The LE46F86BD may be considered a much-hyped HDTV, but definitely for very good reasons. Among these are premium features like full 1080p HD resolution and 100hz refresh rates that deliver never-before-seen image quality. But yes, premium does come with a hefty tag, and this TV certainly would make your wallet cry.
Design
Inheriting the black glossy finish of previous Samsung HDTVs, the LE46F86BD looks exciting – sexy even – with its smooth lines, curves and minimalist design. Thin grey strips that diffuse the sound from the
Samsung LE46F86BD
concealed side-firing speakers highlight the thinner side bezels and add elegance to the set. There is a blue LED mood light beneath the panel which can be toggled on or off, while a set of six LEDs on the bottom right light up one after the other when the TV is switched on, giving the LCD a futuristic feel.
The slender and ergonomic remote that comes with the LE46F86BD is the same as 2007 Samsung HDTVs. With contoured back, well-placed buttons, Braille inscriptions and partial backlighting, it’s definitely a clicker to beat. And it works quite well with the cascading menu system that is easy-to-grasp and logically arranged. However, users who frequently make setting adjustments would be annoyed that the semi-transparent menu display centred on the screen makes it difficult to see the results of adjustments being made.
Screen/picture clarity
Cynics seriously doubt whether LCDs would ever achieve the black levels delivered by plasmas. With new releases like the LE46F86BD, doubts are slowly being dispelled, as this TV delivers the deepest shades of black ever from an LCD – not as inky black as current plasmas but definitely darker than plasmas released just a year before. And these impressive black levels, along with excellent color decoding, enable the LE46F86BD to produce stunningly crisp images and exceptionally vibrant hues – when one takes time to tweak the settings.
Another major improvement introduced by Samsung is the 100hz Motion Plus system that is designed to make fast-action scenes smoother and more fluid, remove noise and eliminate artefacts that previously were common in LCDs. While Motion Plus isn’t perfect, it nonetheless made pictures much clearer and made viewing much better.
Features
To justify its wallet-busting tag, Samsung filled this set with goodies, aside from the faster refresh rates: DNIe system to enhance sharpness, contrast and motion handling; Edge Enhancer to define contours and minimize jaggies; SRS Surround XT for clear sound reproduction; and plentiful of color, picture and ratio adjustments and settings to satisfy videophiles. And the LE46F86BD’s indeed well-connected: HDMI trio, Scart twin D-Sub for PC, USB port and a multitude of audio/video input/output jacks for all purposes.
If you want to indulge your high-def addiction and willing to pay a premium price for it, the LE46F86BD should definitely be among the top choices in your list. It’s a feature-packed HDTV with superb performance that is surely worth every penny in its tag.
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