In a month’s time, the new Samsung 40-in LCD TV will be making its way onto store shelves and consumers’ homes. It’s no ordinary LCD TV; it’s got LED backlights instead of a fluorescent bulb. Thus, expect richer and more vibrant pictures and longer bulb life from the all new Samsung 40-inch LCD TV. Sources say that the panels for the LED-backlit Samsung 40-inchers are sourced from S-LCD, a joint venture of Sony Corporation and Samsung Electronics. This latest Samsung TV is intended for the European market and will be sold at $3,000.

At $3,000, the Samsung 40-inch LCD TV with LED backlighting is already affordable, especially when compared to Sony’s $9629-worth 46-inch and the $7,334-worth 40-inch LED-backlit LCD TVs launched two years ago. Although first to launch LED-backlit LCD TVs, Sony was not able to reach its targeted sales due to the products’ high price and also due to the underdeveloped LED backlighting technology. NEC-Mitsubishi has also introduced 21.3-inchers with LED backlighting before but they were also very expensive and somewhat weird to consumers at that time. Well, it’s 2006 now; perhaps Samsung is ready to break new grounds in LED backlighting technology this time with the upcoming Samsung 40-in LCD TV.