Samsung LE40A559P / LE40A556P / LE40A558 Review

We recently tested and lavished praise on the Samsung Series 6 (A656) LCD TV, but that wasn’t the only HDTV range the Korean electronics giant has brought out this summer. To cater for every requirement and budget imaginable, Samsung has also released the HD-ready Series 4 LCD televisions, and the full HD 1080p Series 5 LCD range which most notably lacks the “100Hz Motion Plus” technology implemented on the Series 6. Today we’re going to have a look at the latter in the form of a Samsung LE40A558 (updated to the latest firmware 1007.2 at this time of writing).

Note: Four Samsung Series 5 LCD HDTV models are available to buy in the UK, namely the LE40A556P, LE40A557P, LE40A558, and LE40A559P. We’ve been informed that the chief difference between these models is cosmetic… they all share the same underlying LCD panel and video processing. Although we only tested the Samsung LE40A558 LCD television, the picture quality findings should be applicable to the rest.

Design

Whereas the one on A656 had streaks of red, the Samsung LE40A558 sports a no-frills glossy black bezel. Stripped of the much-heralded “Ultra Clear Panel”, the LCD screen on Samsung LE40A558 is obviously much less reflective than that found on the A656, which should appeal to buyers who find it difficult to control ambient light (especially during daytime) in their viewing environment.

Connections

Rear: 2 x HDMI, VGA, component, 2 x Scarts, aerial, digital and analogue audio outs

HDMI, USB, Svideo, comp, headphone	Control buttons on right side of TV

Operation

The on-screen user menu on the Samsung LE40A558 LCD television is essentially the same as that on the A656, except for the perfectly understandable replacement of [100Hz Motion Plus] with [Movie Plus] in the [Picture Options] submenu:

Just like the A656, navigation of the user menu and EPG on the Samsung LE40A558 HDTV is quicker and more responsive, which is a welcome improvement over last year’s models.

Remote Control

While its front surface is similarly coated by polished black finish, the infrared remote control for Samsung LE40A558 is not backlit, and feels marginally lighter in the hand compared to that bundled with the A656. Its back part is tapered towards the top and bottom of the remote, giving it a boat-like shape when viewed from the side. There is ample space between the rubbery buttons which thankfully still return decent tactile feedback.

Calibration

Greyscale

Out-of-the-box, switching to “Movie” [Picture Mode] with its default “Warm2” [Colour Tone] produced a greyscale nearest to the D65 standard on the Samsung LE40A558:

Pre-calibration CCT with [Picture Mode] “Movie” & [Colour Tone] “Warm2″

Pre-calibration RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs)

Analysing the RGB tracking graph however revealed that both red and blue components were lower than ideal, which meant that delta errors (dEs) were not contained within the perceptible limit of less than 4. Adjusting the RGB offset and gain controls in the [White Balance] submenu allowed us to rectify this:

CCT after greyscale calibration in “Movie” [Picture Mode]

RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs) after greyscale calibration

Colour

Pre-calibration CIE chart	Post-calibration CIE chart

Even though we managed to align the colour hues and decoding on the Samsung LE40A558 using the inbuilt colour management system, colour saturation – especially in the region of 0% to 75% – was deficient. Unfortunately the easiest way we discovered that could restore colour saturation to an acceptable level whilst in “Movie” [Picture Mode] was to throw colour accuracy and decoding to the wind, and engage [xvyCC] with [Colour Space] set to its default value of “Native“.

Benchmark Test Results

Dead/ stuck pixels	1 stuck green subpixel 12 o’clock
Screen uniformity	Very good
Overscanning on HDMI	0% with [Size] set to “Just Scan“
Blacker than black	Passed
Black level	Very good
Black level retention	Stable
Primary chromaticity	Above average post-calibration with “Custom” [Colour Space]
Scaling	Above average
Video mode deinterlacing	Very good; effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing	Passed 2:2 cadence in 576i, and 3:2 in 480i
Viewing angle	Good for an LCD TV (90°)
Static resolution	Fully resolved 1920×1080 over HDMI & component (noisier)
Motion resolution	300 regardless of whether [Movie Plus] was engaged or not
Digital noise reduction	Acceptable at baseline
Sharpness	Defeatable edge enhancement
1080p/24 capability (PS3)	Accepts 1080p/24 video signal, but judders
Input lag (rel. to Samsung F96)	On par in [Game] mode or over VGA; 30ms slower otherwise

Power Consumption

Default	182 watts
Calibrated	90 watts
Standby	1 watt

Picture Quality

High Definition (Blu-Ray)

The Samsung LE40A558 accepted 1080p/24 video signal from our Sony PS3, but in doing so the LCD television exhibited a type of ultra-jerky judder that was much more prominent that your usual telecine effect. Largely present throughout The Pursuit Of Happyness, our Blu-ray film choice on this occasion, the judder was most noticeable during slow pans, for example that across Chris Gardner (Will Smith) under the shower (10:36), and the one down the Dean Witter building (12:36), not to mention the scrolling end credits.

