My advice is to spend your money on an LCD with a more traditional metal or solid black frame.
  
  
• A great HDTV set
  By AMMP1AR2NA0BS on 2008-05-09
  I've now had my Samsung 650 for over a week, and it's a fantastic set. The picture is clear and vibrant, and there aren't any major issues I've run across. My set came with the 1003m firmware, so no random shutoff issues. Also no purple tint on my TV. Flashlighting is minimal, and while there is slight hazing in one place on my TV, it's all but invisible except when the entire scene is pitch black. No dead/stuck pixels either.
  
  The remote is kind of wonky -- the wheel doesn't work very well, and it's often hard to select what you intend to. But it's no reason not to buy this TV. I've been viewing content via Comcast HD and playing games on my 360 both via HDMI. They both look great, and I haven't experienced any video lag. Sports look absolutely incredible on this TV. NHL and NBA games simply blow me away with their clarity. If you're a sports fan, you'll love this TV. If you're a gamer, you'll love this TV. If you're a movie watcher or just a casual viewer, you'll love this TV. If you're a living, breathing human, you'll love this TV.
  
  
• So glad I finally went HD, and with this set.
  By A3BJU51IF26NAB on 2008-06-09
  After a few years of seeing friends go HD, and clinging to my aging 32" Sony, an unexpected (both in amount and timing) bonus came in. My wife & I knew it was time to release ourselves from the shackles of the Cathode Ray Tube and move forward.
  
  First, ordering & delivery were great. I ordered the set on June 3 (a Tuesday) at night, it shipped the next day, and was delivered on Friday, June 6. Several folks had convinced me that Amazon would take 1-2 weeks to get it here, but 2 days seems pretty good to me.
  
  Friday morning began with a trip to Ikea for some of their lovely Besta line. 2 of the 15" shelf benches, stacked vertically, flanked by a pair of the double-wide 75" high shelf units. Loads of storage, and looked pretty nice too. But I digress... Back to the TV.
  
  I first noticed the box had a sticker noting that the updated firmware for the now notorious random shutoff issue was already loaded on the set. Yay, now I didn't need to spend the few minutes to download, put it on a usb stick, etc. Score 1 for the home team. The packaging was simply magnificent. Not sure if it's the norm for such TVs, but I liked the fact that I just had to cut 2 plastic shipping straps, pull out 2 little insert things in the side of the box, and the whole top lifted off. Out came the TV, off with the protective bag and plastic on the base, and up it went, perched atop our newly constructed Ikea stand.
  
  The various connections are well-marked and easy to follow. I love the fact that it's got 4 HDMI inputs. I'm already using 2. One for the connection to our AV receiver (a Yamaha, if anyone cares) that only supports HDMI 1.1 (so no 1080p from it), and another to a Toshiba SD-6100 Upscaling DVD player. Also connected to the receiver is a DirecTiVo receiver (an SD model) soon to be replaced by a TiVo Series 3 with FiosTV and our Wii. I ran a calibration wizard DVD, and found that I only needed to adjust the defaults slightly in 1 or 2 places to suit our living room. The defaults were pretty good, but needed slight adjustment for black level and brightness - something that can be largely room-dependent.
  
  The TV is very responsive, turning on almost instantly, a welcome change compared with many other HD sets I've seen. I'm not seeing spotlighting or those funky random patterns that some claim to see on this set either. I can't speak to the quality of the sound that comes from the TV, since I've turned off the TV speaker (all our audio runs to the receiver).
  
  If I could find nits to pick, there would be 2. The stand and bezel seem to be dust magnets. Hopefully this will get better as its been installed longer. This may be due to the complete and utter disruption caused to the immediately surrounding environment. :) The other is the remote only seems to control Samsung devices. Not really a concern for us, as I included a Harmony One in the budget for this project. The remote happily lives below the TV, in a drawer along with the Yamaha receiver's remote and the Toshiba DVD player's remote. We still occasionally use the TiVo remote, but mostly the Harmony now.
  
  Unless you simply must have a Blu-Ray player now, save your pennies, and get an upscaling DVD player for now. I'm waiting on $200 BR 2.0 players, which I expect to see in Q1 2009.
  
