Samsung LE40A656, A reference LCD

• The color the A656 shows us with Blu-ray discs borders on perfection in naturalness, saturation and vividness

• Price: €1,499

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Javier SAIZ

Last month I had the opportunity to test what may well be the best plasma display currently available; this month it is the turn of an LCD, its rival technology: Samsung's LE40A656, which is currently one of its most outstanding benchmarks and serves as a showcase for the level reached by this type of panel.

At this stage there is no point in introducing this Korean manufacturer, present in so many aspects of our daily lives, so I will move straight on to the star of this review without further preamble.

Within the A656 range, which corresponds to Samsung's sixth LCD generation, panels can be found ranging from 19 to 52 inches. However, their specifications are not the same. The features and functions available vary, in some cases significantly, depending on size. From 37" upward a 1920x1080-pixel panel is offered, and from 40" upward the highest specifications, thanks to the Ultra Clear Panel, which allows dynamic contrast figures of 50,000:1 to be claimed.

Of the Samsung's exterior, the dark red tint given to the frame surrounding the screen is noteworthy. The effect it produces is a gradient that runs from almost black on its innermost part, through burgundy, to transparent at the outermost edge. Very original. The overall design is very simple and light in its lines. The finish of the plastics, without being particularly luxurious, conveys a good sense of quality. Thanks to a modest weight of 35 kg, it is not difficult to move it from one place to another, although it is highly advisable to do so with two people to avoid mishaps.

Unlike most LCD panels, the screen on this one is not matte but glossy like that of plasmas. Despite this, I never noticed any annoying reflections, not even in broad daylight, although those who place it opposite a window will find more glare than with other LCDs.

Most of the connectors are on the back, in what is becoming a standard configuration: three HDMI inputs (one of which can be paired with a pair of RCA audio connectors, useful for connecting a PC that only has a DVI output), a component video input that accepts even 1080p signals, with two RCA (stereo) audio connectors, two SCART inputs (1 RGB) and an analog PC input (HD15, RGBVH, 1080p). It also has analog and optical digital audio outputs. To make it easy to connect "plug-and-play" equipment such as camcorders, on the left side there is an additional HDMI connector, the ubiquitous S-Video and composite video inputs, a minijack headphone socket, a slot for Common Interface modules and a USB connector.

The test unit included a remote control different from the one specified in the manual; the functionality was roughly the same, but in any case this prevents me from commenting on it.

The 656 includes two TV tuners, one analog and one DVB-T digital; regarding the latter, it should be noted that it is not compatible with any high-definition broadcasts there may be in the future.

The USB port allows any storage device to be connected, provided it is formatted with the FAT16 or FAT32 systems, although through the multimedia playback interface built into the TV, which Samsung has christened Wiselink, only JPG and MP3 files can be played.

UP AND RUNNING

The LE40A656's menu is extremely comprehensive in terms of picture adjustment options; especially welcome are the ability to modify the gray scale and an "almost" complete color manager in the user menu. Normally, controls of this kind are found only in the device's service menu, out of reach of the vast majority of users. Changing the parameters of these controls without knowing what you are doing can seriously harm picture quality, though not the TV itself, and even then it is always possible to set them back as they were and "repair" the damage done. Unless you have the knowledge and means needed to make these advanced adjustments, it is highly advisable to seek the help of a calibration professional. Navigating the menus is very simple, as they follow a well-organized cascading structure. Perhaps my only criticism would be the large number of button presses needed to reach some options, as in the case of those mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph.

Continuing with the panel's operation (and bearing in mind the remote control supplied for this review, which, although very similar to the one described in the manual, is not identical), it would have been very welcome to have direct-access keys for the external inputs instead of having to press the "source" button repeatedly until you reach the one you want, since, given the lag between pressing the button and the change taking place, and the fact that the options must be cycled through in order, if, for example, we are watching DTT and want to go to HDMI input number 3, the process becomes tedious.