Because these “jerks” was quite distracting, we had no choice but to revert to 1080p/60 output from the PS3: the resultant telecine judder was much more subtle and tolerable. The [Movie Plus] option is greyed out for 1080p/24 source, but could potentially be engaged for 1080i/60 or 1080p/60 film-based material to eliminate telecine judder. However, after experimenting with it for some time we decided not to apply [Movie Plus] to movies for several reasons: it introduced some “video effect” (albeit mild) into movies; we detected low-grade motion smearing; and it seemed to be hit-and-miss… some movies/ sources would be totally smooth while others would become jerky as hell.

The Samsung LE40A558’s calibrated black level was not as deep as that on the A656, but still ranked very good for an LCD TV. Shadow detail on the LE40A558 was also a touch less distinct compared to the A656, though nowhere near as muddied as last year’s models. The near-D65 greyscale achieved after calibration lent a substantial degree of authenticity to the many outdoor daylight scenes of San Francisco inside the movie.

When it came to colours, it was a case of choosing between saturation and accuracy. If we adhered to accurate hues and decoding, the blue sky and flesh tones would look somewhat pale, and the overall image appeared flat. To our eyes, the better option was to go for a more well-saturated picture (by boosting [Colour], engaging [xvyCC] or setting [Colour Space] to “Native“) at the expense of introducing mild red push which led to ruddier-than-usual skin tones.

Standard Definition

Even with [Movie Plus] disabled, the Samsung LE40A558 successfully detected 2:2 cadence in 576i (and 3:2 in 480i), and correctly administered the relevant pulldown to film-based material. Coupled with above average scaling and effective jaggies smoothening, Freeview digital TV looked as good as that on the A656 bar a lighter shade of black and slightly inaccurate colours (a necessary sacrifice to restore saturation). As long as we adopted a sensible viewing distance, and the transmission bit-rate was up to scratch, the Samsung LE40A558 acquitted itself very well in standard-def handling.

HD Console Gaming (Sony PS3)

The Samsung LE40A558 manifested the same amount of input lag as the A656 (i.e. 30ms slower than a Samsung F96), which could be reduced by engaging “Game” [Entertainment Mode] or using VGA connection. Whether or not this input lag will affect your gaming performance depends on your individual sensitivity, and the reflexes demanded by the particular game.

With [Aspect Ratio] set to “Just Scan” for 1:1 pixel mapping, and [Sharpness] to “0″ to avoid excessive edge enhancement, the Samsung LE40A558 HDTV retrieved and presented the delicate detail in Gran Turismo 5: Prologue with precise aplomb. Because console games are seldom mastered in accordance with D65 standard, there’s nothing stopping you from embracing “Standard” or even “Dynamic” [Picture Mode] to obtain a bright and vibrant image for a captivating gaming experience.

Conclusion

Blessed with black-level performance, connectivity and video processing that are very good but not quite best-in-class, the Samsung LE40A558 nevertheless represents an attractive proposition due to its bargain-basement price, especially if you’re willing to take its technically-identical siblings LE40A559P and LE40A556P into consideration when shopping around. That said, if you can spare an extra £200, we highly recommend going for the LE40A656 which does quite a few things (blacks, colours, motion resolution, native 24fps playback) better.

Panasonic TH42PZ81B Launched

Update: Full testing of the Panasonic PZ81 series is now available at our TH50PZ81B review article.

Hot on the heels of the launch of Freesat, a UK free-to-air digital satellite television service featuring high definition channels, Panasonic have introduced their new PZ81 series of plasma HDTVs which sport a true HD native panel resolution of 1920 x 1080, “Intelligent Frame Creation” and “24p Real Cinema” motion-compensated frame interpolation (MCFI) technologies, 100Hz Double Scan, x.v.Colour extra wide colour gamut, and most importantly, inbuilt Freesat HD tuner.

