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Introduction
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01.Tour & Design
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02.Blacks & Whites
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03.Color Accuracy
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04.Motion
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05.Viewing Effects
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06.Calibration
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07.Remote Control
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08.Connectivity
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09.Audio & Menus
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10.Formats & Media
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11.Power Consumption
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12.Vs Sharp LC-40E67UN
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13.Vs Sony KDL40S5100
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14.Vs Samsung LN40B650
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15.Conclusion
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16.Series Comparison
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17.Ratings & Specs
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18.Comments
Samsung LN40B610
Previous: Page 12
Vs Sharp LC-40E67UNNext: Page 14
Vs Samsung LN40B650
Sony KDL-40S5100 Summary
This is a review of the Samsung LN40B610. The other TVs in this series include the LN46B610 and the LN55B610. Test data should be broadly applicable to all models in the 610 series. Read here for more details on series differences.
• The Sony is a significantly cheaper display.
• Both displays are mostly equal in our tests on blacks, whites and colors
• The Samsung has superior rendering of motion
Value Comparison Summary
In terms of price, the Sony is the clear winner here: at around $799, it is much cheaper than the Samsung. But in terms of value for money, the Samsung is the superior display, as it has much better motion performance and a wider set of features.
| Comparison Specifications | ||
 |
 |
|
| Samsung LN40B610 | Sony KDL-40S5100 | |
| Size | 40 inches | 40 inches |
| Price | $1050 | $799 |
| Type | LCD | LCD |
| Format | 1080p | 1080p |
| Other | USB Port | None |
Blacks & Whites
The Sony has very slightly deeper blacks than the Samsung, but the Samsung is much brighter, which leads to a wider overall contrast ratio. Which is more important depends on what type of lighting you have; if you watch TV during the daytime or with the lights on, brighter whites are more important. If you watch more at night or in a darkened room, deeper blacks can be the more critical factor.
| Blacks & Whites Comparison Chart | |
 |
|
| Samsung LN40B610 Score: Black Level: 7.79 Peak Brightness: 9.33 Contrast: 8.44 |
Sony KDL-40S5100 Score: Black Level: 8.23 Peak Brightness: 7.82 Contrast: 7.94 |
Color Accuracy
Both dispays scored hghly in our tests of colors, with whites that stayed constant across the range of intensities and smooth RGB curves that show that both displays can reproduce subtle differences in colors. Both had some minor issues in our color gamut test, though; the range of colors that they can display is slightly different to the range that a HDTV signal is supposed to contain.
| Color Temperature Comparison | |
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| Samsung LN40B610 Score: 8.05 | |
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| Sony KDL-40S5100 Score: 9.89 | |
| RGB Comparison | |
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| Samsung LN40B610 Score: 8.03 | |
   |
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| Sony KDL-40S5100 Score: 7.16 | |
| Color Gamut Comparison | |
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| Samsung LN40B610 Score: 4.15 | |
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| Sony KDL-40S5100 Score:5.01 | |
Motion
In our tests on motion, the Samsung was the clear winner: it had much smoother, cleaner motion and did a better job of preserving the fine details that make a rapidly moving image look attractive. Overall, the Samsung is a much better looking display than the Sony.
| Motion Scores | ||
| Samsung LN40B610 | Sony KDL-40S5100 | |
| Motion Smoothness | 7.13 | 4.50 |
| Motion Artifacting | 6.88 | 4.00 |
Viewing Effects
Neither display had a particularly wide viewing angle; the contrast ratio between blacks and whites fell by 50% on both at less than 20 degrees off axis.
| Viewing Angle Comparison | |
 |
|
| Samsung LN40B610 Score: 4.10 | Sony KDL-40S5100 Score: 2.78 |
Connectivity
There are a few minor differences in the connections between the two displays: the Samsung has more HDMI ports (4 instead of 3), but the Sony has an S-Video port, which is not present on the Samsung. The extra HDMI port could be useful if you have a large number of digital video devices to connect, but the S-Video port cold be useful if you have an older model camcorder that you still use a lot.
| Connectivity Comparison | ||
| Samsung LN40B610 | Sony KDL-40S5100 | |
| HDMI | 4 | 3 |
| Component | 2 | 2 |
| Composite | 3 | 2 |
| S-Video | 0 | 1 |
| VGA | 1 | 1 |
| Analog Audio In | 1 | 4 |
| Digital Audio Out | 1 | 1 |
| Analog Audio Out | 1 | 1 |
| LAN | None | None |
| USB | None | None |
| Memory Card | None | None |
| Other | Non | |
| Other Models in the LNXX610 Series |
||||
| This is a review of the LN40B610, specifically. The other TVs in this series should be broadly similar in terms of performance and usability. For details about any differences, click on the image to jump to the Series Comparison page. | ||||
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 |
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| LN46B610 46' |
LN52B610 52' |
|||
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