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Samsung touches LCDs with color, shine

Samsun's second-highest-end line of LCD HDTVs announced at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show features a colorful bezel

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
The Samsung LNA650T series adds a colorful accent around the edge of the frame. Samsung

Samsung's design for its second-highest-end series of LCD TVs announced at CES 2008, the LNA650T adds a colorful accent along the edge of the panel, called "TOC" for Touch of Color, for a look that's a slight departure from the all-glossy-black look of 2007. Red (pictured) will be the first color available, although a company rep said purple and blue, among other colors, will follow.

These models otherwise seem very similar to the LN-T71F series from 2007, of which we reviewed the 46-inch LN-T4671F. They include 120Hz technology processing and similar panel specs (4ms response time, 178-degree viewing angles), as well as the same kind of shiny, reflective screen. The company says it has improved the screen over the 2007 models, so we'll see if the reflections we complained about in our reviews have been reduced.

Samsung is also touting a new user interface that makes managing multimedia content easier, in conjunction with a new remote control that incorporates a wheel for easier navigation.

The LNA650T series includes three sizes: the 40-inch LN40A650T, the 46-inch LN46A650T and the 52-inch LN52A650T. As with other Samsung HDTVs announced at the show, the company will release these models in March and didn't mention pricing by press time.

Samsung LNA650T key features

  • TruMotion 120Hz technology
  • 1080p native resolution
  • Shiny screen
  • Four HDMI with Simplay certification