By Leonard Goh
08/01/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/tvs/0,39037594,62049847,00.htm

LAS VEGAS, USA--Without a doubt, Samsung is one of the biggest players in the market for flat-panel TVs right now. Whether it is LCD or plasma, the Korean chaebol has a foot in each segment to target different audiences. At the annual CES in Las Vegas, the company unveiled its latest range of panels which feature innovations that further strengthen its standing in the A/V industry. To offer consumers a better overall home entertainment experience, Samsung also showcased new Blu-ray players and what it claims is the world's first sound bar system with integrated Blu-ray playback.

Although 240Hz motion enhancement for LCD TVs isn't a new idea (Sony has already implemented it in its Z4-series), Samsung is probably the only brand to have the widest range of panels with such the capability. It's 8000- and 7000-series, together with its Series 7, will offer this anti-judder function in the US and Korea. Other parts of Asia will be offered the 200Hz equivalent due to different regional broadcasting standards. A quick preview of these panels found that fast-moving action clips were smooth and fluid.

What also caught our attention was a major upgrade in the TVs' networking features. Previously, users could view only live news, weather and stocks feeds onscreen, but Samsung has now roped in Yahoo! and YouTube to beef up the content. This means you can view pictures on Flickr or clips from YouTube from the comfort of your couch. To ensure smooth delivery of the information, the wireless connectivity has been upgraded to Wi-Fi N, though take note that this is available only on selected models.

Luxia, world's slimmest full-HD panels

However, the star of the CES Samsung HDTV lineup has to be its wafer-thin Luxia-series which measures just 6.5mm thin. We were told that this is possible because of the use of LED backlighting instead of traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) which contribute to a regular panel's bulk. The most noteworthy aspect would be its integrated digital TV tuner which is usually relocated in an external media receiver for most ultrathin panels.

Measuring slightly over an inch in thickness, the Series 8 plasma TVs lay claim to being the world's slimmest full-HD panels. But a noteworthy aspect would be the inbuilt tuner, unlike some other brands which separate these two components.

To complement the TVs, the Korean company has also announced a slew of Blu-ray players and home theater systems. The BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 are possibly the world's first Blu-ray players with wireless networking capability. Both devices have dual USB ports for connecting a Wi-Fi dongle and other USB devices.

Although the new TVs may be feature-rich, Samsung has stood by its green ambition to reduce the energy consumption required by its panels. Its new LED-powered LCD screens are said to consume 40 percent less electricity than its CCFL counterparts and meet the stringent Energy Star 3.0 guidelines.

Check out the next few pages for our report on Samsung's lineup for the first half of 2009.

Plasma HDTV lineup	In a nutshell
Series 8 and 6 plasma TVs (Click for larger image)	Notable features: 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution Slimmest plasma full-HD TV to feature inbuilt ATSC tuner Wireless DLNA-compliant Internet@TV allows viewing of media content from Yahoo!, Flickr and YouTube Expanded list of codecs supported which include 3GPP, MKV, WMV9 and DivX Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: TBA

LED LCD HDTV lineup	In a nutshell
8000-series (Click for larger image)	Notable features: 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution Quick 240Hz refresh rate (dependent on broadcast standard) Approximately 6.5mm thin Internet@TV allows viewing of media content from Yahoo!, Flickr and YouTube Onboard ATSC tuner 40 percent reduction in power consumption Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: TBA
7000-series (Click for larger image)	Notable features: 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution 120Hz refresh rate (dependent on broadcast standard) Approximately 6.5mm thin Internet@TV allows viewing of media content from Yahoo!, Flickr and YouTube Onboard ATSC tuner 40 percent reduction in power consumption Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: TBA
6000-series (Click for larger image)	Notable features: 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution 120Hz refresh rate (dependent on broadcast standard) Approximately 6.5mm thin RSS service updates for news, sports, weather and stock information Onboard ATSC tuner 40 percent reduction in power consumption Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: TBA

LCD HDTV lineup	In a nutshell
Series 7 (Click for larger image)	Notable features: Available in 40-, 46- and 52-inch models 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution Samsung's first CCFL backlit LCD TV Quick 240Hz refresh rate (dependent on broadcast standard) Wi-Fi N supported Internet@TV allows viewing of media content from Yahoo!, Flickr and YouTube Low power consumption Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.
Series 6 (Click for larger image)	Notable features: Available in 19-, 22-, 32-, 37-, 40-, 46- and 55-inch models 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution Auto Motion Plus 120Hz interpolated refresh rate Low power consumption Compliant with Energy Star 3.0 Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.

Blu-ray systems	In a nutshell
BP-P4600 and BP-P3600 (Click for larger image)	Notable features: World's first wall-mountable Blu-ray player (for BP-P4600 only) Wireless networking capability HD soundtrack support Dual USB ports Stream media from Netflix and Pandora music service (for the US only) 1GB internal flash memory Quick disc-loading and ejecting time Internal decoding of high-resolution soundtracks Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.
HT-BD8200 (Click for larger image)	Notable features: Soundbar with integrated Blu-ray player Virtual 5.1 channel surround sound Wireless subwoofer Playback media files from USB devices or via Bluetooth Wireless networking capability Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.
HT-BD7200. (Click for larger image)	Notable features: Home theater system Simulate 5.1-channel surround sound with just two speakers Compact footprint suitable for small rooms Wireless networking capability with optional dongle Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.
HT-BD1250. (Click for larger image)	Notable features: Home theater system Capable of decoding high-definition format such as Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio Same amplifier system as HT-BD7200 Wi-Fi-ready Pricing and availability: First half of 2009. Pricing to be announced.