Nevermind all the talk of the end of standard television in the next few years as analog signals cease in lieu of digital goodness; if you're a gamer chances are the high-definition era looms much larger as the next generation of gaming begins, led by the HD-standard Xbox 360. For the first time ever, gaming is getting a format change, and with Microsoft and Sony aggressively pushing high-def content, today is as good as any day to hop aboard the HD train; and if you're a non-gamer just looking to get set up for the future, it's also a fine time since the price is now right. But what do you pick, with so many technologies out there. Personally, I took the semi-traditional route, with this Samsung SlimFit HDTV, model number TXR3079. Unwilling to break the bank, I grabbed this television for many reasons – the unique design, more traditional technology, the support of 720p, the widescreen display, support of every major input type, and most importantly, the price; just $850 at Best Buy, the perfect amount for an entry-level set, especially one this full of features.

What is SlimFit?
For the most part, when you look at the major HDTV technology, it usually centers around LCD, Plasma, and DLP style sets. However, pound for pound CRT (or in layman's terms, a traditional tube television) still gets the job done with impressive quality, since it can do certain things that those 'other' technologies can't right now and arguably can produce the sharpest picture. The major reason why CRT is losing ground to these other techs also deals with pounds – CRT HDTV's are heavy and usually pretty bulky. SlimFit televisions are CRT-based, but are different enough to trick many into thinking you have one of those fancier models if you have it in the right setup. While not ultra-thin, the SlimFit is the thinnest 30 inch CRT you'll see, just a little bit over a foot in depth. However it still packs a weight punch, at over 100 pounds, though it does weigh a bit less than more traditional HD CRT models. Even though it's slimmer and a bit trimmer, it still manages to deliver the kind of high-definition picture you'd expect. It is a bit wider than your normal 30 inch widescreen, but it's worth it due to the larger, BBE enabled speakers.

The Feature Set
For such a budget-priced TV, this one is fully packed with features that make this feel like a legitimate high-end set. First off, the TV is fully loaded with connections; there's 4 composite inputs, 2 S-Video inputs (one on rear, one on side), 2 Component/HD inputs, and one HDMI input, which can be used for those upconverting DVD players to make standard DVD videos run in high-def, and in the future, Sony's Blu-Ray behemoth the PlayStation 3. Most CRT's are native 1080i, and can't run 720p, but Samsung outfitted this one with such a capability, though I have a sneaking hunch it just accepts the signal and upconverts to 1080i. However I could be wrong; that's not really my forte. It really doesn't matter when you're flying around corners in Project Gotham Racing 3 whether it's progressive or interlaced, it looks good.

Most importantly for many, this TV is not merely HD ready, it's got a built-in HD tuner for getting over-the-air signals. You need a HDTV antenna (yes, that's right, we've regressed back to the rabbit ears days!), which are readily available at Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc. It won't give you the same amount of channels as cable or satellite may offer, but it's enough to pick up HD telecasts on basic channels, which is where most of the HD action is anyway, unless you're an ESPN die-hard. It would come in handy for those looking to really enjoy the Super Bowl on February 5th, that's for sure. I haven't yet gotten around to picking up an HD antenna...I'll update the review accordingly once and if I do. This is for gaming, after all, so television is not my highest priority. Oh, and you get a remote with batteries. And a manual (which covers two models, always fun). I bet you're relieved to hear that.

Performance: Gaming
As I got this for gaming purposes more than television, this review kind of skews towards that right about now. Right after picking up the TV, it was time to grab some component cables, so I picked up one for my PS2, and one for my Xbox (after much searching, apparently Microsoft stopped making Xbox HD packs). The Cube ones are only available online, and it's a miracle as it is that they sell them seeing their stance on the future. As the Xbox supports 480p out of the box, and will run 720 and 1080 as well with supported games, everything runs in near-HD quality at all times once you're set up. After spending time adjusting the picture settings a bit, it was like a whole new world out there – Halo looked fantastic, and games that looked dull even in S-Video suddenly were beautiful and vivid.

On the other hand, due to the older technology, the PlayStation 2 doesn't support anything above standard definition out of the box; games must enable it themselves. This creates a bit of a problem. While progressive scan enabled games like Burnout Revenge, Resident Evil 4, and Shadow of the Colossus are just gorgeous, if it doesn't run in progressive, it tends to look terrible even with adjustment. Dragon Quest VIII looks a bit washed out, very jaggy, and has that 'British television' look to it (surprisingly, the demo of Final Fantasy XII doesn't look bad at all, but I hope the final version supports 480p). A game like Need for Speed Underground 2 does the same thing, but it looks even worse in the night setting. Even when going back to S-Video, it appears a bit washed out, though the picture is sharper. However I'll take the rare progressive scan game over playing in S-Video.

