Of the four series of 3D capable LED backlit TVs that Samsung produces, the C7000 is the least expensive and its 40" model, UN40C7000, is the smallest.

Even so, the picture quality from this 240Hz edge-lit LED LCD HDTV is quite respectable. With letterboxed movies, it does exhibit occasional hot spots that are common with edge-lit displays. But unless you are a finicky videophile, I think that you'll find the 2D images rich and satisfying.

I'm not quite as enthusiastic about its 3D performance. The 3D effect does not pack that "leap off the screen" punch that can impress friends and neighbors. Though, on second thought, that might not be a bad thing.

As for other features like Internet apps, the C7000 provides a wide range of content providers. This model does not include built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, but you can buy a wireless adapter.

(Editor's note: Samsung offers two other sizes in this C7000 series, the 55" UN55C7000 and the 46" UN46C7000. Since their specifications are similar, this review can be applied to all three. Though I believe the larger sizes might deliver more 3D wallop.)

Our Star Ratings

Performance: 4.0

During dark scenes, the UN40C7000 can display hot spots in the corners of the screen that are all too common in many of this year's edge-lit LED TVs. Though when the scenes brighten, this uneven backlighting isn't noticeable. 3D performance is good, but not spectacular. Audio is quite respectable for the tiny integrated speakers. If I were to grade on video performance alone, I would drop my mark a half star.

Features: 4.5

With Internet apps aplenty, this 3D TV has about every feature that you could hope for. Though to go wireless, you will need to buy a wireless LinkStick adapter.

Ease of Use: 4.5

Setup is fairly straightforward and Samsung provides good on-screen instructions to help you navigate the more unfamiliar waters of Yahoo widgets and Internet apps. You may wish to keep the manual handy when you start to explore features like the Media Player.

Value: 3.5

With a retail price of $2000 for a 40" TV, you can see that you are paying a rather steep premium for its 3D capability. A quick search of the web reveals the street price is about $1600, which is still pricey especially if the retailer is not including a 3D starter kit. Without the kit, ($499 retail), you will not be able to enjoy 3D content. And an extra pair of 3D glasses cost around $150. Ah, the joys of buying bleedingedge technology.

Star Ratings Description

Ratings are relative to when the review was written. The obvious example is Value, what you could purchase for $2000 two years ago or even two months ago would seem like a bad value for that price now. We have given only a precious few 5 Star ratings, which we reserve for truly outstanding accomplishment.

For the last couple of years Samsung designers have been adding a Touch of Color to the frames of their TVs. The 7000 model color, Mystic Earth, is described as a "design element that blends a hint of amber color into a TV's black bezel frame for aesthetic appeal."

And it is a hint. Unless light is shining on the frame, you may never notice the color. The inch and a half bezel is accented with a thin gray stripe on its edge.

Have I mentioned that this TV is thin - a mere wisp at one inch thick. Maintaining that super model profile, Samsung has replaced the lumpy operational buttons that usually are on the side of the TV with cool white controls on the front that are illuminated with a swipe of the hand.

When attached to its stylish four footed stand, you can swivel the TV about 20 degrees front or back, allowing more flexibility when you place it in a room. Which is helpful because the screen is reflective.

Though when the TV is on, I only notice bright direct reflections. If they distract me, which they rarely do, I stifle the light source.

The connections for the TV are split between two panels. The panel inset on the left edge supplies four HDMI inputs, two USB ports and a digital audio out (optical).

The manual states that "This product supports the 3D and ARC (Audio Return Channel) functions via an HDMI cable. Note that the ARC function is supported by the HDMI IN 2(ARC) port only. The ARC function allows digital audio to output via the HDMI IN 2(ARC) port. It can be enabled only when the TV is connected with an audio receiver that supports the ARC function."

The USB ports can accept USB flash drives, hard drives (USB1 only) and other Mass Storage Class (MSC) devices. You can playback JPEG photos, MP3 songs, and videos in various formats including DivX. stored on them with the TV's Media Play feature.

If you look at the second panel, which is on the back of the TV, you would swear that there are not enough connections to accommodate one Component video in (with a matching stereo Audio In), one Composite video in (with a matching stereo Audio In), one PC input, a PC/DVI audio in minijack and an Analog Audio Out stereo minijack.

