I've been waiting to get this TV for a while now and, after looking into it, I was chuffed when I finally did. Having had various Samsung TVs in the past, I wasn't excepting to be disappointed... and I wasn't.

Getting the bad points out of the way first, I must stress that these won't apply to everybody. The main downside is that the only audio input is an optical lead used for the big surround sound kits. If you use phono leads or headphones, you're out of luck, as was I, and a converter can cost 40-50 pounds+. You also need to purchase a seperare and specific Samsung dongle (around 40 pounds) if you want to use the seemingly appealing Internet@TV features. Also, the Picture in Picture feature is a little redundant if you don't receive TV from an aerial, as the PIP will only display channels on the ATV mode, or to elaborate, analogue TV which is gradually being switched off, making the feature redundant. If the PIP feed could come from another input such as a Scart, it'd be… more »

I've been waiting to get this TV for a while now and, after looking into it, I was chuffed when I finally did. Having had various Samsung TVs in the past, I wasn't excepting to be disappointed... and I wasn't.

Getting the bad points out of the way first, I must stress that these won't apply to everybody. The main downside is that the only audio input is an optical lead used for the big surround sound kits. If you use phono leads or headphones, you're out of luck, as was I, and a converter can cost 40-50 pounds+. You also need to purchase a seperare and specific Samsung dongle (around 40 pounds) if you want to use the seemingly appealing Internet@TV features. Also, the Picture in Picture feature is a little redundant if you don't receive TV from an aerial, as the PIP will only display channels on the ATV mode, or to elaborate, analogue TV which is gradually being switched off, making the feature redundant. If the PIP feed could come from another input such as a Scart, it'd be great. Finally, the break-off cables can be very confusing; I'm still trying to figure out why my Wii won't come up using the Component leads. Luckily, however, all these break-off cables come with the TV.

Nevertheless, the TV is one of the best I've ever seen. The picture is incredibly clear, sharp and smooth. I used the Media Player to play videos off my hard drive that I downloaded from the Internet, and it upscales it to broadcast quality, which is mindblowing. However, the controls are a little fiddly. You can't rewind videos or fast forwards more than 2x; you can only 'jump' using the left and right arrows which can sometimes be very irritating and near-impossible to use. The GUI is very impressive, easy to use and user-friendly. There are also little gems within the TV providing games, recipies, exercise routines and such - much more than just a TV. It's crammed with features and, from what I can see without a connection, the Internet@TV feature seems amazing. However, I've read complaints about it being slow and fiddly to use, but I can't comment on that yet.

There has also been talks of the sound being a little rubbish as they are at the back of the TV. Whilst the sound isn't groundbreaking, it's hard to complain about as everything is clear and very easy to hear. I would recommend external speakers to get that extra kick, however, just as long as it's an optical lead.

Overall, there are flaws that Samsung could have easily picked up on and solved, but the sheer greatness of this TVs performance in terms of picture, features and general friendliness to its user makes them easy to overlook. By far, one of the best TVs i've ever seen.