Samsung LE40C650 review

Digital-savvy LCD TV with Freeview HD and great pictures

Samsung LE40C650
The quality styling of the LE40C650 belies its budget TV status amongst Samsung's TV lineup

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Samsung le40c650 side

The LE40C650's lowly position in Samsung's range is misleading and proof of just how far flat TVs have come in recent times; this is a very fine flatscreen indeed.

We liked:

The inclusion of support for DivX HD files – and Media Player software for USB playback – is impressive, as is this set's fast EPG for Freeview HD.

Colours and hi-def sharpness also impress, as does the giddy sense of depth and smooth movement created by the 100Hz engine.

We disliked:

The absence of an app for BBC iPlayer renders Internet@TV nothing more than a sideshow for now, while it's also a shame that AllShare doesn't work with a Mac.

We're also rather disappointed that the set doesn't come with a Wi-Fi dongle as standard. Picture-wise, the LE40C650 could do with more attention to contrast, though that's nit picking. More of an issue is the flicker introduced by the 100Hz scanning.

Verdict:

We're still not convinced consumers use internet video platforms – and even USB playback – very often, and Samsung's effort is certainly not yet a must-have.

The Freeview HD tuner didn't prove as sensitive as others we've tested, but in all other respects is an excellent presentation, enjoying fast and good-looking software that will assuage anyone coming from Sky or Virgin.

The flicker apparent when 100Hz is switched on is a worry, and though it's always noticeable it's worth persevering with while watching Blu-rays because of the involving picture it creates. There's little in the way of blur or judder and standard-definition pictures are treated well; an all-round quality performance makes the LE40C650 hard to resist.

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Jamie Carter

Jamie is a freelance tech, travel and space journalist based in the UK. He’s been writing regularly for Techradar since it was launched in 2008 and also writes regularly for Forbes, The Telegraph, the South China Morning Post, Sky & Telescope and the Sky At Night magazine as well as other Future titles T3, Digital Camera World, All About Space and Space.com. He also edits two of his own websites, TravGear.com and WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com that reflect his obsession with travel gear and solar eclipse travel. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners (Springer, 2015),