In a home theater, screen size is almost everything, and picture quality is right there with it. With the HL-S6186W, a recent entry in the HDTV fray, Samsung gets both right. This new model produces bright, crisp images on one of the biggest viewing screens available -- 61 inches (diagonal).

Look and Feel

It is amazing how much bigger a 61-inch screen appears compared to even a 56-inch model. The HL-S6186W sports a slim, new, black-and-silver bezel design. It measures 55.3 x 38.6 x 17.6 inches and weighs 79.4 pounds.

The large frame means that this monolith will not hug the wall. Count on placing it in a room where there is plenty of depth, as you're going to need some real estate to take in a picture this big.

Features

Samsung included some impressive big-ticket features in the HL-S6186W. The most significant is a twin-tuner circuitry. There is an analog NTSC tuner and an integrated ATSC tuner that handles high-definition signals from several sources. These twin tuners let you watch a split screen and even freeze one half while you continue watching the other.

This TV has internal twin 10-watt stereo speakers that are capable of simulating surround sound. The audio system features BBE sound and Virtual Dolby Surround Sound (DSS).

We especially loved the automatic volume control, which reduces the jarring blast of commercials to regular program levels.

Other features include a CableCard interface, which lets you plug in your cable line directly to the TV without a set-top box; channel and video input labeling; a low-noise amplifier to improve reception on weak stations; a signal-strength meter for use when tuning in digital channels; and a Game Mode, developed with Microsoft , that tweaks the image quality and sound of video games to provide an optimal experience.

We were particularly impressed with all of the inputs that make this huge TV much more functional than other models. The array includes three audio/video and two S-Video inputs, two component video inputs, two HDMI interfaces, one PC input with audio, two Firewire interfaces, one AnyNet mini jack for use with other Samsung components, two RF inputs, and an optical digital-audio output. (continued...)

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