The Samsung UN40ES6150F 40″ LED HDTV packs a serious punch for all around media use.
The Samsung UN40ES6150F is an appealing option for many consumers in search of a new LED HDTV. The television boasts some impressive technical specifications, excellent design that is very easy on the eyes, and an even more attractive price tag. Years ago, a 40″ 1080P LED HDTV with Smart TV features and a 240hz refresh rate would be absolutely unheard offered at a price under $1,000. Thankfully there are price drops as technology becomes more advanced which makes it possible for situations like this where you can get a high tech TV for a reasonable price.
The TV was packed very nicely in a surprisingly small box for what was contained inside. Unboxing the TV involved putting a few screws into the base then screwing the base into the back of the LED panel. It was a simple setup, but you'll likely need two people to ensure you don't damage the TV in the process. When the TV was fully assembled it really dawned on me at how beautiful this product really is. If I were to rate it based solely on cosmetic appeal from 1-10 it would be an 11 and I'm serious it is that nice looking. The display is ultra thin and has a small black bezel around the outside of the LED screen that gives it a classy and expensive touch.
The stand is unique unlike what you typically see for HDTVs and features four “legs” that hold the TV in place. I typically wouldn't care all that much about the TV stand (especially if your planning on mounting the TV), but in this case I think the stand drastically improves the sleek look and matches the beauty of the display. Something to also note about the stand is that it is on a swivel so it can be easily adjusted to help suit different viewing angles. It keeps the screen sturdy and is a well designed component that most brands tend to slack on for a TV in this price range.
The Samsung UN40ES6150F 40″ LED HDTV harnesses many impressive features that are found in TVs twice its retail price. First off, the screen is LED and capable of full 1080P output and has a 1920 x 1080 native resolution. The screen has a 240hz refresh rate which is excellent for watching high intensity sports or playing video games like Call of Duty or Halo. The audio is powered by SRS TheaterSound HD with 2 10W speakers and Dolby Digital Plus/Pulse support. There is a vast array of inputs found on the backside of the display making virtually any type of connection you'd ever need possible. One of the most appealing features to me was the fact that this one of Samsung's Smart TVs packed with awesome features such as built-in Wi-Fi support, a web browser, and Samsung apps including Facebook, Skype, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and much more. Another cool feature is the built in Eco Sensor that will measure the light intensity coming from the room it is in then automatically calibrate the screen brightness accordingly. The Eco Sensor coupled with the Energy Star V 5.3 compliance make this TV very wallet friendly in regard to the future energy consumption levels.
When it comes to performance the UN40ES6150F shines in all the right places. The colors are rich and vibrant as you would expect and it's picture always looked great throughout my use when gaming and watching HD television. I noticed the overall picture stays consistent among practically any viewing angle which is a common issue with some of the lesser priced models that only look best when viewed directly head on. In most cases, HDTV's native speakers are relatively poor quality and not always so pleasant to hear. In the UN40ES6150F's case, I was impressed with the audio quality and believe there is no need for an external sound system to properly enjoy your television, gaming, or movie experience.
There was not much that I didn't like about the Samsung UN40ES6150F 40″ LED HDTV, but I did notice a few small disappointments. First off, I love that this TV is a Smart TV and for what it's worth this aspect gives you access to tons of cool perks. On the other hand, the Smart TV menu is a bit buggy and can be annoyingly sluggish. For example, when I first launched the Smart TV menu for the first time it took over 15 seconds to load then prompted me through a couple of different screens in order to download a necessary update. This was fine with me, but for some reason the TV prompted me again for the same update the next 5 times I initiated the Smart TV menu causing an annoying 3-5 minute wait while the TV downloaded the same update again and again. It has now gone away, but the Smart TV menu still is relatively slow to load as well as to navigate through the various menus. There is a large amount of Samsung apps such as Hulu Plus, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Crackle, and many more. This allows the TV to double as a full on media center without the need for any external hardware. I personally used the Hulu Plus app for an extensive period of time during my testing and was very happy with the outcome. The content streamed very fluidly and there were no obstacles that came about to ruin the experience.
The native web browser is one of the largest disappointments due to slow speeds and the that it is nearly impossible to control via the included remote. Since it emulates a modern browser you must move the cursor around the screen using the four arrow buttons found on the remote. This is difficult to do and adding to it there is a significant delay between the time you click the button and when the cursor actually moves. Since it does not come with a QWERTY remote like the Samsung UN46EH6000 does, performing simple tasks such as typing in web addresses or search terms is a dreadfully long and annoying process. For these reasons surfing the web on this TV is an unpleasant experience to say the least, but hey that's what our traditional computers are for and to me it wasn't remotely close enough of an issue to be a deal killer.
Overall, I found the Samsung UN40ES6150F 40″ LED HDTV to be an impressive TV at a reasonable price. It features an beautiful design, excellent picture, great sound quality, lots of inputs, and Smart TV capabilities. If you can get over the slow performance of the Smart TV interface and are not planning on relying heavily on this TV's web browser feature then you will not be disappointed with its performance. The Samsung UN40ES6150F 40″ LED HDTV is on the same level as some TVs that are double the price and for that I highly recommend this TV to prospective buyers as I believe you are getting a large amount of value on the price you are paying for the product.
