Samsung's 2011 TV lineup: Smart TV, Smart Hub, apps market

Consumer Reports News: March 22, 2011 12:15 PM

The majority of Samsung's 2011 TV introductions were 3D models (see our related post for details on those TVs), but many of its non-3D sets are loaded with new features. These include the company's new Smart TV Internet platform, which uses a new Smart Hub interface that make searching for content easier. But only the 3D models, which were previewed at CES, feature a new "One "design that uses an ultra-thin bezel to create an "edgeless" appearance.

Samsung says that most of its TVs with screens 40 inches and larger (including the D6300- and D6000- series models) will include Smart Hub, which has a Search All feature that lets you search for content--movies, TV shows and videos--whether they're on the Web or located on a connected DNLA device in the home.

Several of the TVs (including the non-3D D6300-series LCD sets) also have a full Web browser and the Samung Apps marketplace, where you can access both free and paid apps across a variety of categories, including entertainment, sports, and social networking. Another feature, called Your Video, makes viewing recommendations based on your viewing history.

Here's the non-3D LCD TV lineup:

55-inch UN55D6300, $2,300, available this month
46-inch UN46D6300, $1,500, available this month
40-inch UN40D6300, $1,200, available this month
55-inch UN55D6000, $2,100, available now
46-inch UN46D6000, $1,300, available now
40-inch UN40D6000, $1,100 available now
32-inch UN32D6000, $900, available now
40-inch UN40D5500, $900, available this month
32-inch UN32D5500, $700, available this month
22-inch UN22D5010, $300, available this month
22-inch UN22D5000, $300, available this month
32-inch UN32D4000, $530, available this month
19-inch UN19D4000, $250, available this month

Plasma TVs
Samsung's 2011 plasma lineup is heavily weighted toward 3D; only one of the six new plasma lines doesn't have 3D capability. (See our post on Samsung's 3D TV lineup for info on the other models.) The D450 series are entry-level 720p plasma TVs available in new 43- and 51-inch screen sizes, which are enabled by an ultra-narrow bezel design that squeezes an extra inch of screen size without increasing the overall dimensions of the set. Not surprisingly, this series doesn't include any step-up features, including either Smart TV or Smart Hub.

Here are the two new D450 series plasma TVs: