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While most manufacturers are still wrestling with their debut online TV services, Samsung is already on to its second online generation.

And to underline this fact, Samsung has equipped its latest online TVs as represented today by the 40in LE40B651 with Yahoo Widget capability.

Already widely embraced by the PC community, the Yahoo Widget Javascript runtime engine makes it easy to generate online applications to make your browsing easier, more entertaining and more practical. And Samsung has exclusive access to Widgets for TVs until around September. Smart.

Like the internet, only smaller

Predictably, the LE40B651 offers a uniquely expansive and satisfying online experience. Highlights include access to YouTube videos and the Flickr photography storage site, plus interactive news, weather and finance reports. All presented quite beautifully.

Of course, the ring-fenced content Samsung lets you access via the LE40B651s Ethernet port or optional USB wireless dongle is extremely limited versus the internet as a whole, but it's . But it sure beats teletext into a cocked hat.

The Widget-driven online interface isnt the LE40B651s only claim to fame, mind. It looks very pretty, for instance, thanks to its beautifully polished finish and the unusual honeycomb effect that appears when the light catches the TV the right way.

Multimedia magic

Its also packed with picture processing (including 100Hz for enhanced motion reproduction), can play back all manner of multimedia file formats from USB devices or PCs, and even carries 190MB or so of built-in multimedia content ranging from recipes to childrens stories and songs.

Then theres the small fact that the LE40B651 produces simply stunning picture quality. Thanks to a combination of bright, superbly saturated colours and some of the deepest black colours seen on an LCD TV, images look so dynamic that even EastEnders looks like a Hollywood blockbuster.

The sets 100Hz engine helps it reproduce motion with impressively little blur too, which in turn assists in making HD pictures look almost intimidatingly sharp and detailed.

Tweaker's paradise

The LE40B651s pictures do occasionally suffer with some gentle processing artefacts, and the TVs factory presets are ridiculously over-aggressive. But the benefits of the processing far outweigh the occasional negatives, and the wayward factory preset can be entirely removed via the TVs extensive picture adjustment options.

Its a shame, we guess, that this Samsungs generally stunning pictures are only joined by a slightly weedy, flat-sounding audio performance. But ultimately the LE40B651s problems seems like mere drips of unpleasantness in a vast ocean of good.

Author:John Archer

Copyright 2009 Dennis Publishing All Rights Reserved.

Samsung LE40B651