  The long & the short of it - a fantastic TV, great picture. Better at displaying SD content than any other HDTV I've seen to date. On the fence? Get off and buy this...
  
  
• Very Pleased
  By A1AKOJQ9YGMM2N on 2008-04-26
  Got the TV this week. I ordered it on Friday, April 18th at about 1AM and the TV arrived in my town from CEVA on Monday, April 21st. CEVA called me that morning to schedule a delivery time. The TV shipped from Kentucky and I live in Minneapolis. Can't ask for any faster service than that! They helped unpack the TV and waited until I turned it on to make sure it was working and I was satisfied.
  
  As for the TV, I'm very pleased with the picture. It's my first LCD HDTV and I don't think I could be happier with the overall quality. I have a 56" Samsung DLP in the living room and this LCD has gone in our bedroom. The Touch of Color is VERY faint and I can only notice it when the lights in the room are on. Even then it's not distracting at all. It looks nice.
  
  Also, do yourself a favor and go to the AVS Forums and find the threads about this TV so you can get the display settings setup correctly. They have a thread dedicated to calibrating the picture and it worked very well for me. Someone created a very nice spreadsheet stating exactly what to set all the settings to and they worked very nicely.
  
  Also, this TV was practically made for Blu-ray. Blu-ray looks amazing on this TV, even better than the 1080P DLP in our living room. Far better than HD cable channels! It properly displays 1080P24 content as Blu-rays were intended.. The AMP takes some getting used to. I set it to Low because anything higher just makes the movies look unnaturally smooth. So if you don't have a blu-ray player now, do yourself a favor and get one because NOTHING will look better on this TV than Blu-ray movies which utilize the full 1080P capabilities of this TV.
  
  My TV has the 1002.3 firmware on it (1003.M is the newest I believe) and so far there have been no resets. So I haven't updated the firmware and I won't unless I have the reset problem. No big deal though, glad Samsung got that issue fixed.
  
  Absolutely no problems and TV is great. So if you're on the fence about this TV, just get it. You won't regret it. Also, Amazon's 30 day price match guarentee can't be beat by any other seller. If they lower their price within 30 days of your shipping date, they will refund you the difference in price that you paid. That was one of the biggest reasons for me getting it from Amazon. Amazon has wonderful customer service too if anything should go wrong. Buy from Amazon with peace of mind and save yourself a bunch of money.
  
  
• Incredible!
  By A1JMNNLIYO4V2W on 2008-05-21
  I just got this Samsung LN-46A650 a couple weeks ago and after a couple weeks of watching BluRay movies with a PS3, HD programming & HD sports via Comcast Cablecard in a TivoHD & an off air antenna, viewing family photos & movie trailers from an Apple TV, and playing Call of Duty 4 & Burnout Paradise on a PS3, and....this TV is freaking incredible!
  
  I've had different kinds TVs (CRTs, DLP, Plasma & LCD), but this by far is the best TV I've ever owned (famous last words, right?). This replaced a 3rd generation Samsung DLP. If you watch HD programming, HD movies & HD sports, get this TV. If you're a gamer, get this TV.
  
  I've had no issues with banding, flashing lights in the corners, random shutoffs, dead pixels, hazing, whatsoever. I'm no expert, but most of the complaints on the forums are from people who just like to complain. Turn your brightness down and enjoy your TV! Colors are realistic and vibrant. It's got dark blacks and bright whites. Brightness can subjective, but Standard setting is fine. Looks great even when it's turned off.
  
  I used to be a big fan (and a former employee) of Sony, but I have to admit, Samsung is blowing away Sony with pricing and quality. No offense fanboys.
  
