Samsung LN46A550 46 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Posted by hdtv buying guide on January 7, 2009 under LCD HDTV, Samsung | Be the First to Comment

Samsung LN46A550 46 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Experience the next generation of HD television in all its glory. Full 1080p HD resolution and 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ration offer amazing image detail and color clarity, all on a 46-inch screen. With 3 HDMI inputs, connecting to all your peripherals is a snap. Enjoy crystal-clear, lifelike HD sound, with SRS TruSurround XT. Hook up your MP3 player or digital camera via the Wiselink USB 2.0 connection; a versatile user interface lets you scroll through playlists and pictures. Its advanced HD entertainment, only from Samsung.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Just right
If you’re looking for the single best “value” in an LCD television today, there is no better choice than the LN46A550. It’s not 120Hz, but the difference is minimal when present, and given the wide variance in original picture sources that most of us view regularly, there is usually no difference at all. That’s not to say that 120Hz isn’t nice, but it isn’t worth the current 20-30% premium.

In my home this unit is placed just a few feet off the ground in a room with windows on three walls. The glare on my old CRT made tv viewing impossible for a couple of hours a day, which is why I knew I needed LCD rather than plasma. The fact is, this picture is bright, crisp and clear under any conditions.

Like others, I was concerned about ordering something like this from Amazon, where I couldn’t simply load it in an SUV and take it back if there was a problem. But, my experience with Amazon tells me that I have nothing to worry about, and the added convenience was worth it. I ordered the tv on a Saturday night. On Monday afternoon I got a call asking when the delivery truck could bring the television. They brought it Wednesday morning. (The delivery is done by a local company, and I’m guessing that they must keep a couple of extra units of “hot sellers” like this one, because they certainly didn’t have time to ship the television here). Rather than taking a chance that I’d break the TV getting it home, two guys brought it in the house, took it out of the packaging, set it on the TV stand, plugged it in and checked for power. Once they had confirmed that it was working OK, they took whatever packing materials I didn’t want and left.

I’ll never buy a TV anywhere else again, and I’m considering the 40″ model of this same line for my bedroom.

1 Star Disappointed in LNA550-failed after 2 weeks
We did a voluminous amount of research on the net and decided on the LN46a550 because of the reasonable cost, great contrast, 3 HDMI inputs, side inputs etc. We purchased it 11/17. Set up was easy and we tweaked sound and picture via suggestions from the AVS forum which I recommend checking out. It played great until tonight, 12/7. We noticed a fixed red pixel on the right center of the screen. We called Samsung ASAP and were advised it’s a dead or stuck pixel. They indicated they don’t replace the panels for a few bad pixels let alone one even if it annoyed us looking at it. It has to be a larger failure. Fortunately we were in the return/exchange period at Circuit City where we bought it. (we bought it locally instead of Amazon because they me the price at 1299 and we wanted a local rep if anything went wrong plus Amazon stopped the price guaranty if the price dropped after you bought it- Note to Amazon, bad idea to drop that). Samsungs rarely get retuned if you read the internet reviews and discussions so I assume we just got a “bad” set given it was two weeks old. Also, there is some discussion the web of the A, C or S panels being used by Samsung. I called them and they advised there is no difference. I noticed Best Buy and Circuit City had display models which when I looked on back were S panels. I got a C panel from Mexico. We went to exchange the set tonight but Circuit City was out, Best Buy was off sale etc so we decided with the manager’s suggestion and more internet research to get a roughly equivalent Sony 46v4100 Bravia. It has the same basic contrast, 4 HDMI inputs including side inputs etc. It was our alternative choice originally but was not on sale as much. We just got it home and it sent up quickly. It’s a little heavier than the Samsung, 58 lbs instead of 51 but otherwise comparable. Also we wanted a matted screen since it’s in a bright room and the SONY did not have a lot of glare in the store when we tried it. This could just be our experience but we were disappointed this Samsung failed so fast and that if we were outside the exchange period Samsung would not have done anything about one or a few bad pixels. As a consumer, a fixed red pixel in the middle of a screen is a problem when it’s a two week old set. Kudos to Circuit City for great customer service in the original sale (best buy refused to meet the price on sale at the time) and for the exchange/return and switch to the Bravia which they discounted to basically the Samsung on sale price.

3 Stars Picture: A, Sound: F, w/comparison to a Toshiba 40″ 1080p
I bought this after viewing TVs at the local big box retail store and in comparison to my Toshiba 40″ LCD 40rv525u 1080p. If I had to do it again, I would buy a 720p 40-42″ model and not a Samsung. I would also wait a little longer for more HD channels to become available.