However that stopped mattering when the big kahuna arrived. Better known as the Xbox 360, with all its fancy HD-enabled options (I had been holding off on reviewing this TV until the 360 showed up). At first, I was very impressed to see clean, colorful graphics displayed on my TV, albeit a bit washed out in places, but not as bad as those PlayStation 2 games, but yet not as impressive as those Xbox games. And that was before I realized I was an idiot for accidentally moving the little switch on the HD cables to TV rather than HDTV. So after kicking myself in the head a few times for being dumb, I booted up again, set the resolution to 720p...and good lord, the picture is absolutely fantastic – silky smooth, sharp, and colorful, with no issues thanks to the great television. Out of boredom I hooked my 360 and the thermal detonator known as the power supply into an older TV to see the difference...it's truly night and day. Alas, while this is probably the fault of the emulation, backwards compatible Xbox games are kinda poopy, which is disappointing since such a big deal was made about 720p upconverting and all that. I popped in Forza (one of the few BC games for Xbox in my collection, since I don't own classics like Catwoman and Kabuki Warriors) and the picture in-game was blurry and unimpressive.

On all accounts, the sound output of the TV is far superior to what I had previously, whether it's PS2, Xbox, or Xbox 360. I don't have a fancy surround or Dolby setup, so upgrading to this TV really does feel like an upgrade. Using BBE tech, the set can really pump out some quality audio, and it sounds far more balanced than my Sony 32 incher – voice matches with music, and DVD movies are shown in a way where I don't have to constantly adjust the volume for voice and sound effects, something that's plagued the last two standard televisions I've owned. There's even stuff I haven't even heard before in the games I've played dozens of times. The added width of the TV is more than made up for in audio quality, though one day I hope to add a surround setup to my game room for the maximum experience.

Performance: Television
As mentioned before, I don't have an HD antenna or HD tuner, so all there is to show is regular old TV. After the auto channel finder picked up all the signals from my cable network, I was left with a decent, servicable, but not outright great picture. It isn't quite as good as even the picture from my old 32 inch Sony, but that's mostly due to the technology of the TV – HD sets are designed to show HD content, after all, which is probably why my non-progressive scan games look so funky. Mind you though; the picture is watchable and still pretty good. It gets the job done until you go the HD route. Once I do pick up an HDTV receiver or antenna this will get an update...hopefully. Like the games, the sound output is really well balanced and bold, and designed in a way where it can't be heard on the other end of the house unless you crank it up. That's opposite of my old gaming TV which I could hear from the kitchen.

Flaws and Stuff
Alas this SlimFit TV is not perfect. It's not a big deal but each little corner of the TV is somewhat blurry, a side effect of the SlimFit technology. It's only really easy to notice if you have a completely white picture; otherwise you may not notice unless you're super-anal. I had one small scare where the corners turned purple, but turning off the TV and then letting it rest a bit fixed it and a week later the problem hasn't resurfaced. I blame Top Spin since that was the game playing at the time. The other thing that bothers me is how the remote handles all the connections. Pressing the common 'source' button lets you get the 4 composite and 2 S-Video connections, but if you want to access the component and HDMI options, there's a whole separate button for that. I see the idea of splitting the standard and HD inputs, but it's a bit weird. Of course you can also go into the on-screen menu and select the input you want, which is how I got to my component inputs until discovering the other source button. Other than this, there's little to complain about with this television, especially since I got it for less than a thousand dollars.

The Last Paragraph
This is my first HDTV so there's always that innocent, virgin-like ZOMG best evar!! bias going on possibly, but seriously, the Samsung SlimFit HDTV is a great little television for a price that most people can pay without feeling guilty. As an entry-level set, it packs a punch, with fully-loaded features, great audio, and most importantly - a sharp picture. As a gaming television, it's more suited to the Xbox, Xbox 360 (most especially the 360, since games are native 720p, and of course Samsung and Microsoft are bed buddies too, just play Perfect Dark Zero), and PS3, but if you don't mind dealing with some hassles with standard definition games, you can play PS2 and Cube games, with that occasional progressive scan title to make you feel like the TV was worth the dough. As for television, it's sure to offer a great HD picture, but if you're still using basic standard cable TV, it will do you good as well. Even though it's inexpensive and using an aging technology, the SlimFit 30 inch actually feels like it's a bit ahead of the curve (the only thing missing is 1080p, but then few TV's support that unless they're very expensive) and ready for the future of television and gaming alike.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 850