  I highly recommend buying through Amazon. Transaction was a breeze. Ceva delivery was great. They delivered four days earlier than promised. After checking Ceva's website, I called them a day early to request an earlier delivery, they couldn't so they set up the next day. But they showed up later that evening anyway.
  
  pros:
  awesome picture
  120Hz AMP smoothing makes BluRay movies look 3D
  4ms refresh rate
  4HDMI inputs
  numerous controls over adjustments and settings
  cherry coke red bezel
  glossy screen
  
  
  minor annoyances:
  remote wheel is sensitive (get a universal remote instead)
  speakers sound weak (get a 5.1 surround rig)
  shiny bezel shows fingerprints (just wipe it down)
  
  
• By Grabthar's hammer... what a savings.
  By A3MVKAX9W8U1RT on 2008-05-27
  Okay, since my last TV was a 27" CRT, this set is of course amazing. But as the other reviewers here say, check it out against the competition. There is a very good review out there on the internet by a well-known consumer electronics site on the 52" version you should check out. I used their calibration for my set (the 46") and then watched a few minutes of several films --- it looked just great. I have an upconverting DVD player and it does a superb job on normal def DVDs with this set. I just set this up two days ago, so I hooked it up to basic cable service, and the standard definition quality is really quite good -- maybe better than previous generations of LCDs? (I really wouldn't know.) There were some issues early on with this set which have been fixed with firmware upgrades. My set has version 1003.M with a date of 4/9/08. There is one newer version which I am not sure is worth bothering with right now. The manual for this TV does not describe how to check your firmware version, but what you do is find the "SW Update" submenu option, and then press Info on the remote. My only complaint of note is the surface is shiny and lighting in front of the set will reflect in the screen. Some experimentation with the Auto Motion Plus is recommended for your own taste. For watching films, I have set to Off. I'm not a gamer, but mostly watch films and TV broadcasts (including sports). I do receive several HDTV stations without a cable box, and the Indy 500 in HD looked great -- I think I had the AMP at Low, but some reviewers have recommended turning it off for sports. I thought the red bezel might put me off, but when I looked at the set in a store, I knew it wasn't an issue for me. The delivery service from Amazon was professional and the delivery person was quite careful and courteous.
  
  
• 2 drawbacks
  By AXVETEVGESJ19 on 2008-05-29
  This TV is phenemonal, both in the way it looks on the wall with its beautiful gloss and with its picture. It's every bit as good, if not better, than my 55" Hitachi plasma AND it doesn't produce the heat of a plasma. HOWEVER, I have 2 complaints:
  
  1. the remote control wheel is bad. not easy to navigate with it, and a bit annoying
  2. this TV has an excellent feature of a timer mode on/off, which allows you to set the tv to come on at a certain time each morning, however, one MAJOR flaw in the design--it doesn't allow you to choose an HDMI input. you have two choices, "Air" (rabbit ears?), and "Cable" which is coax directly into your tv. who does that? i think the VAST majority of people that purchase a 1080p tv use HDMI thru a high definition cable box. so, if you are like me, and have the coax going to your cable box, and an HDMI connection your cable box to your TV, you will not be able to use the timer ON feature. i have called Samsung, they are aware of the problem, and agree with me that it's a bit archaic to have only Air or Cable (coax) as your input choices for the timer ON mode.
  
  nevertheless, it's a fantastic tv. I will continue turning my tv on manually each morning and pushing HDMI input 1 as the input source.
  
  
• Couldn't be happier
  By APS7X34L1V4SL on 2008-05-07
  I had been researching (stalking) the Samsung 71 series for about 7 months as I thought that had the best picture I had seen. Well it was, until this model came out. I have the original firmware and have not had a reset but when I do I will just upgrade the firmware so that issue has been taken care of. This set is amazing. My girlfriend and her brother are definitely not videophiles by any means and when they first saw the picture they both said, "I don't even know what to say. I can't imagine a better picture." Her brother even said, "I know you told me that you were getting a new tv but I never expected this." Yes, it is that good. It is a little bright out of the box but after applying CNET's settings it looks awesome. The AMP feature on this tv might not be for everyone (I love it and usually watch everything but movies on high and I usually watch movies on low or medium) but even with it off the 120hz refresh rate helps reduce motion blur. This is huge for sports. I have not tried connecting the infolink so I cannot comment on that. Probably have no use for it but I will in the future just because I can.
  