To economize on the limited space afforded by the TV's one inch thin depth, Samsung has collapsed some of the multiple outputs, like the three normally used for Component video, into a single outlet. A number of different adapter cables, which split out the signals, are supplied in the box.

Also on the back are an Ethernet connector and an Ex-Link connector which is included for Service use only.

The one antenna connector links to integrated ATSC/QAM tuners. Since the tuner system is Clear QAM compatible, you can attach your cable TV signal directly into the RF connector and tune in unscrambled cable stations.

With the proper antenna and the ATSC tuner, you will be able to watch digital signals broadcast over the air.

The LAN port connects the TV through a wire to the Internet and your home network. For a wireless solution, you need to buy one of Samsung's wireless adapters and plug it into one of the USB ports.

Once you set up your network connection, Samsung provides a wealth of content providers. For example for streaming video, if you click on the Internet@TV button on the remote control, you can access Netflix (if you subscribe), Blockbuster, CinemaNow or VUDU (all three sites rent or sell individual shows), and YouTube.

Skype is one of the newer additions. The TV does not come equipped with a camera. Therefore to video chat with friends and family around the globe, you need to purchase your own webcam from Skype.

The UN40C7000 also furnishes a Yahoo widget gallery which adds seven pages of more content providers including Amazon Video on Demand and eBay.

I'll admit that the first time I encountered all these choices I was a bit overwhelmed, but Samsung does a good job of providing onscreen instructions on how to manage all the options.

I've dealt with Yahoo widgets on a number of TVs that I have reviewed and I still don't feel comfortable with the interface. I find it awkward and intrusive. My strategy is simply not to go there. Out of sight, out of mind.

The Internet@TV layout is easier to navigate, especially if you don't clutter it up with a lot of apps. Just remember, you don't have a mouse or a keyboard or an iPad touchscreen. You move around and search with the TV's remote, which can be unwieldy at times.

Another great advantage of connecting to your home network is the ability to access content from your computer and play music, videos and photos back on your TV without having to transfer the files to a USB flash drive. Titled Media Play, this feature will search any connected DLNA media device for content to playback.

Also, if you plan on streaming TV shows or movies from sites like Blockbuster or Amazon and you are serious about obtaining good picture quality, you will need fairly fast and robust bandwidth from your Internet provider, ideally around 10Mbps.

I know some sites suggest as low as 2.5Mbps, but if anyone else in your house is accessing the network, the video playback will deteriorate. At least try to have around 5Mbps.

On its Explore 3D feature, Samsung recommends 9Mbps to stream their HDX 3D content.

This TV does supply Picture-in-Picture, though like most TVs with PIP, you are limited in your picture combinations. One of the sources always must be from the internal TV tuner. For example, you cannot pair two HDMI sources.

In addition, the TV signal is relegated to the small inset window. You cannot switch it to the larger display. There isn't even a dedicated PIP button on the remote.

Perhaps Samsung's designers were leaving room on the remote for a host of other dedicated buttons like the ones to directly access features like Yahoo or Media Play or Internet@TV.

With its black brushed surface and silver edging, this is one of the most elegant looking remotes that I have seen - even more impressive when the backlight illuminates all the buttons.

I appreciate the effort that Samsung has made to supply useful onscreen instructions. They are timely and save you from scrambling to find the manual and paging through it for answers.

Also, in the Internet@TV section, there's an app called SPSTV (Samsung Product Support TV) which includes short videos on topics like "How to Set TV for Home Use."

On May 1, 2010, the EPA implemented Version 4.1 of the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for TVs. They are now publishing a list of TVs that that meet this stricter standard. (You can find it here.) The Samsung UN40C7000 is on the list.

The EPA states that this 40" LCD TV's On Mode Power is 88W. (The Maximum On Mode Power for a 40" TV to qualify for an Energy Star is 107W).

Standby Power Consumption for this Samsung is a mere .01W. Based on the formula that the TV is on five hours a day and in Standby for the other 19, the Estimated Annual Energy Use is 161.29 kWh/year.

You need to check your electric bill to see how much you are paying for a kWh. The rate that I have been using in previous reviews is 10.4 cents. Doing the multiplication, at that rate, the yearly energy cost is $16.77.

In 2011 we will begin to see manufacturers attaching those yellow ENERGY STAR tags that you find on air conditioners and refrigerators. Until then you will have to study the ENERGY STAR list to see how the UN40C7000 compares to other 40" TVs.

