There’s been significant buzz on the LCD HDTV front lately, much of it surrounding models with 120-Hz scanning, a feature designed to combat picture lag in fast-motion images. But the arrival of panels that do away with the standard CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent light) backlight in favor of LED lamp arrays is another development that tech-savvy shoppers have been anticipating. Both Samsung and Sony rolled out mega-size versions of such sets in 2007 — and, at $30,000-plus, with mega-size price tags to match. But Samsung’s new LN-T4681F 46-inch model, priced at $3,999, represents a more real-world implementation.
The LED backlight allows Samsung’s 81 Series LCDs (also available with 40-, 52-, and 57-inch screens) to pack a number of notable features. First and foremost is LED SmartLighting, also known as "local dimming." When active, this feature divides the TV’s LED array into zones that can be turned off in areas where dark shadows are being displayed. By selectively shutting off sections in this manner, the TV can achieve deeper blacks than those on models with a CCFL backlight, which is always turned on. Another useful feature of the Samsung is LED Motion Plus, which effectively reduces motion lag in fast-motion images by cycling the eight individual rows in the LED array, sequentially turning each row off and on every eighth of a second.
Like many other recent TVs I’ve tested, the LN-T4681F has a glossy all-black front. But the Samsung differs from other LCDs, most of which have 
a nonreflective screen surface, in that the glossy façade extends to the screen itself: A fair amount of reflected light can pool up on the screen during daytime viewing, making careful control of ambient room light a serious matter with this TV.
Beyond that, a few nice design touches help the Samsung stand out from the crowd. Virtual buttons with LED indicators on the front let you power the TV on and off, switch sources, and browse menus. Speakers are embedded into the set’s back and sides, with slim plastic columns that line the screen’s left and right edges acting as sound diffusers. And the swiveling stand can be used to pivot the display 30° in either direction.
The congested keypad on the slim remote control means you’ll probably have trouble finding buttons in a dark room (I did). On the plus side, the remote has backlit volume and channel keys, although those rarely get used in home theater setups.
Setup
The Movie preset on the LN-T4681F delivered fairly natural-looking, unenhanced images from the get-go. Both this and the TV’s other two presets, Standard and Dynamic, can be modified independently for each input, and the set stores your changes. To get things looking good, I first selected Movie mode and then dialed in the Warm 2 Color Temperature and Auto Color Space settings. The variable Backlight worked best when left at midpoint; other settings, like Edge Enhancement and My Color Control, I ignored entirely.
{mospagebreak title=Page 2}
Specifications and Conclusions
One glitch that I ran into on the Samsung was that it wouldn’t reliably deinterlace film-sourced 1080i-format programs; its performance here seemed dependent on the TV’s settings. Fortunately, though, the two main features found on this set — LED SmartLighting and LED Motion Plus — worked very smoothly. After turning on LED SmartLighting, I was amazed at the difference: Blacks in the picture deepened dramatically, while highlights kept their punch. And 
LED Motion Plus quickly proved its value with fast-motion sports, such as an NHL game on HDNet: The hockey sticks, puck, and rink markings all locked into place and looked noticeably crisper. The only catch is that picture brightness and contrast take a significant hit when you turn on Motion Plus — a potential concern for daylight viewing.
Performance
Warner’s Blu-ray Disc of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining arrived in time for Halloween, so I just had to see it on the Samsung. As I watched a scene of Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duvall) and her son Danny (Danny Lloyd) wandering through the labyrinth outside the Overlook Hotel, the fine texture of the leaves and stones lining the pathway looked sharp, and that crisp detail held up even as the characters’ pace quickened during the long Steadicam shot. The Samsung’s color rendition was also excellent. In a scene where Danny cruises through the hotel’s spooky corridors on his Big Wheel, a wide range of red hues was apparent, including his pale red sweater and bright red shoes, as well as the carpet’s rich crimson pattern. Even so, skin tones — such as those on Danny’s pale, pink-tinged face — looked completely natural.
Another Kubrick film recently released on Blu-ray, 2001: A Space Odyssey, demonstrated the TV’s awesomely deep blacks. The film’s "overture" consists of a few minutes of eerie classical music accompanied by a completely dark screen. Watching and listening, I mistakenly thought the TV was turned off — a big change from my experience with other LCDs, which typically look dark gray when displaying an all-black signal. This ability to display bottomless shadows worked to great advantage on 2001’s outer-space scenes, which were remarkably deep on the Samsung. Also, brighter scenes — such as the early ones of prehuman primates fighting over a water hole in the desert — displayed punchy contrast, though there was less detail visible in the creatures’ dark fur than what I saw on a Pioneer plasma used for comparison.
Picture uniformity on the Samsung was mostly excellent, with the key exception being off-axis performance: As I shifted left or right of center, the TV’s contrast lessened somewhat. But whereas this is a common problem with flat-panel LCDs, the Samsung’s upconversion of standard-def was below average, with 480i signals looking soft compared with the same ones upconverted externally by my high-def disc player and cable box. The TV’s Digital Noise Reduction proved effective, however: Grainy images got a decent smoothing-out with minimal detail loss, even at the High setting.
Bottom Line
LCDs have been steadily improving, but Samsung’s LED-driven LN-T4681F represents a dramatic leap for the technology in the key areas of black level and picture contrast. Even the fussiest connoisseur would be hard-pressed to find fault on those two points with LED SmartLighting switched on. Figure in the TV’s accurate color, flexible setup, and LED Motion Plus, and it’s a slam-dunk for movie buffs and sports fans alike. And although it might seem pricey compared with other LCDs, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be paying for the best.
Pros
•Crisp high-def picture
•Unmatched black depth for an LCD
•Accurate color reproduction
Cons
•Highly reflective screen not ideal for daytime viewing
•Picture loses punch at off-center seats
•Below-average standard-def signal upconversion
Key Features
•1080p resolution
•LED Backlight, SmartLighting (Local Dimming), and Motion Plus
•xvYCC color mode
•Inputs: 3 HDMI; 2 component-, 2 composite-, and 2 S-video; VGA; 2 RF (air and cable); USB
•48.25 x 29.5 x 12.5 in; 77 lb (w/stand)
