Samsung LE40A656 Review

[Vincent]

Please discuss our Samsung LE40A656 review in this forum thread.

Warmest regards
Vincent

[kodea]

Excelent! The review i've been waiting for. Can you please just tell me something about this set (or any other 120hz set):
Can i link my pc, via hdmi to the set, and use a customresolution 120 fps unique frames refresh. Meaning can i for instance use the hdmi1.3 link from my pc running a 1920x1080@120hz and get that displayed on the samsung? because 120 frames per second is the Holy Grail number for many things (next one is 240), and to play simulations or games at 120 frames per second is way way better (i use a sony crt for dat) than to play at crap 60fps locked in common lcds.
Please someone reply to this longlasting doubt i have about 120hz LCDs... Can they display real 120 unique frames from any input or is it just a gimmick that crossfade/morphs a 60fps into 120fps by generating inbetween artificial frame?

[corum]

Vincent, thanks for the review. Not sure if you do this anyway but can you include details of the calibration settings in the finished review to help us mere mortals in achieving the best picture possible! Thanks.

[chelhydra]

You can find proper calibration settings on avsforum.com and avforums.com.

[corum]

As great as AV(S)forums is for reviews and views, a lot of the calibration settings are wildly varied and guesstimates by all and sundry. It would be useful to see some professionally calibrated settings on a site like this for reference.

[kai]

Vincent, thanks a lot, I can't wait to read the full review. I have a question with regards to the calibration. Some of the LE40A656s have a "purple haze" problem, which is probably based on a calibration error in the service menu. In another forum there was a post that this could not be fixed properly using the white balance etc. in the user settings. But the solution (in firmware 1005.1) would be to correct the WB Adjust/White Balance/Red Offset value in the service menu from 158 to 128. In the German Hifi-Forum someone tested it and posted some screenshots, see http://www.hifi-forum.de/index.php?action=browseT&forum_id=151&thread=5232&postID=927#927 ). This is supposed to be fixed in firmware 1007.2. Could you please check what your firmware version is and, if it is 1005.1,  what the service menu value for the Red Offset is?

Thanks

Kai

[lazarus18]

How many msec is the responce time of A656? I find different values in Internet. 4 or 8 msec?

[abadlot]

Come on Vincent, the 72 hours has been pasted.
We are waiting you...
The Euro2008 starts on Saturday!!!!

[tzyn]

I have a 40A656, too. Nice Review and exactly the same i'm experienced (compared to 40F86). Many improvements.

But there is another method to improve the input lag. If you use HDMI2 you have to rename it to "PC". Then it is like VGA with a very less input lag. But that works only with HDMI Port2.

ps: Is it possible to post the calibrated settings? I have nice settings (oriented on the 40F86 settings) but it would interest me (and i think some others, too ).

[JackSparrow]

@Vincent

In which way is Sonys 100Hz Technology better than Samsungs?
Doesn't it make film look like video at minimum settings?
Would you activate it when watching 24p Material?

Some people maintain things like that,but i need to know it or sure,very important criteria.Better no 100HZ,than one,you have to deactivate when watching films

[kodea]

can anyone please reply to post#2 ?
sorry for hurry, thanks in advance.

[corum]

Nice review.
Pretty please add the calibration settings!!!

[LordsAvatar]

Thanks for the review which reassured me that i made the right decision when ordering my le46a656 these days. Delivery on monday, yay!

Therefore i join the crowd yelling for the calibration settings.

[rhaleuk]

I just signed upto these forums to specifically ask for the calibration settings to be posted.

It would be massively appreciated.

Thank You

[heyp]

Excelent! The review i've been waiting for. Can you please just tell me something about this set (or any other 120hz set):
Can i link my pc, via hdmi to the set, and use a customresolution 120 fps unique frames refresh. Meaning can i for instance use the hdmi1.3 link from my pc running a 1920x1080@120hz and get that displayed on the samsung? because 120 frames per second is the Holy Grail number for many things (next one is 240), and to play simulations or games at 120 frames per second is way way better (i use a sony crt for dat) than to play at crap 60fps locked in common lcds.
Please someone reply to this longlasting doubt i have about 120hz LCDs... Can they display real 120 unique frames from any input or is it just a gimmick that crossfade/morphs a 60fps into 120fps by generating inbetween artificial frame?

to koda
Just download the menu from Samsung "global download site", there you will find all possible framerates for VGA or DVI (HDMI/DVI-Port set to PC). It shoud be tough to find a graphic-card that supplies 120Hz at 1920x1080, but much more interesting to me would be the xvYCC support: there is no graphic-card out now, but soon with HDMI 1.3 (i.e. Intel 4 series onboardgrraphic announced for August running two digital displays).

to vincent

thanks for your solid tests, but this time I`m enforced to criticize:

- there is no 100Hz on sony W4000!!! as turned out in your summary to be better than samsung??? (cant understand anyway since sonys motionflow failed so often in the past loosing signal...)

- as posted before, just use HDMI/DVI-Port set to PC for gaming

- whats up with xvYCC (x.v.color) test (could be important for video and photo and gaming enthusiast)

-missing statement for 3D impression / subjective sharpness and colordeepness on super-clear-panels/colorfilter (thats for me the main reason to be better than others and strike up against plasma!!!)

-no words on photo-menu

-whats with the big samsung-problem: speakers/sound

Personally, I will wait for the 40" LED-model with integrated DVB-C (hdtv) tuner as sold in the us since one year.

Thanks again for your hard work