Once the panel was adjusted and calibrated, I started with the internal tuners. Analog TV broadcasts have little life left in them: within a few months the final switch-off will take place and tuners of this type will become completely useless. Let us hope that the space freed up by these frequencies will be used to improve today's very improvable digital television, and not to add more channels of the same or worse quality. The Samsung's performance with antenna signals is acceptable with analog signals with good reception, and quite good with digital ones, as long as the channel broadcasts at decent quality. The result is very commendable considering that this is not the ideal diet for an LCD panel, and even less so for a 1080p one. Image processing is very good, minimizing the occasions on which we will encounter jaggies or combing. Likewise, scaling delivers a detailed image without excessive softening or halos around edges. Access to channels (which are starting to become more than plentiful) is very fast, via a list of three columns and eight rows that shows the available ones 24 at a time.

When it came to the usual torture session with the HQV and VRS discs, the A656 surprised me very pleasantly. All the tests were passed quite easily, with the exception of the most unusual cadences and some of the most severe tests that only high-end or very high-end processors pass. When watching PAL DVD movies with a player connected via SCART or in another interlaced mode, unpleasant jaggies or other defects typical of poor processing will appear only very rarely.

For the standard-definition tests I used the Oppo 983H that appeared in the pages of this magazine in the previous issue. This superb player, together with the well-calibrated Samsung, produces an impressive picture. I have never been very fond of LCD technology outside the computer environment, but on this occasion I have to admit that the result is far above what I expected. Although it does not come close to a black level like that of Pioneer's Kuro, the world reference in this respect, it is the first time that an LCD's "glow", which tends to make blacks appear gray, has not bothered me. Keeping the viewing room in semi-darkness rather than complete darkness, even the black bars that appear in movies encoded in 2.35:1 format are so discreet that they go unnoticed, while it maintains an excellent level of shadow detail. Another of the usual defects inherent to this technology is the image distortion generated by motion; in this case Samsung has managed to minimize its visual impact. Only rarely will we notice a loss of definition due to motion; it does not reach the capability of plasma displays or the now-extinct CRTs, but the gap is beginning to narrow very considerably.

Viewing angle is still one of LCD's Achilles' heels; in this respect the A656 outperforms many of its technological cousins and siblings, but it still suffers from this flaw. Compared with other displays that have passed through my hands, I can say that at angles not much greater than 90º the loss of brightness and contrast is minimal, and the optimum viewing position is wide enough to allow several people to enjoy good picture quality without significant losses. The farther we move from that position, both in height and distance, the greater the loss of quality.

The last of the weak points of this type of panel is color rendition inferior to that of competing technologies. On this point the Samsung earns top marks and has nothing to envy anyone. Thanks to its extensive calibration possibilities, extremely high accuracy can be achieved when adjusting it to the D65 standard, outperforming both other LCDs and many plasmas in this respect. The excellent black level it is capable of, together with its color reproduction, makes it possible to enjoy extraordinary picture accuracy and beauty. If we add to this the traditional sharpness of LCDs, enjoyment is guaranteed.

If the Oppo/Samsung tandem can win you over with "mere" DVDs, the move to high definition with the Denon DVD-2500BT, reviewed in the pages of this magazine, is downright addictive. To what has been said about standard-definition material, we must add a hypnotic level of detail and sharpness. The sense of three-dimensionality achieved with this panel is simply spectacular. The color the A656 shows us with Blu-ray discs borders on perfection in naturalness, saturation and vividness, without exaggeration and, of course, free of the "pastel" tones that can be seen on other, lesser LCD panels.

CONCLUSION

The LE40A656 has surprised me very positively with features that until now were out of reach of most LCD panels. Thanks to a very reasonable price for its category, this Samsung is a more than recommendable option.

Diego Cortiñas, TV Product Manager at Samsung.

Samsung's Series 6 marked the launch of our innovative Crystal Design finish, a completely eco-friendly design in both its manufacture and its future recycling. Samsung's Series 6 is a clear example of technological leadership, in both its internal electronics and our Full HD panels.

Samsung LE40A656, A reference LCD

Specifications

RESOLUTION 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. CONTRAST RATIO 50,000:1 (dynamic). CONNECTIVITY 4 x HDMI, component video (up to 1080p) with associated audio, 2 x SCART (1 RGB), USB, VGA (up to 1080p), RS-232, S-Video, composite video, C.I. module, stereo analog output and optical digital audio output. DIMENSIONS (without stand) 998 x 83 x 638 mm. WEIGHT 20 Kg. DISTRIBUTOR Samsung (902101130).

Price: €1,499