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Samsung LN46A750 LCD HDTV Review - Remote

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Published on September 08, 2008
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The Samsung LN46A750's remote is curved and glossy, just like the television itself. The ergonomics and durability were good, but we had some concerns about the button layout and use. It's most unique feature is a scroll wheel, which some will find helpful and others just annoying.

Ergonomics & Durability (6.65)
The Samsung LN46A750's remote looks like it has more thought put into it than the remotes we've seen for other televisions like the JVC LT-47X899 or Vizio VO47L. It's nicely contoured so it sits very comfortably in the hand, and it is heavily weighted towards the bottom, which helps make sure that the remote stays balanced as you move up and down to access different controls. This is important as the Samsung LN46A750's remote is rather long. We did find that the plastic was a bit slick, however, which might make it easier to drop than we would like.

There is a backlight on the remote that you turn on and off by hitting the dedicated backlight button at the top right of the remote. The backlight is a dim reddish light, and all controls are lit evenly and clearly. We like the dimmer reddish light more than the bright white lights you see on some remote backlights as it's less likely to blind you in a dark room. The buttons on the Samsung LN46A750's remote are made of rather hard rubbery plastic. The buttons have good key travel and tactile feedback.

Our biggest concern about the Samsung LN46A750's remote is durability. We received a loaner from Samsung so we have to believe that it got some use before it arrived, but we have to mention that it did seem to have a part rattling about inside the remote. In addition the remote features a rotating dial embedded in the directional pad, ostensibly for quickly moving up and down lists, but any moving parts like this cause us concern. Thankfully the battery cover has a proper embedded latch rather than just sliding off, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Button Layout & Use (4.8)
As we mentioned above the Samsung LN46A750's remote is rather long, measuring 9 3/4 inches. Controls are laid out along it's complete length except for the very bottom. We found that when holding the remote at neutral with our thumb on the directional pad those with smaller hands had trouble reaching the volume and channel controls, those with larger hands should have no problem. The length of the remote comes into play as you have to shift your hand significantly to reach the number pad near the top or the controls near the bottom. With the slick plastic we have to be concerned that the remote will slip out of your hand quite often as you make this shift.

The labeling on the remote is a mixed bag. Most controls have large and clear labels, so even those with poor eyesight should be able to distinguish them. Some of the controls, however, have arcane or even no labeling, in particular the four color buttons found underneath the D-Pad have no labels and the controls that sit right under them are a bit confusing. For example what does DMA, E.Mode, or Info.L mean?

Switching to another channel with the remote will require that you shift your hand almost all the way up the remote to access the number pad, not particularly easy to do. We were pleased with the control angle of the remote, we were able to turn the TV on or off from an angle of about ten degrees, amongst the best we've seen from any television.

Programming & Flexibility (1.0)
The Samsung LN46A750's remote is not a proper programmable remote that can be used with any other device in your home theatre system. It does support Samsung's proprietary Anynet+ technology for controlling other Samsung devices that support that feature, however. We're not big fans of proprietary systems, so it only get a point for this. 

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