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Samsung LN40B550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color
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| List Price: | $949.00 |
| Price: | $704.00 |
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com
12 new or used available from $667.99
Average customer review:
Product Description
It features a 39.9" screen (measured diagonally) with widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920 x 1080 pixels, and Touch of Color high-gloss finish -- black with red accents. There are built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) and a built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required).
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #8 in Television
- Color: Toc Red
- Brand: Samsung
- Model: LN40B550
- Released on: 2009-03-10
- Dimensions: 24.70" h x 38.70" w x 3.10" l, 32.80 pounds
- Native resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Display size: 40
Features
- 40-inch (60Hz) LCD HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution for the sharpest picture possible and red Touch of Color design
- 70,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 6ms response time, Wide Color Enhancer 2 for more vivid colors
- Game mode speeds up image processing response; side-mounted USB port for displaying JPEG/MPEG files and listening to MP3 audio
- Inputs: 4 HDMI-CEC, 2 component, 1 composite, 1 PC, 1 USB, 1 optical digital audio output
- Includes removable stand; measures 38.7 x 26.6 x 10 inches with stand
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
From the Manufacturer Manufacturer's Review (April 20, 2009)
With the Samsung 40-inch LN40B550 HDTV, you're investing in a high-quality LCD TV that offers top-of-the-line picture quality with 1080p high definition resolution. Enjoy the sharpest details and vivid color with 70,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for more realistic images and a 6ms (millisecond) response time--virtually eliminating any blurring and providing smooth motion while watching fast-paced sports and action movies. Superb connectivity and networking with a USB port and four HDMI 1.3 ports with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) means this HDTV plays well with all of your other electronics.
 The stylish Samsung LN40B550 1080p HDTV with innovative Touch of Color design. |
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In addition to this 40-inch model, the Samsung B550 series also includes the 32-inch LN32B550, 37-inch LN37B550, 46-inch LN46B550, and 52-inch LN52B550. (Learn more about what size TV should you get.)
Key Features
- Screen Size: 40 inches
- Full 1080p HD (Learn more)
- Fast 6ms response time minimizes blurring of fast motion in sports programs.
- Mega dynamic contrast ratio (Learn more)
- HD-Grade 1920 (H) x 1080 (V) pixel resolution: High-resolution pixel density is combined with a built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.
- Built-in digital tuner: No external box needed
- Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) allows the TV's remote control to operate at the push of one button, peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player featuring HDMI-CEC.
- Game Mode enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sounds of your games. Picture and sound quality optimized for the special needs of gaming systems at the touch of a button.
- Side-mounted USB 2.0 port: Connect USB devices directly to your HDTV to view JPEG photos or MPEG movies or easily listen to your MP3 player through your HDTV's audio system or your home theater system.
- Touch of Color (ToC): Samsung's unique manufacturing process accents the surrounding bezel with a stylish red tone. (Learn more)
- Wide Color Enhancer 2 optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors. (Learn more)
- Audio: Two 10-watt stereo speakers (for 20 watts of total power)
- SRS TruSurround HD creates an immersive, feature-rich surround sound experience from two speakers, complete with rich bass, high frequency detail and clear dialog.
- Energy Star Compliant: Reduces energy consumption by up to 25 percent compared with standard TVs.
- Swivel stand included.
- Warranty: 1 year parts and labor with in-home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support
Connections
A wide variety of multimedia devices can be connected to the set through any one of the four HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side), and the handy Anynet+ feature (HDMI-CEC) lets you control all your CEC-enabled peripherals--such as a DVD or Blu-ray player--using just one remote. Connect HD digital devices like disc players, game consoles, and satellite dish components into the two rear connections and use the side-mounted input for cameras, camcorders, and laptops. HDMI is the best performing interface for displaying an HD source on an HDTV.
