Tour & Design

Front

From the front the Samsung LN40B650 features a glossy glassy bezel in very dark red, practically black, with a transparent edging. The bottom edge of the bezel curves down to a slight chin. Beneath the display is the Samsung logo and the on-tv controls are touch sensitive and embedded into the bezel on the lower right.

Back

The back of the Samsung LN40B650 is glossy black. Most of the ports are located on the back towards the left side when facing the back or just around the right edge when facing the front.

Sides

There are no features on the left side of the HDTV, but on the right side you'll find a second grouping of ports, which actually sit very near the ports on the back of the LN40B650.

Stand/Mount

The Samsung LN40B650's is heavier than the whole television itself. It's made of the same material as the bezel with a flat bottom that is styled in very dark red/black, again like the bezel. The television itself sits on a clear round pillar that rotates about twenty degrees towards you on either side.

Controls

As we mentioned above the on-tv controls are located on the front of the HDTV at the lower right. The controls are touch sensitive and are built right into the bezel. Unfortunately this makes them very difficult to see as they are only indicated by very faint white symbols and writing.

Remote Control

The Samsung LN40B650's remote control is something of a hybrid of the two different styles we've seen from Samsung previously. The remote is bottom weighted with a curve for ergonomic purposes, however it lacks the rotating dial embedded into the D-Pad, which isn't such a bad thing.

In The Box*(4.0)*

The Samsung LN40B650 ships with a variety of interesting accessories. There's the basics like the remote with batteries and the power cord. The manual doesn't come in a paper variety but rather on a USB key that you actually plug right into the HDTV and browse using the remote. This is an interesting feature, but we wonder what happens when you can't get your HDTV to work right and you need to access your manual for information?

You also get a cleaning cloth, a CD to install on your computer to use the Samsung LN40B650's network capabilities, and something called a TV Holder and screw. We're not sure what this is for, it's basically a small piece of plastic with a string attached. We don't recommend you try and hang your HDTV from it as don't believe it would actually 'hold' it. Unfortunately there's no HDMI cable included so you'll have to purchase one (or more) separately to connect the Samsung LN40B650 to the rest of your home theatre components.

Aesthetics*(6.0)*

The Samsung LN40B650's elicits varying responses. Some like the glossy finish, clean lines and the subtle red styling. Others find it a finger-print magnet, don't like the chin at the bottom of the bezel and think the red highlights are unnatractive. Basically it's a love it or hate it design, we recommend you see one in person before buying it to see if you can live with the way it looks.