Samsung LN40B550 Television Review-Still Mostly Good

This review actually starts out sort of strangely as, for the first time, I managed to locate the manual controls on a Samsung set.  More about that later, but first, now I can say that instead of not being able to find the stupid things at all, I just hate them.

First, the technical rundown.  The Samsung LN40B550 is a forty inch 1080p LCD with a special “game mode” that speeds up response times to cut down on blur effect, four HDMI slots,  two  component jacks, one composite jack, one  PC input, one USB input, and one optical digital audio output.  It retails for just under a grand, but Amazon will take fifteen percent off and give you free shipping to boot.

The picture is, of course, beautiful and even the sound is in great shape, but now that I’ve FINALLY managed to find the stupid manual control on this thing (which they’ve very craftily hidden in various points along the front outer frame–some run horizontal and some run vertical; if you want to go looking for these yourself I suggest you bring a flashlight, three days rations and a change of underwear because it’s going to take longer than Vasco Da Gama’s expedition) and gotten a chance to try it, I actually hate it.  It’s some kind of touch-sensitive rocker switch that won’t work unless you press down just right and in the right spot. It took me this long to find it and what is my reward?  A whole NEW puzzle just to get the stupid thing to work!

The Samsung LN40B550 is a beautiful set at a great price, but the controls are just horrendous. If you can overlook that flaw this makes a great buy.