From a cruise through the chart, I see that its power consumption is in the middle of the pack. I'm finding some TVs, including a few 40" Samsungs that actually have an On Mode Power rating as low as 44W.

Samsung provides a few energy saving options that can be found in the Picture menu under Eco Solutions. My favorite is called Energy Savings, which adjusts the brightness of the TV - reduce brightness, use less power.

It has four settings, Low, Medium, High and Picture Off. It's this latter one, Picture Off that I find valuable. For many TVs, if you want to playback only audio, you still have to power on the display, which is extremely wasteful. If you are listening to your MP3s or Pandora radio, use the Picture Off setting.

When you pull the UN40C7000 out of the box and plug it in for the first time, you will run through Samsung's Plug and Play Setup, which will guide you through the basic operations of setting up your TV channels and making your cable connections.

If you plan to avail yourself of all the Internet content, you will need to link the TV to you home network. Samsung does a good job of making this process automatic and unless you have some unusual network configuration, you should be connected in a matter of minutes.

Of course, then you need to choose your Internet apps in the Internet@TV section or the Yahoo widget gallery. I suggest that you set aside at least a half hour to work through all your choices because once you have selected them, you will need to set up an account for many of them. For example, with Netflix you subscribe to their service and register this Samsung at their site.

Also, if you plan on accessing your DNLA computer, you need to set up permissions for your TV in Windows.

With this TV, Samsung makes watching 3D content a simple process since the 3D transmitter is built into the TV. All you have to do is supply the TV with a 3D signal and a message pops on the screen to put on your 3D glasses and power them on.

I'll talk more about the 3D experience in the Performance section.

For now, let's discuss calibrating the TV. In our setup process, we have added a third disc, WOW (World of Wonder) from Disney, to our usual two, the Blu-ray version of the Digital Video Essentials DVD called HD Basics and the Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray DVD.

We played the DVDs on the Samsung BD-C7900 3D Blu-ray player connected to the HDTV with an HDMI cable.

We used the test patterns to adjust black level, white level, and color bias. The player is set to output a 1080p signal, which is the native resolution of the UN40C7000.

Samsung provides four Picture Modes: Dynamic, Standard, Natural and Movie. Actually, since the Samsung Blu-ray player is connected with an HDMI cable, a fifth Picture Mode pops up, BD Wise.

You can turn on the BD Wise feature in the General Setup menu. When activated, basically, the Samsung player communicates with the Samsung TV and the manual states, "the picture mode is automatically changed to the optimal resolution."

To my eye, the result is less than optimal because it's just too bright, though not as eye searing as Dynamic mode. I suggest if you plan on applying your aesthetic will on this TV, then turn BD Wise off.

With that done, if you feel that was enough exertion for one day, then pick the Movie mode, sit back in the Barcalounger and enjoy the view on your new TV.

As I have noted before, a Samsung technical representative stated, "Movie mode is geared towards providing the most accurate image. The Warm2 color tone is calibrated to be closest to D6500, the most accurate color temp."

Indeed, after running through my setup routine, almost all of my settings mirrored the Movie's defaults.

If you decide to opt for Movie, you can jump ahead to the next section because I'm will spend the next few paragraphs geekspeaking.

If you are still with me in this discussion, then let's get some grease under the fingernails and tweak the image to your tastes.

To begin, I went into the Advanced Settings and Picture Options submenus and turned off almost everything I could find like Black Tone, Dynamic Contrast and Shadow Detail. I like to start with a clean slate.

To assist you with basic setup, (Brightness, Contrast, Color and Tint), in the Picture Menu, under Advanced Settings you will find two invaluable features, Expert Patterns and RGB Only Mode.

If you ever have tussled with the Red, Green and Blue filter card that comes in DVDs like Digital Video Essentials, then you will appreciate the RGB Only Mode. Basically, you simulate a Blue filter by turning on Blue only in this control panel.

Actually, this method of isolating Red, Green and Blue is more accurate than with a filter card because of the way that modern displays reproduce colors. Therefore use the RGB Only mode when you are feeding the TV a Color Bar test pattern.

Now, if you want to set a solid reference point, you can choose the Expert Patterns feature, which internally generates two test patterns. The first is a grayscale pattern that you can use to adjust Brightness and Contrast.

The second is a Color Bars pattern for tweaking Color and Tint. You can combine Pattern 2 with the RGB Only Mode options.