  Pros:
  -Fantastic picture
  -Vibrant, realistic colors
  -Red Touch of Color (may not be for everyone)
  -Swivel stand lets you direct the tv to any part of the room in which you are sitting
  -120hz refresh rate
  -AMP
  -VERY DARK BLACKS and VERY WHITE WHITES (unlike plasma)
  -All of the inputs
  
  Cons:
  -Sound is weak so you should hook this up to other speakers/theater
  -When using PIP in PC input split screen with tv, I cannot get the sound from the tv program to come through the speakers (if anyone knows how to do this let me know.
  -The bezel is a dust magnet so be prepared to clean often
  -Remote: The remote's wheel is not very accurate but you can still press it just as if it were four arrows.
  
  Advice: Buy it and enjoy!
  
  
  
  
• Worth Every Penny - Crystal Clear
  By A18L812PTDMMDK on 2008-05-07
  It's worth every penny. I can't think of one flaw on this set. Ordered from Amazon on Tuesday and got it on Friday delivered straight to my 3rd floor apartment. Worked from the start, no issues whatsoever.
  
  Hooked up my cable set top box (component), Xbox 360 (component), and my old PC to it (pc video cable). Turned on the TV and my jaw dropped in awe. I replaced an old tube RCA 36" TV and I did ALOT of research before I bought this Samsung LN46A650. I wanted to make sure I had at least the same picture size in height as my old TV which it did, if not slightly more. I sit about 11 feet away from the TV and everything is crystal clear. The colors are vibrant, the blacks are black, the whites are white. I'm just amazed at how great the picture looks and this is at 1080i.
  
  I got Time Warner Cable with the HD DVR cable box they supply and the HD channels look incredible. Most of my favorite channels are in HD and hopefully they'll continue adding more. I've been recording everything from HBO to Discovery channels and rewatching every movie and it's a whole new experience with this tv.
  
  As for gaming with the xbox 360, I dusted off all my old games and enjoying it so much more in widescreen, clear, vibrant colors. Everything looks smooth. Graphics are amazing. Same goes with the PC. The only problem is that the video card on my old PC can't handle the 1080 so when I tried to play World of Warcraft on it, my fps was very low. You'll need the latest video card to run stuff in 1080 but browsing and even writing emails is just amazing to see on a 46" widescreen as I am doing right now.
  
  As for the "red touch of color", I was concerned it would stand out too much but you can't notice it at all unless you're very close to the set. I think Samsung did a great job with adding a little flair to the set with the added red and it doesn't get in the way at all.
  
  I just ordered a few HDMI cables (9 cents each). My only regret is that the XBox 360 doesn't have Blu-ray. Hopefully they will come to their senses and get one soon.
  
  If you want the perfect TV, I would highly recommend the Samsung LN46A650 46-inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color
  
  
• Cheated by amazon.com
  By ADZSKKFCMBMYI on 2008-09-18
  1. Two weeks after I purchase this TV, the price dropped $235. when I contacted customer service for price protection policy, they refused.
  
  2. Later I found that this TV has an issue where the picture disappears automatically and comes back. Amazon and Samsung were recommending a patch. I decided to return the TV. It took me about 6 weeks and many emails to get the amazon pick up my TV for return. Now for the refund they charged 20% re-stocking fee. This fee is not mentioned any where.
  
  Simply, Amazon has proved themselves to be a cheater. It is very hard to communicate with them, you cannot reply to any of their emails.
  
  
• Not Perfect but Still Really Amazing... Here's Why
  By ACMXHJV1KCOSV on 2008-06-29
  I love this TV! The picture quality is incredible, it has the right amount of connections, and the sound quality is strong. Read other reviewers' posts to get a feel for its many positives. There are a few things, though, that other reviewers didn't mention that I'd like to expose to potential owners.
  
  Missed it By That Much: "InfoLink"
  Think of this as Yahoo! Widgets or the Windows Sidebar for a TV. It has three widgets only: weather, news headlines, and stocks. This is a really nice tool to have, especially the weather feature. The problem is, whenever the InfoLink service is open, not only is the Weather/Headlines/Stocks widget up in its respective location, but there is also a bright blue USA Today menu on the top left of the screen. I thought at first this menu was there just to select which widgets you wanted to engage and then it would fade away or there would be an option to release it manually so it goes away. Nope! It's huge, it's annoying, its useless, and it makes the really cool InfoLink tool useless. This is really unfortunate. I didn't pay $2,000 for a TV that has built in USA Today advertising!
  
