Samsung released the UE40C7000 – the UK’s very first 3D TV – to great fanfare at the beginning of the year – 2010 was supposed to be the year that 3D TV thrust itself into the spotlight, with manufacturers going all out to ensure they weren’t being left behind.

However, it hasn’t been that simple. Put off by the huge expense of not only the TVs, but the glasses you need to watch them, the British public has so far been reticent to get behind the format like they embraced it at the cinema, for movies such as Avatar and Monsters vs Aliens amongst others.

Available for around £1500, plus an extra £100-odd for the active shutter glasses, another £3-400 for a 3D Blu-ray player and then £50 a pop for a movie on 3D Blu-ray disc, the Samsung UE40C7000 is a serious investment.

With this in mind, the TV makers of the world need to be producing TVs that not only satisfy those with an insatiable hunger for 3D, but use the 3D as the cherry on top of an already fine cake. So, have Samsung baked a treat with the UE40C7000, or have they missed out some vital ingredients? Let’s take a closer look……….

Design & Build

The LED edge-backlit UE40C7000 LCD set might be a completely new product for Samsung, but it’s stylings are very much in keeping with their previous televisions. Thin and sleek, the UE407000 is certainly an attractive piece of kit and with its 40-inch screen, would happily fit into the majority of living rooms across the country. Those worried that a 3DTV might appear vulgar in their living area needn’t worry – the UE40C7000 is actually quite discreet.

A four-legged stand supports the body – you might want to have a closer look at the legs, which may not be to your tastes – and the build quality is excellent; sturdy and solid, the support gives you a good amount of confidence. However, if needs be, you can always mount the set to your wall – at just 26mm thick, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem to stick in a bracket on a sturdy wall.

Samsung call the UE40C7000 “awe-inspiringly slim, stylishly sleek and utterly elegant”, and they’re really not wrong. The set oozes class and the Ultra Clear Panel display is very nicely set off with a very trim 20mm bezel. The £1500 price tag may be a large one, but if you take the plunge and buy one, you will be suitably impressed by the design.

Turning our attentions to the back, we can find all the C7000′s ports and connections. You can expect four HDMI inputs which are fully compatible with the rest of your 3D kit and you also get 2 x USB 2.0 ports and the typical HDTV Component video ins for those wanting to plug in your older standard definition equipment. However, bear in mind that because of the thinness of the set, you will need a special adaptor for the plugging in your antenna, AV connection, PC, SCART, LAN and optical digital audio.

Facts & Features

The Samsung UE40C7000 works its 3D magic by linking via infra-red to a pair of Active Shutter glasses. You have two options for the glasses; one, a battery-powered pair that you can pick  up for £100 or a re-chargeable set for £150 – certainly not cheap if you’re buying for the whole family. It’s also worth pointing out that there are no glasses included in the price.

Alongside the standard 3D capabilities, the C7000 also offers a 2D-to-3D function – you won’t get the full-on effect, but it works well enough on sports broadcasts and certain movies and should satisfy the kids until you can afford to get them all a pair of active shutter glasses. Now, obviously 3D stirs the major interest on the UE40C7000, but thankfully that doesn’t mean that Samsung have scrimped on other features.

The UE40C7000 allows you to hook up to your wireless network and takes you straight onto Samsung’s Internet@TV facility, which offers widget-accessed content from websites such as Twitter, Picasa, YouTube and Skype, as well as streaming your favourite shows from BBC iPlayer. You can also link up your PC to the C7000 to stream movie files or look at photos via the Ethernet connection or a dongle.

The final feature comes in the form of Freeview HD, which makes the UE40C7000 a tempting buy, even without the 3D option. You’ll want to check that your area is covered by a Freeview HD signal (you can get an idea from the Freeview site) and if you are, you can expect programming from BBC HD, ITV 1 HD, 4HD and S4C Clirlun if you’re in Wales – all for absolutely nothing.

Picture & Sound

Let’s take it from the top and inspect the 3D quality on the Samsung UE40C7000. In case you’re unsure exactly how the technology works, here’s an explanation: What you see on the TV screen is two separate images of the same display, which have been shot with just minor differences in angle. The resultant image looks distorted to the naked eye, but once the viewer dons the glasses, each separate image is viewed by each eye, resulting in an optical illusion – your brain thinks whatever you are looking at has depth.

Watching 3D on a screen at home is a slightly different experience from the one you get in the cinema. Whilst you can’t expect your 3D TV to equal the effects of watching the hugely immersive world in Avatar at an IMAX screen, the results are still quite impressive, although a little more restrained. Bear in mind that content is an issue at the moment – there just isn’t a huge amount available at the moment. However, with Sky soon broadcasting to residential homes in the new future and more 3D Blu-ray titles coming out every month, there will be plenty on offer further down the time line.

3D aside, the HD picture on the Samsung UE40C7000 is excellent. Thanks to its LED edge-backlit display, the set has luscious deep blacks  with great detail in shadowy, noir-esque shots. Colours fare equally well as a result, with realistic flesh tones and bright hues jumping out of the screen with vibrancy from that dark black platform. An easy menu system will allow you to change around settings and tone down the colour if you want, although I really think you would be missing out if you did.

Standard definition images are also of high quality. The UE40C7000 upscales DVD with aplomb, and even when watching normal TV on the built-in Freeview you can appreciate a finer picture. However, the 2D-to 3D conversion is, at best, a gimmick that will hold your attention for all of 10 seconds. Your kids may well feel differently, but I suspect they’ll be pestering you for an early Christmas present in the form of some active shutter glasses.

Where Samsung’s very first 3D TV excels in vision, unfortunately it lacks in sound. It is often the way that a thin design on a flatscreen TV leads to a disappointing effort when it comes to speaker power and that’s definitely the case here. There’s a distinct lack of fullness from the audio on the C7000 and whilst this is a crime committed by many an HDTV, it still is a bit of a let down. It’s almost as if the manufacturers of HDTVs have given up trying. The solution for matching the wonderful picture with suitably wonderful sound? You’re going to have to invest in a home cinema system.

Conclusion

Whether you buy it for the 3D or not, the Samsung UE40C7000 is an excellent TV. It’s packed with different features and it’s internet access and connectivity options make it a decent entertainment hub. Pictures are fantastic – and don’t forget you have the added bonus of Freeview HD, which makes the C7000 a good buy without anything else – and the only area that really lets it down is the audio quality.

In terms of 3D – we’ll have to see. The 40-inch screen is a little bit small and although it does provide you with a bona fide fun experience and a sense of depth to the images that occasionally takes the breath away, once you add up 4 or 5 pairs of glasses, a 3D-Blu-ray player, a few 3D Blu-ray movies, a 3D Sky package and a 7.1 home cinema system to take full advantage of the fantastic sound on offer – you’re looking at spending at least another grand.

If you’ve got the money, or are prepared to build a set-up over time, then great; we can’t recommend the C7000 highly enough. However, in the unlikely event that you are expecting the full 3D experience from the TV alone, without buying extra equipment, you’re going to be a little disappointed.

A solid start to 3D from Samsung, with a wealth of great features making up for any potential teething problems.

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