In case you can't believe the amazing 500,000:1 contrast ratio, here it is on Samsung's website:

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/spec.do?group=televisions&type=televisions&subtype=lcdtv&model_cd=LNT4681FX/XAA&fullspec=F

Seems people just don't understand LED backlighting technology. Yes it's new, in fact the Samsung is the first and only brand available in Canada, I didnt expect to see them til next xmas.

The matrix of LED's in the backlight panel are individually brightened or dimmed (or turned off) to suit the image. The contrast ratio is amazing. This is far superior to previous backlight dimming methods where backlight brightness could only be controlled in relatively large zones of the screen, where the dimmed backlights could not be turned completely off.

I intended on buying a 46" Sony Bravia today, but after seeing the Samsung and looking at everything else at BestBuy, I bought the Samsung. Being able to turn off the LED's gives it a contrast ratio of 500,000:1 ... as listed in the store, but the number didn't matter, the blacks on all the other TV's were distinctly grey in comparison, even when standing a few TV's down the line, comparing other brands while looking back at an angle to the Samsung.

The black band above and below a wide format movie was indistinguishable from the black of the frame, while the same band was clearly glowing on all the other TV's.

To say this TV can't produce accurate shadows or blacks is to expose your total ignorance. Go see for yourself, then come back and apologize for embarassing yourself here.

What is really shocking is that no one talked about the huge archeological resource that has been lost under the new resevoir. There were great neolithic, pre-bronze age societies that predated China by thousands of years that the Chinese government has been trying to hide for no good reason.

Ok, now, speaking as a geologist myself, geologists study rocks not ecology ... so if you really did talk to 10 geologists, and 9 of them were against the dam because of ecological concerns ... then you got a lot of meaningless opinions. Ask an ecologist about ecology, not a geologist.

How will the dam cause deep scarring? what is being scarred? There is no scarring going on. If anything its the reverse, there will be a buildup of sediments behind the dam.

The river will not be permanently altered. In 100 years, you could blow up the dam and the river will immediately establish it's old route that it followed for thousands of years. Then huge areas of fertile soil will be exposed as the resevoir drains, exposing all the sediments that the dam held back.

If China attacks Taiwan one day ... then China will get what they deserve if Taiwan, or the USA retaliates by blowing up the dam ... If it is a war between two nations, then it is not terrorism, it is just a war. But, because the USA has vowed to prevent China from taking over China, China will never have the guts to attack Taiwan.

What makes you think Shanghai needs sediment? Did anyone ask them? I bet they will like not being flooded every year!

What about the great benefits of the dam? ... the huge amount of greenhouse gases that won't be added to the atmosphere because of the coal not burned? You can't be an ecologist and not be happy about all that coal that won't be burned because of the dam.

And finally ... WHO CARES! ... China has done so many horrible things to their people, but the people have not risen up and replaced their evil broken government.

If the Chinese people are so willing to be pathetic victims of their own government's actions, then they deserve all the horrible troubles their government gives them.