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Samsung UE40EH6030 review

 Review: November 2012  
 

Last updated June 2013

Rating: 3 stars

In a nutshell: One of the best 40 inch TVs in the under-£500 price range with 3D, an ethernet connection and an attractive design.



 

Design & looks

The EH range of Samsung TVs are LED TVs with full backlighting, in contrast to edge-lit TVs. That allows them to have very narrow bezels, giving a real designer look from the front. It's a look that you'd normally associate with more expensive sets.

The downside is that the TV bulges out quite considerably at the back, with a depth of 93mm - double the thickness of most edgelit TVs.

You'll have to weigh up for yourself whether the front-facing designer look makes up for the rather old-fashioned thickness, or whether such matters are worthy of your attention at all. After all, the point of a TV is how it looks when it's switched on!

Picture quality

For a 40 inch TV costing around £500, this has one of the best all-round picture performances we've seen. The 200Hz Clear Motion Rate is fast enough to avoid any lag in all but the most rapid motion, and Samsung's PVA panel delivers a reasonably wide viewing angle. There is perhaps some colour distortion and reduction in contrast when viewed from an angle, but it's quite acceptable for a low-to-mid-range TV.

It's certainly a big step up from the UE40EH5000 and well worth the extra £100.

3D

The TV is 3D-enabled, and two pairs of active shutter glasses are supplied in the sales package. We aren't huge fans of active 3D in lower-priced TVs, and there are some problems evident here. In particular, some crosstalk is visible in some scenes due to the relatively low 200Hz Clear Motion Rate. This can result in a ghosting effect caused by the left eye seeing the ghost of an image intended for the right eye, and vice versa. It's fair to say that this is not always a problem, but you should be aware of it when choosing your TV. If 3D is a priority for you, consider upgrading to a TV with a faster refresh rate, or perhaps a passive 3D TV from LG or Panasonic.

Audio quality

Like in other Samsung TVs, audio is delivered by stereo speakers with 20W of total power. SRS TheatreSound HD is available, which is an attempt to emulate surround sound from two speakers. Some people prefer this; some don't. Generally speaking, the result is on a par with rival products.

Connectivity

We're delighted to find an ethernet connection here, and the TV can be Wi-Fi enabled too. It therefore seems like penny-pinching to include only 2 HDMI connections. This could be a problem if you plan to connect a set-top box, DVD player and a games console. On the other hand, a Freeview HD receiver is built into the TV, and there are ample SCART, component and composite connectors, so you can probably muddle through. A useful USB connection is also included.

Conclusion - great value

The UE40EH6030 delivers excellent value for money and is one of the best sub-£500 TVs around in this respect. Picture quality isn't perfect and 3D performance isn't the best, but many TVs at this price don't include 3D at all. Connectivity is good too.

The looks don't quite qualify as "designer" when compared with high-end products, but we like the narrow bezel, even if the backend does stick out rather a lot.

All things considered, this is one of the best TVs you can buy in the budget range and is well worth the money.


Samsung UE40EH6030 features include:

User questions

Sorry - questions and comments on this page are now closed.

Is this a smart tv?

Asked by Leanne from England on 10th Nov 2018
I have this tv in the back of a cupboard, thinking of getting it out and using it in my bedroom. But can’t remember if it’s a smart tv able to connect to Netflix etc?

Reply by Rich from United Kingdom on 25th Nov 2018
Hi Leanne, no it’s not a smart tv but you could use a dongle with it via usb, connect that to the WiFi in your home and then you have smart features. I still have the tv, still good for it’s age.



Samsung UE40EH6030 user reviews

Sorry - reviews and comments on this page are now closed.


Average rating from 7 reviews:

Reviewed by Al from UK on 27th Oct 2014
Great picture. Lip sync problem so going back.
Rating:

Reviewed by Ralph from uk on 28th Aug 2013
I bought this tv a year ago and quite frankly its the best tv I have ever had. Its my third lcd tv and my first 3d 200htz tv.
As mentioned before the setup out of the box is not great but with patience you can find a perfect setting, I like a soft but clear and smooth picture which I have managed to get so everything from motogp to New Tricks looks lovely and smooth. Wildlife documentaries are a treat and hd through my Virgin Tivo box is superb. Its worth noting that I sit at least 3 meters away from the tv which always helps.
My first Philips lcd bought in 2006 was ( and still is ) a joke. My next Toshiba from 2010 was a vast improvement with the 1080p picture but blur was a problem so this one with 200htz is a revelation for me.

I bought it from Comet along with a Samsung 3d blu ray player and a Bose 2.1system from a pc so have never suffered from lip sync issues apart from the odd movie downloaded and played from the usb stick. The only issue I had was before I did a firmware upgrade that movies played through the usb stick would suddenly stop and exit randomly so I gave up and used the usb on the blu ray player. Ever since the I have had no issues and will hold onto this one until 4k gets into my price range !!
Rating:

Reviewed by Per from Ireland on 7th May 2013
Same problem
Rating:

Reply by S21 from UK on 7th May 2013
Hi Per, we'd like to try and pin down this problem. Is this with Freeview, Freesat, Virgin or Sky? Also with DVD or Blu-Ray?

Reviewed by andrew from uk on 1st Apr 2013
Sound out of sync , updated firmware. This has helped when tv first switched on but after an hour or so becomes un watchable, have to turn off and back on. Samsung website and support is useless tv will be going back to tesco also 3d is poor
Rating:

Reviewed by andy from scotland on 3rd Mar 2013
Now on my second UE40EH6030 i have updated the software and still have a lip sync problem after about 3 hours.think samsung or tesco will be getting this tv back.
Rating:

Reply by S21 from UK on 3rd Mar 2013
Andy, is this also with a Virgin V+ box?

Reviewed by tabouze from france on 11th Jan 2013
exactly same issue
Rating:

Reviewed by Wal Riley from UK on 16th Dec 2012
A problem wlth using in conjunction with a Virgin Media V+ box; The sound lags exponentially. In other words, it starts off unnoticeable, but gets progressively worse over time. Virgin can't sort it and Samsung told me to a:update the software and b:change the SPDIF output delay. Neither have made any difference. This is the second V+ box and also the second telly and the problem remains. I have to turn the telly off every two hours, because the lag becomes unbearable. Don't get me wrong, the picture is great. Plenty of contrast, good flesh tones, decent 3D quality, no issues on other inputs so far,and it looks good too, but watch anything on the V+ box and me and the missus are pulling our hair out. Sadly, I suspect that Tesco will be getting it back, soon.
Rating:


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