- HDMI (version 1.3): 4
- Component: 2
- Composite A/V: 1
- USB 2.0: 1
- PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1
- Digital audio output: 1 optical
- View an image of this jack pack's details
Dimensions
- TV without stand: 38.7 x 24.7 x 3.1 inches (WxHxD); 32.8 pounds
- TV with stand: 38.7 x 26.6 x 10 inches (WxHxD); 39.7 pounds
- What size TV should you get?
Learn More
Full HD 1080P
 | Full HD, or 1080p, contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. More scanning lines mean more pixels, more details and a better picture. The new Samsung LCD TV with resolution that is approximately 2 times greater than conventional HDTVs, creating the most perfect picture imaginable. Samsung's 1080p panel uses a new high-speed liquid crystal to cut response time to 6ms (milliseconds). |  |
Wide Color Enhancer 2/Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp
 | The NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) has established the color standards all TVs in America try to meet. And typical LCD TVs only meet about 72 percent of this standard. Samsung LCD HDTVs use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp backlights to give you 92 percent coverage of the NTSC standard, ensuring truer, more breathlessly vivid colors. Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer 2 technology delivers more brilliant colors by expanding the gamut of color expression into a third axis, creating a 3D diagram of luminance. This creates a dynamic display of on-screen color and allows traditionally weak colors, such as green and blue, to look vivid and deep. In addition, red colors are enhanced to provide strong colors across the spectrum and the perfect balance of RGB. |
70,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
 | 70,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio will give you a picture better than you ever thought possible, with whiter whites, blacker blacks and a nearly infinite subtlety of gradations in between. As two of the most important determining factors in overall picture quality, contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this latest generation LCD panel. Samsung's new LCD TVs give the most stunning realistic picture quality ever. |
Touch of Color
 | In 2008, Samsung created its unique Touch of Color (ToC) design, which uses dual-injection molding to coat a translucent, colored surface to achieve an attractive crystalline appearance. The latest evolution of Samsung's ToC design begins with a deep piano black bezel that fades into distinct chrome that finishes as light ruby highlights. The intensity of the color subtly changes depending upon the viewing angle, and further accentuates the TV's slim bezel. |
Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?
 | With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get.
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Customer Reviews
An excellent set!
I was undecided between this 2009 model and last year's LN40A550.
The features are substantially identical, but after figuring that the difference between best prices for the two, which I could find after extensive shopping around, was only $50, I went for newer one for its updated look and lighter weight.
In the reviews, one of the principal complaints for 2008 was the sound quality. I can't directly compare 2009 and 2008, but found 2009's LN40B550 to have perfectly adequate, if not excellent speakers, as far as TVs go.
Picture quality, menus, setup are excellent as expected.
One aspect that I did find puzzling is Wiselink not being able to recognize my old trustworthy USB Flash Drive. I even tried formatting the drive in various ways, unfortunately none of the tricks worked.
Perhaps, it's the ancient drive not being comparable in some way, but it had never let me down before. Anyhow, I ordered a few different flash drives, and will try again, and then post an update.
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Tried four various flash drives, all of them work just fine in computers, all four freshly formatted same way (FAT32). Two of the drives are read by the TV with no problems, the two others are not recognized at all... Go figure... The slideshow functionality is nice, quite limited, but does the job.
Just for the reference, one of the drives that does work in this TV is Kingston Data Traveler 4GB.
Very, Very Pleased!
Only the second night with this set and I can't unglue myself from it. This is a great sub-$1,000 set that will please all but the most hardcore videophiles. This set is also very light, I tucked it under my arm to move it up and down the stairs. ToC is subtle, almost invisible, so those who don't care for last year's ToC, don't worry, you can barely see it the color on this TV. The swivel stand makes it easy so access the rear of the TV to hook up the cables that it makes you wonder why other manufacturers make stands without the swivel feature.
I had originally purchased an LG, but the off-angle viewing was awful, but from the same seating position, the Sammy shines. As with all LCDs, some color is lost when viewing from off-angle, but this set always displayed a picture that was acceptable.
If there's a weakness, it's displaying standard definition, as in regular cable, but that's a challenge shared by most LCD screens. SD does not look as good as I've seen on some other LCDs, but the picture is more than acceptable.