  Also, with regards to InfoLink, the Stocks tool is cumbersome. You cannot type in the tickers you want, you have to literally flip through a long list of every single stock ticker InfoLink knows about! They are split up in multiple alphabetical sections (A-C, D-F...) but within each section there are still tons of tickers. There is no quick way of flipping through each of them. You have to use the iPod-like spin wheel to do so and, though it's a nice tool to have on a remote control, it isn't nearly fast or accurate enough for the Stocks tool. This tool would have been great if you could just type in the ticker symbol you want in a similar way to typing a text message on a cell phone. But because you have to slowly run through tickers, it doesn't make the cut.
  
  A Cut Corner: the Optical Audio-out Port
  Since I haven't yet bought a receiver with HDMI-switching (because frankly I don't feel I need one), I need to use the optical audio-out port to get sound from my TV (and all that is connected to it via HDMI cables like a PS3) to my receiver. My receiver only has one optical port. The TV is capable of doing this, but only in basic stereo. The only time the TV will transmit Dolby coding to the receiver is when you are watching a DTV channel. If you are watching a BlueRay movie, have the player HDMI-connected to the TV, and want the surround sound coding to be transmitted to the receiver, you're out of luck unless you directly connect the optical audio cable from the player to the receiver. I find this ridiculous. It couldn't have been that hard for Samsung to pass-through the surround sound coding from the HDMI cables through the optical audio connection, if it is in use.
  
  None of these annoyances are a deal-breaker. This is a really, really, really great TV. I only give it 4-stars because of these annoyances which I consider oversights and/or cut-corners by Samsung. I'll update later if there's anything else I notice as I use the TV more.
  
  
• Big Time Glare Problem
  By A2WNDW9DQ90PVL on 2008-09-14
  I have three 24 by 60 windows facing the TV wall. Finding the best glare free TV was my number one priority. I was not planning to use my TV as a mirror to comb my hair on the way to work :-) Also I don't like to close my blinds completely and watch in the dark. Controlled light - when the blinds are partially closed - transforms the room and your mood.
  
  I must have visited Fry's, Best Buy and Circuit City a dozen times to look at and compare the glare in different models. I checked out the glare of every model on display with the TV on and off. I am sad to report that the Samsung LN650 series has a serious glare problem. Everything in front of the 650 series TV is clearly visible on the screen when the TV is off. When it is on, the reflections are still clearly visible except in really bright scenes. At home it will be more of an issue as you will not be cranking the brightness as high as the stores do to attract attention to sell the TV. It is a great TV otherwise. But what is the point in buying this TV if glare is your number one concern? I am surprised that people don't really care about glare and drop 1500 bucks on this TV.
  
  After I concluded my research I purchased the 47LG70 which has a matte screen. There is virtually no screen reflection and the picture is as good as the Samsung LN650 series - I compared them side by side at Fry's. If you are planning to put your money on the LN650, I suggest you at least take a look at the LG70 series. I have had it for a month now and it is great. I am surprised to find only 2 reviews on Amazon on the 47LG70 compared to hundreds of reviews for the Samsung LN650 series.
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1C4I1Q53YC1I3 on 2008-04-27
  I usually write a long, extended review, but previous reviews have covered everything.
  
  In short, the picture is just absolutely gorgeous. The price is extremely good also for 120hz TV. In case you are curious about the "Red Touch of Color" though, you can barely see it. It is not as obvious as some pictures have illustrated. In a darker room, you cannot see the red tint of color at all. The design itself makes this TV very attractive.
  
  The ONLY thing that annoys me is the remote control. Everything about it is great except for the wheel. It can be useful, but it is very situation. Often time I consider the wheel a nuisance than helpful due to sensitivity of the wheel.
  
  Lastly, I *used* to have TV randomly resetting problem. Firmware update took care of it, and I've never had any problem ever since.
  
  If you're looking for a TV, buy this! I've done a lot of research myself (I'm very picky), and I don't regret choosing this television at all.
  
  Side notes:
  1. Amazon.com is great! Price is a lot lower than retail, but it still offers 30 days low price guarantee on their own price. I called in 5 times and got over 250 bucks back! (If you bought it recently, be sure to keep checking the updated price).
  