Not surprisingly, what you will find is that the Movie defaults look spot on with these patterns.

Please remember that these two patterns are generated internally. They offer a great reference point but they may not represent the output of your equipment.

For example, if you have a Blu-ray player running through an A/V receiver, you may be introducing some factors that will influence your picture. To setup for that gear, use a DVD like the two that I mentioned above and playback their test patterns. Again, you will find the RGB Mode Only feature useful in adjusting Color and Tint.

After tweaking the basics, you can go back into the Advanced Settings and Picture Options submenus and experiment with those choices. Some of the effects can be subtle, therefore play with one at a time.

Before I leave this section, we should discuss Samsung's Auto Motion Plus feature, (in the Picture Options menu), because it offers options that sometimes can dramatically alter the picture.

I have written about Auto Motion Plus in previous reviews, but Samsung has added another related feature on this TV, LED Motion Plus, (in the Advanced Settings menu).

This was a new one to me and I inquired how it differed from Auto Motion Plus.

The Samsung tech rep replied, "The two functions provide both alternative and complementary solutions to reducing motion blur. Auto Motion Plus adds new frames, with interpolated motion, between the original 60 frames.

"The additional frames help the eye see the image more clearly, thus reducing motion blur. The interpolation and higher frame rate also reduce the low-frame rate judder that is inherent in 24-frame sources (24 frames is not enough to depict smooth motion).

"Most people see this as a 'smoothing' of film sources, but some object to the alteration of the original film 'look.' The Standard mode is best for most material.

"The 'Clear' mode is best for those that don't want the smoothing on film-based sources, but do want the improvement for video-based sources. You can use the 'Custom' setting to dial in the exact amount of blur reduction (on video sources) and judder reduction (on film sources).

"LED Motion Plus (LMP) inserts a black frame between each active frame. This helps the eye adjust and recoup from each frame so that it can see the next one more clearly.

"The end result is again improved motion resolution, much like Auto Motion Plus, but without the use of interpolated frames or the 'smoothing' side effect. The downside to LMP is a slight loss in peak light output (though a comparable improvement in black level).

"You can use both functions at the same time for even greater (nearly double) improvement to motion resolution."

If you want even more detail about Auto Motion Plus, read the Setup section of my review of the Samsung LN46C650.

I must admit that I'm a bit haunted by the hot spots that I occasionally see on this Samsung UN40C7000. They were especially noticeable when watching the new 3D Blu-ray of the Christmas Carol. The problem was exacerbated because the movie is letterboxed and the dark corners made the hot spots more evident.

As I have mentioned, with content that is normally bright, I can't see any telltale artifacts of uneven light dispersal from the edge-lit LEDs. In fact, in this more typical situation, the picture quality (PQ) is quite good - almost fine enough to make me doubt that I ever saw hot spots.

The PQ when the TV was displaying 3D Blu-ray content was good, not spectacular. The image was definitely 3D, but I never felt that OMG moment.

I moved back and forth, testing if distance from the screen was a factor. I never found anything conclusive. I also have a notion that a larger sized screen might help sell the 3D effect. I know that the 3D PQ on the 52" Sony HX909 that I just reviewed was more impressive.

Occasionally on this Samsung, I did notice some minor ghosting where the right and left image didn't quite merge.

The UN40C7000 also offers a 2D to 3D conversion feature. Basically, it takes standard 2D content and creates off-center right and left images. You don the 3D glasses to watch.

The quality of the 3D is just not worth the effort. To begin, the 3Dness doesn't approach the effect when viewing true 3D content. More importantly for me, the conversion process darkens the image and skews the color way too much. I can only imagine the movie's cinematographer wincing at the result.

On the other hand, the audio performance from the pair of integrated 10W speakers is quite decent.

I even liked the SRS TheaterSound options like Music, Movie and Clear Voice. They had discernible and desirable characteristics that gave you better control over the shape of the sound.

But those tiny speakers can only produce so much oomph, especially at the lower end. Your TV will look a lot better if you add at least a soundbar with a subwoofer, if not a 5.1 or 7.1 channel audio system.

The Samsung UN40C7000's rich display of 2D content makes me forgive its occasional hot spot hiccups that are still too prevalent in edge-lit LED displays. And its 3D performance is not the in-your-face experience that you might desire. But this Samsung doesn't lack for Internet apps.