DVD's showed great... Upconverted DVD even better, I was impressed... Blu ray blew my mind. The color depth, the dark blacks, the crisp picture... I was VERY pleased. I am sure you will be too!
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Update 07/13/09... Almost 3 months and I'm still happy. Had it hooked up to a Samsung BDP2550 bluray player and it's awesome. Currently using the upconverting Samsung 1080P9 DVD player and it's still awesome. I have to sit closer than 7 feet to see any difference between DVD and bluray. Also connected to my PC via an 18ft HDMI cable, streaming Netflix and using Windows Media Center to view the NCIS and Star Trek episodes I have on my hard drive.
Still a GREAT purchase and I recommend this set to anyone interested in a 1080p LCD.
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Update 10/31/09... Hooked up a PS3 Slim last month and started viewing movies on Bluray... it's like I got a new TV! I've never been able to see a substantial difference between DVD and BD, but after a few months of just DVD, Bluray on my 40B550 is blowing me away once more! I think I just picked up another habit... no more DVD purchases, only Bluray. And with prices going down on flat screens, this set is a bargain at $849.
Feature packed and really good picture quality for a decent price
I had been eyeing upgrading to an HDTV of some sort for about three years. I had been researching and dreaming about it for the whole time. Samsung was always on the top of my list, and when they came out with this model, which has a lot of features for a comparatively reasonable price tag I finally decided to take the plunge.
I have the most basic Cable service imaginable, so most of the time I am viewing SDTV (480i) stretched to 1920x1080. Considering this enormous stretch, it looks pretty good. It is definitely a tad fuzzy, it looks as good as any other 1080p TV I've seen. Similarly, my Wii is pretty fuzzy if you get up close, but it looks fine from my couch, especially when I enabled Progressive output. The Wii isn't trying to be a graphics powerhouse anyway.
On the flip side is my DVD player. It has component output and is capable of doing 480p, and holy cow does it look awesome! After watching the SDTV and Wii, I was a little worried my DVDs would be equally blurry unless I upgraded to an upscaling player, but with progressive output, holy cow, I do not feel that is necessary at all. I was very pleased because watching movies is what I do most.
As for HD picture, my options are limited currently, but I for some reason NBC does come in in 1080i over my plain non-digital cable and I also tested OTA HDTV and I've gotta say, it is GORGEOUS. So in my limited experience, the HD picture on this TV looks fantastic.
My Dell laptop has an HDMI out (video and audio) so I decided to hook it up to the side HDMI connection on the TV. At first it looked kind of terrible and I had to do a lot fiddling. It still didn't look right though. After consulting the manual, I discovered that computers are really supposed to be connected to HDMI 1. Switching to that I also discovered that naming the HDMI 1 port "DVI PC" it disables audio input, so bear that in mind. Once I hooked it up right though, it is fantastic. Videos and games look great and surfing the web with a wireless mouse and keyboard is AWESOME.
There are tons of video options and tweaks so you can get the TV to look perfect in whatever environment it is in. Another great feature is that you can connect a Digital Camera or USB storage device to show pictures at the full resolution intead of 480i all streched out if you do it over composite video. It looks great, but unfortunately my Canon camera uses PictBridge instead of acting like a USB Mass Storage device, so I can't do it. I've tested it with a USB Thumbdrive and it looks great though.
So, here's a recap for the "Too Long; Didn't Read" crowd:
+PROS+
+Great Price/Feature ratio
+Awesome HD Picture (as far as I'm concerned)
+Great DVD 480p picture
+Tons of Video Tweaking options
+USB
+Tons of Inputs
+Digital Audio Output
+Rotatable mount
%Neutrals%
%SDTV Picture is only OK
-Negatives-
-Auto Program takes FOREVER
-Front buttons are practically invisible... and therefore practically unusable.
-No Picture-in-Picture at all
As you can see, the negatives are pretty minor (except maybe the PIP for some people). All in all.... I love this dang TV!!