Other special features include an SD card slot which can playback JPEG photos and AVCHD high definition camcorder movies, a tough front glass panel which is highly resistant to impacts and scratches, an ethernet LAN input port to connect to the internet for future service enhancements, and an optical audio output capable of passing Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound from suitable programmes.

At a press launch event held at the Abbey Road Studio in London yesterday, we had a brief look at the Panasonic TH42PZ81B plasma TV. Appearance-wise, the Panasonic TH42PZ81B closely resembles the PZ80 range with its glossy black bezel and wedge-shaped pedestal stand… the only major difference being that the front protrusion at the bottom of the television is mostly black rather than silver. At the middle of the protrusion lies a plastic flap that flips up to reveal some control buttons and connection inputs (including the third HDMI port).

The Panasonic TH42PZ81B’s user menu is essentially the same as those implemented across their 2008 range of plasma televisions (there’s still no white balance controls available in the [Picture] submenu). In the [Setup] submenu, you can find a list of Freesat services:

Setup submenu	Freesat Service List

Pressing the [Guide] button on the remote control will first bring up a list of available genres, from which you can then access the Freesat EPG:

Setup submenu	Freesat Service List

Although we did not have the time nor the equipments to fully calibrate the Panasonic TH42PZ81B, black level, shadow detail and viewing angle were excellent, as could be expected from a Panasonic plasma. Colours appeared natural, and to our eyes greyscale looked consistent across the luminance range, with [Colour Balance] “Warm” possibly coming closest to the D65 standard.

Even with [Intelligent Frame Creation] disabled, motion resolution was superb on the Panasonic TH42PZ81B from what we’d seen during the live BBC HD broadcast of the Euro 2008 football match between Spain and Russia. During medium-fast camera pans, the pitch-side advertisements remained largely legible instead of degrading into a mess of motion blurring witnessed on lesser flat screen HDTVs.

Verdict: Feature-wise a PZ85 plus Freesat HD tuner; performance-wise the TH42PZ81B will probably deliver all the key positive attributes befitting a Panasonic plasma: excellent blacks, revealing shadow detail, natural colours and fluid motion handling.

Toshiba 40ZF355DB Review

The Toshiba 40ZF355DB rectifies the absence of 100Hz technology on last year’s similarly gorgeous Regza XF “Picture Frame” range of LCD TV. Blessed with excellent black level (due in no small part to its S-PVA LCD panel) and top-notch video processing (including judder-free 5:5 pulldown), the Toshiba 40ZF355DB is – along with the SPVA-based Samsung A656 and Sony W4000 – one of the best LCD HDTVs you can buy on the market today.

While conducting your research on this LCD television on the internet, you may have come across slightly different model names, for example either the Toshiba 40ZF355D or the Toshiba 40ZF355DB. For all intensive purposes, both employ the same S-PVA panel and the same video processing engine, and so should share similar picture qualities (inky blacks, etc.); the latter (with the extra alphabet ‘B’) simply denotes the British 3-pin-plug version which is sold in the United Kingdom.

Here’s our full Toshiba 40ZF355D review.

Samsung LE40A656A Review

We have completed a review of the Samsung LE40A656 (updated to firmware T-PRLPEUMD-1007.2, the latest version at this time of writing) LCD HDTV. It does quite a few things (blacks, SD video processing, flesh tones, 100Hz implementation) better than last year’s models, and its picture quality is right up there with the best Sony Bravias.

Some of you may have noticed the addition of a “Power Consumption” table under the “Benchmark Tests” section of the Samsung LE40A656A review article, which is the result of persistent lobbying from a few cost- and environmentally conscious readers. To standardise the measurements, here is our methodology:

1. The test scene used will be the Madagascar chase sequence (Chapter 2) in Casino Royale Blu-ray played back through a Sony PS3, which is plenty bright and involves lots of motion.
2. Although audio volume seems to have little to no effect on the final measured power consumption from preliminary testing, to avoid introducing confounding factors the television volume shall be turned down to “0“, but not muted.
3. First the power consumption of the HDTV will be measured in the default out-of-the-box picture settings (usually Dynamic mode).
4. Then we measure it after full calibration.
5. Last but not least, we measure it in standby mode.

Please let us know if you have any other suggestions. Power consumption will be measured on all the HDTVs we review in the future.

Warmest regards
Vincent