This 40in screen Freeview and Freesat
tuners, great Smart TV options and loves HD
Trying to make sense of where the
UE-40ES6300 sits in Samsung’s lineup of 135 screens can be more challenging
than ten rounds with a Klitschko brother. No other manufacture, LG aside, is as
prolific in the production of LCD screens, and feeling fitter than Freddie
Flintoff we’ve done all the hard work, brushing aside the aging D-series and
ending up with ten current E series models in the popular 40in category ranging
from the $825 40EH5000 to the megabucks 40ES8000 at $2,175.
Samsung
UE40ES6300
The UE-40ES6300 sits half-way between the
two in terms of its specification but its price is much closer to the cheaper
end of the scale. The Samsung website says it’s $1,320 but look around and
you’ll easily find it for around $740.
Although it lacks micro dinning it’s
certainly no lightweight in terms of design and features. The specifications
are certain to satisfy the needs of most TV buyers, unaware (and possibly
uninterested in ultra-fast refresh rates, dual core processing, ultra slim
bezels and gimmicky features like voice control. The HDMI and USB counts are
pretty good at three a piece, Smart TV features abound, there are dual Freeview
HD and Freesat HD tuners and the set is ready to interact wirelessly with a
home network. It also sports just about every one of Samsung’s current
portfolio of enthusiast-level image adjustment tools including calibration test
cards.
Looks-wise, the UE-40ES6300 is slightly odd
with a glossy black bezel, black cross stand and screen that looks like freshly
painted black varnish. It’s almost too non-reflective screen when in standby
but pays dividends during viewing. Round the back most of the sockets face rear-wards,
including two of the HDMIs, the digital optical audio output and the Ethernet
socket, so although the screen can be wall mounted it’s better suited to being
on a pedestal where more cables can project freely. Only two USBs and one HDMI
face the side.
The
HDMI and USB counts are pretty good at three a piece, Smart TV features abound,
there are dual Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners and the set is ready to
interact wirelessly with a home network.
In use
The remote control rather impressively blends
ergonomics with looks. Some of the labeling is a bit poor but the keys are all
a decent size and yet nicely spaced. They also feel responsive and durable. The
Freeview EPG has a small window showing the live channel and so feels a little
cramped, being only able to show the schedules for five channels at a time. At
least you can scroll through the entire EPG by pressing the info button when
watching a show. Another nice touch is that when selecting the channel list the
programmer’s title appears under the name of each channel as you highlight it.
The screen is dead easy to set up but the
operating system has a double edge to it. Navigation is slick and it looks very
pleasant thanks to the use of contemporary fonts and icons on a sky blue
background that don’t tire the eyes. However, in common with Samsung’s other
6000 series screens we’ve tested recently, a lot of tinkering is required to
optimize the picture each time you change sources.
The
screen is dead easy to set up but the operating system has a double edge to it
Unfortunately whatever you do the screen
seems unforgiving with its own standard definition Freeview tuner. From ITV’s
This Morning to live snooker on BBC 2, and on to a Channel 4 movie (The
Comancheros) pictures are softer than those on Sky or from the built-in Freesat
tuner. The other problem is the poor shadow detail, which makes very dark
object of a similar color hard to distinguish. A black Labrador on Watchdog
Daily was indistinguishable from its owner’s black trousers. Cranking up the
brightness only results in reduced contrast as blacks go milky grey.
Thankfully, the effect is less severe with HD sources, such as the No Country
For Old Men Blu-ray. This movie also shows the importance of adjusting the
set’s gamma setting, color tone, dynamic contrast (keep it off and leave well
alone) and black tone. A bit of dabbling and you can sit back to enjoy good
clarity, low noise, negligible judder, realistic skin tones and a generally
engrossing and punchy picture. Watching Mad Men on Sky Atlantic HD in the
Standard viewing mode betrayed an overzealous sharpness setting but this was
soon cured by switching to the Movie mode. Live football on Sky Sports in HD
required a return to standard mode, with a tweak in color saturation to
moderate the excessively bright green of the pitch. The set’s 200Hz CMR
processing does a decent job with motion and there’s normally no need to employ
Motion Plus, which introduces significant shimmering even on its lowest
setting.
Viewing angle holds up well and a big
brownie point goes to the UE-40ES6300 for reining in LED light leakage and
delivering a commendably low amount of clouding on dark scenes.
The UE-40ES6300 doesn’t have an equalizer
but offers four sound modes, all of which seem to do a better job with dialogue
than the default setting. The music mode seems to suit voices better than the
Clear Voice mode, which strips out the background too much with events like
football commentaries and Downton Abbey-style dramas. Overall, sound quality is
decent for this mere slip of a screen but it would be foolish not to match the
picture to a more sonically satisfying experience.
Verdict
The UE-40ES6300 has two main weaknesses:
its standard definition Freeview images are below par and getting the most out
of it, regardless of the source, requires a fair amount of effort in the
picture tweaking department. That said, its strengths are significant, it’s
capable of delivering outstanding HD images and although we haven’t had space
here to go in to detail, it is a real dab hand with Smart TV.
The opposition
Panasonic TX-P42GT50
Sensational black levels, the most
impressive pictures ever seen on a 42in plasma and a stunning design
Toshiba 46TL963
Plenty of enthusiast-level features, decent
pictures and an extra six inches of viewing for more or less the same price
Features
§ Screen
size: 40in
§ Display
type: LCD
§ Backlighting:
Edge-lit LED
§ Resolution:
1920 x 1080
§ Refresh
rate: 200Hz backlight scanning
§ Tuners:
DVB-T2, DVB-S2
§ EPG:
Freeview HD. Freesat HD
§ CI
slot: Yes
§ Smart
TV: Yes
§ 3D:
Yes (active shutter)
§ 3D
glasses: 2 pairs
§ Speaker:
2 x 100W
§ Weight:
10.4kg (w/o) stand)
§ Dimensions:
927x553x47mm (WxHxD)
§ Typical
Power: 60W
§ BD
Wise: Yes
§ PiP:
No
§ Teletext:
Yes
§ DLNA
Allshare: Yes
§ Web
browser: Yes
§ Wi-Fi
networking: Yes
§ Ethernet:
Yes
§ PVR
via USB: Yes
§ SD
in: Scart (RGB/composite video)
§ HD
in: 3 x HDMI, composite video
§ Audio
in: 3.5mm DVI audio
§ Audio
out: Digital optical audio, headphone jack
§ Data
ports: Ethernet, 3 x USB
Ratings
Plus
§
Non reflective screen
§
Good HD pictures
§
Strong Smart TV offering
Minus
§
Crushed blacks
§
Hard work to get best pics
§
Softer than average Freeview pics
§
Build: 9/10
§
Setup: 8/10
§
Searching: 9/10
§
Navigation: 8/10
§
Sound: 7/10
§
Features: 8/10
§
Value: 7/10
§ Overall:
7.9/10
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