With an eye to being at the forefront of innovation, Samsung have unveiled their plans to be the first to bring 3D TVs to stores in the UK starting from March.

The LED 7, LED 8 and LCD 7 as well as the BD-C6900 Blu-ray player will be the first models to hit the shelves, with the LED 9, the Plasma 7 Series and the HT-C6930W Home Theatre System following a little later in the spring.

The range of Samsung 3D TVs will use the Active Shutter technology also taken up by Sony and Panasonic, and will have PVR functionality built-in, meaning you will simply be able to plug in a USB stick or hard drive and start recording TV content directly to either device.

The TVs feature Samsung’s 3D processor that will automatically convert 2D content into 3D in real time, as well as built-in Wi-Fi and ethernet capabilites to enable things such as instant film rental through LoveFilm and iPlayer on your TV through the company’s integrated Internet@TV service.

Samsung have also struck a deal with Dreamworks so that all new 3D TVs come bundled with Monsters Vs Aliens, something that should please those young at heart.

As yet, Samsung still haven’t announced any pricing for their 3D range, but as soon as we hear we’ll keep you updated.

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2. Samsung LE32B450C4
3. Samsung NB30

We put the Samsung LE32B450C4 to the test and give you the low-down on what’s good and not so good. The name Samsung is renound with top quality products, so does this puppy carry on that tradition, read on to find out.

The Good

Initially setting up the LE32B450C4 is a breeze and couldn’t be easier, run through a couple of questions it then scurries off to find all the Freeview channels it can with it’s built in receiver and then you’re good to go, 5 minutes and job done.

Picture quality is clear and crisp when viewing freeview and it just gets better if you are able to hook up Sky, we were unable to tell the difference between this TV and a higher end 1080p model in terms of picture. Hooking up a Xbox 360 really brought the Samsung LE32B450C4 out of it’s self, with it’s ‘high contrast game mode’ feature our games looked amazingly sharp, and yes, we were only playing for research purposes, honest.

On screen options are plentiful, with the ability to fine tune the picture and sound so that you can get it just as you want it. The Freeview interface was nicely laid out and easy to navigate, enabling you to quickly find that programme you’re after.

The SRS Trusurround HD feature on the LE32B450C4 produced a great sound from it’s 2 built-in speakers, completing the viewing experience nicely, but of course as with any TV if you want the very best in sound you will invest in a home cinema kit to run along side it.

Connections on the TV include one scart socket, two HDMI connectors at the back and another on the side of the unit and component connections at the rear.

The supplied remote is well laid out and easy to use, not cluttered like some these days.

Specs:

The Bad

Only having 1 Scart socket may present a problem for some with more than one old style DVD or even VCR player that only have a Scart option, but if you are seriously considering this TV then what better excuse to upgrade them as well! Once you have seen the difference in picture quality you won’t want to go back.

Conclusion

Samsung have produced a top quality TV which is also excellent value for money, we cannot fault the picture quality and usability at all. Provided the scart limitation doesn’t affect you then you can’t go far wrong purchasing the Samsung LE32B450C4

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3. Samsung NB30

Samsung have unveiled the NB30, a netbook that is designed to be more durable than it’s rivals, we’ve sent out agents in to find out what exactly is so special about this latest offering from Samsung HQ.

The Good

Right from the off this netbook feels like it could withstand a knock or two, it obviously isn’t bulletproof or built to have tanks run over it but it can survive a drop (of 30 inches according to Samsung) and has a water tight seal that can handle 50cc of water being spilt over it. The build quality is excellent, it looks and feels sturdy, there really isn’t a bone we could pick in that respect.

The lid of the NB30 is finished with a rubbery textured design that is shock, scratch and fingerprint resistant. The screen which it protects has a sharp and vibrant picture and is 10.1 inch and LED backlit, with the familiar netbook resolution of 1024*600.

The palm rest is also made from a rubberised material to offer the same protection as the lid, and the keyboard is spill resistant with the usual quality touchpad and mouse buttons below.

One new peice of ingeniouty is the free fall sensor on the hard drive, if it detects it has been dropped it will shut the hard drive down quickly so as to avoid the usual data loss and the potentially unrepairable damage to the hard drive platters, we where unfortunately not allowed to test this feature out but Samsung say it works, and works well so we have no reason to doubt them.

The NB30 comes in Windows XP and Windows 7 starter flavours, the latter of which puts the price up slightly. It is built on Intel’s latest Pine Trial platform with Intel GMA 3150 graphics and a Hyper-threaded 1.66GHz Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a choice of either 160GB or 250GB hard drive, with of course 802.11bgn wireless and a digital Livecam.

Samsung have stated the battery life is approximately 11 hours, although you can expect it to drop slightly under normal use, it still provides a decent time between charges.

There is talk of there being a touchscreen version as well, but we have yet to see it so we’ll keep on the lookout for that.

The Bad

The specs of this machine are pretty much the same as the majority of netbooks available today, so don’t expect a super charged experience.

The keys on the keyboard are a little closer together than expected, but it didn’t take long to become accustomed to using them.

Conclusion

We think that the Samsung NB30 could take off in a big way, particularly for parents buying a netbook for their child or even those who like having a bit more peace of mind that their machine and data have better protection in the event that the worst happens.

Even though the specs are the same as a high percentage of the netbook market the extra durability this one provides at a similar price to the rest makes it a definate worthwhile purchase.

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The Samsung N130 10.1 inch Netbook is a great model from Samsung in the netbook range. Its usability, low price and long battery life help it stand out from the crowd in a tough market.

The Samsung N130 comes with an Intel Atom processor which is used to increase energy efficiency to extend the battery life giving you up to 6 hours battery life making it a great model for those on the move. The N130 also comes with 1Gb of memory. The N130 is sleek and elegant making it very portable as a netbook should be but with a 10.1 inch XD display giving proper 16.9 aspect ratio it can play true wide-screen content. Although slim it packs in an ergonomic keyboard which is normal size so typing is easy and un-compromised.

Storage is a capable 160GB hard drive and the Samsung N130 also comes with a 3-in-1 card reader making it good for multi-media use. Three USB ports let you connect peripherals such as external disks, CD / DVD drives or memory sticks while 802.11n Wi-Fi provides high-speed wireless connectivity. The Samsung N130 also comes with an integrated webcam fitted above the screen.

The Good
The Samsung N130 is a great product for those that truly want a portable netbook. The great battery life makes it ideal for those who want to use the netbook for a good portion of the day without access to power. The full keyboard makes typing on this netbook easy so is very good for people who want to do a lot of typing on the move, such as chat or content writing.

The sleek design also make this netbook great for those who truly want portable computing and online access on the move.

The Bad
There are few negatives with the N130 model. The mouse can be over sensitive making it a bit annoying when hovering over as it can move the mouse. The Webcam is off to the right which means you won’t appear centrally if you are sitting directly in front of the netbook but this isn’t a reason not to buy this product, just more of an annoyance.

Spy Rating
Great netbook for those who want portability. Great battery life, good performance and a great price make this a true netbook and what netbooks are all about. Sure there are models out there with better specifications and more features but if you are looking for a netbook which gives you online access on the move with the capability you expect from a netbook then this is a great product for you.

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