  2. Don't get ripped off and buy Monster HDMI cable. A little research will inform you that a 10 dollars cable will be as good as 150 dollars extra cable. It's all digital signal. 0s and 1s. All or nothing.
  
  
• LN46A650A1F
  By A34QGFQJRMNPYH on 2008-05-08
  I did extensive research before I purchased and owned a Sony (Last Year's Model 64hz model) LCD TV that helped me to really understand what to look for when I contimplated my second LCD purchase. Sony makes a great set; but the picture of this Samsung even compared to the newer XBR model was not as bright.
  What I think most people want is a bright clear picture. For the serious viewer this TV is VERY bright and clear (when a strong source signal is provided). What I learned from the research is that picture clarity can be measured in many different ways that is really too complex to explain perfectly. I liked many aspects of my Sony LCD, but the brightness of the Samsung LN46A650A trumps almost all other features including other aspects of picture quality.
  Where this TV poses some issues is in the remote control, PIP and when a poor HD sourse is supplied. What is happening from time to time is that unclear HD Movies are being broadcast (on cable) which no TV would be able to decode without some problems. I think the critizism directed at this TV largely comes when a poor quality sourse signal is being broadcast.
  On non HD programming this TV does a real good job of providing a clear, bright picture. Additionally, from a regular DVD (non HD), this TV does as good or better then most. The remote control has a funky rotary dial that takes a little getting used to; but it can be managed with some practice. The features are strong including a feature (INFO.L) which provides access to weather, stocks and news accross the bottom or top of the screen via a Ethernet jack. PIP dosn't allow me to access my computer and TV at the same time which I understand is a universal problem with all LCD TV's (not confirmed). With a contrast ratio of 50,000 to 1 I must turn down the brightness in many situations. From accross a large room the picture is stunning. I have read that brightness is the issue that most people judge a TV by. By this measure this TV is a 5 out of 5. My only regret at the moment is that I didn't purchase the 52" model. You will be very happy with this TV.
  G. Barraza
  
  
• Lives Up To The Hype
  By AL88R9LX7SOKB on 2008-07-14
  My wife and I purchased a Samsung LN46A650 last week based upon the Amazon customer reviews and Consumer Reports.
  
  The product was shipped via CEVA then via "UP Special Delivery". One tip about UP Special Delivery, make sure you ask the driver to stay until your TV is unpacked (no cracked screen), turned on, and confirmed working. The delivery guy was hinting he wanted to leave as soon as he got it in the house. The drivers are not experienced in setting up electronic equipment. I downloaded the PDF manual prior to delivery and did my homework to speed up the "In home setup" that was included with delivery per CEVA.
  
  This is our fist HD TV and the picture is simply gorgeous. Unbelievable clarity and true dark blacks. I'm a computer graphics freak so I'm extremely critical when it comes to clarity of LCDs and the Samsung LN46A650 has done nothing but impress me. This TV is as good or better than most plasmas I've seen. Our HD channels are so clear that is takes some getting use to. It almost makes me nauseous during busy motion scenes. The movie "Live Free Or Die Hard" is insanely clear. Bruce Willis looks like he's standing outside a window (our TV). The TV even upgrades\converts our standard DVD movies so they look like HD, super clear! In fact, my standard DVD movies look so great I'm considering not purchasing a PS3 (for Blu-ray player). I compared playing our standard DVD movies along side my neighbor's PS3 (Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray) and it was very hard to tell the difference. The touch of red border is beautiful but subtle. It looks like a deep cherry that fades into black as it gets closer to the LCD panel.
  
  Our TV has never sporadically shutdown because it shipped with the firmware update already applied, which means no USB key was included. Plus, Samsung customer support is simply awesome, so far. I've called support three times, twice pre-purchase and once post-purchase and I promptly received polite and knowledgeable answers to my questions.
  
  The TV does take about 5 seconds to boot up and detect connected media but who cares! This is expected from such a complex electronic unit. Have we really become that impatient\jaded with technology?
  
  Conclusion: This product is well worth the money and with 36 months ZERO interest how can you go wrong? Get it, you won't be disappointed at all.
  
  

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