Samsung bows next-gen midsize LCD flat-panel HDTVs
Samsung LNR408D
The product: It lacks the mammoth, headline-generating size of its big brother, but Samsung's 40-inch LNR408D LCD flat-panel HDTV will get the last laugh. With its 3-foot-plus screen size and sub-$4,500 price tag, it will find its way into a lot more homes than its larger, pricier sibling. If that's still too much, the 32-inch LNR328W goes for $1,500 less but lacks the built-in HD tuner and CableCard slot found in the 40-incher.

• 40-inch LCD flat-panel HDTV
• Built-in ATSC tuner and CableCard slot
• Built-in speakers

The price: Available in March for $4,499.

The prospects: Samsung promises excellent 8ms refresh rates on this seventh-generation LCD line, which if true, would significantly curtail the ghosting issue that has dogged earlier LCDs. But even a technically superior panel will have trouble competing with like-size plasmas, which can be had for half as much.

By John P. Falcone, senior associate editor, CNET Reviews