The picture is excellent. Compared to the Toshiba 1080p, I noticed that when in HD, this TV is slightly more sharp. The Toshiba is a base 40″ 1080p compared to this mid line 46″ Samsung. Conan O’Brien’s tie had a complex pattern on it that was perfectly clear on the Samsung but slightly blurred on the Toshiba. The only con with the picture is that analog cable is unwatchable from anything closer than 10 feet. The slightest imperfections and blurriness become huge in a screen in this size. It’s like a youtube video but bigger. Since most people have digital cable or sat and get a digital signal, this is not a problem for most but even digital signals aren’t as clear as they would appear in a smaller screen. This is less the fault of the TV as it is of the screen size. You need HD signals in a screen in this size because any imperfections get blown up. Smaller TVs can make do with regular digital signals and still look good. In addition, there are only a couple of channels which are 1080i or above. The full 1080p capability of this TV will only be realized on Blueray and a few channels. I would rather get a 40-42″ 720p now for cheap and buy something else in 3 years when more content is available. At the smaller screen size you can barely tell the difference anyways.

Although the TV has P-in-P, it’s almost useless. You have to go through a number of menus to turn it on and off or change the channel. There should be a dedicated button for that.

Cons: Sound is an F. The stock speakers are almost useless. I can barely make out speech and it sounds like audio is played in a tin cup. The bottom pointing speakers are a complete fail. 2 store models at the local big box store had the same issue. Sony and Toshiba have forward pointing speakers that suck too but at least it’s usable for everyday watching. The Samsung’s speakers are not usable for everyday watching. Sometimes you get echoing between L and R for no reason, this appears to be a common problem. Changing the channel and switching back fixes it but this is not acceptable on a new TV and Samsung’s fix doesn’t appear to solve it. This applies to the signal going through the TV. I don’t use this signal since I have the audio go straight to the audio receiver. You really don’t have any other choice since sound is so bad, but if they put speakers and sound on it, they should work, at least at a basic level.

If you buy digital cables for this TV, the cheapest cables are fine. Bits of data are bits, fancy cables don’t work better as they did with analog signals.

Lastly, they could at least give you a universal learning programmable remote on a $1200+ TV.

5 Stars Awesome (but needs audio help)
Visually, you will not find anything that can touch the 550 series for the $. The image quality is simply amazing. Everything about the set is amazing actually, except for the audio. I got really sweet sound by hooking up a nice-looking set of Logitech Z-10 PC speakers to the headphone jack on the side of the set. The remote control changes the volume just like it would on the TV! And you can actually hear bass. (The opening theme of Sienfeld is a good test). The Z-10 speakers look and sound great, and the wires are just wide enough to sit on shelves adjacent to the screen. The Z-10s are out of production but you can find them on eBay. You won’t get 5.1 audio from this setup, but most will be very pleased.

4 Stars beautiful picture, ghastly sound
The Samsung replaces a Sharp Aquos that met an untimely demise from a child identified flying object. The samsung’s picture is amazing, certainly better than the Sharp. That said, the sound is terrible. Its so bad, I can’t even stand to listen to it by itself…we have to turn on the home theater. Additionally, I am not real excited about the shiny black surface of the Samsung frame. The Sharp Aquos was a much better looking tv. All in all, the Samsung’s picture and on-screen menu system is a winner in my book!

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Samsung LN40A550 40 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Posted by hdtv buying guide on January 5, 2009 under LCD HDTV, Samsung | Be the First to Comment

Samsung LN40A550 40 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Experience the next generation of HD television in all its glory The SAMSUNG LN40A550 has an incredible 30,000:1 contrast ratio that delivers the sharpest, most realistic picture quality you’ve ever seen. Full 1080p HD resolution offers amazing image detail, all on a 40-inch screen. Enjoy crystal-clear, lifelike HD sound, with SRS TruSurround XT. Want to get more entertainment out of your TV than movies and shows? With the Wiselink USB connection, you can easily and quickly hook up your MP3 player or digital camera and entertain family and friends with a photo slideshow set to music. SAMSUNG LN40A550 makes your high-definition dreams a reality. It’s advanced HD entertainment, only from Samsung.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Superb picture quality
This tv has superb picture quality with digital cable and PS3 games. The picture quality is not as good with a regular analog signal. Overall I am extremely staisfied with this tv.

5 Stars Samsung 1080p LCD 401n HDTV
The TV arrived promptly and the men unpacked it and set it up and tested it to see that it worked. I am very pleased with it so far. The glare I had with my old TV is gone or barely visible without me having to pull the drapes every afternoon. Thank you very much.

5 Stars Super value
A very recent issue of Consumer Reports cited the Samsung LN40A550 as the best HDTV in it’s size range, & went on to name it the best value in any size range. I went on-line & discovered this model was being offered by Amazon at a price significantly lower than the “value” price listed by Consumer Reports…….and, free shipping. Less than a week after ordering it from Amazon the set was delivered, and the delivery men offered free unpacking & removal of the large carton. This being my first HDTV, I did experience some difficulty hooking it up….in part, I’m sure because I tried to go ahead and do it without thoroughly reading the instructions, & in part I was connecting to a new HD receiver the cable company provided. I called Samsung tech. service, & in minutes they got me squared away, & I was watching as good,as sharp, as clear a TV picture as I’ve ever seen. Having lived through the “morphs” of TV from a tiny 9″ round black & white picture, to color, to transisters replacing troublesome vacuum tubes, & now to digital LCD display screens in amazing HD. Somehow technology will account for future advances, but as I enjoy HD programing on my new Samsung, I’m hard pressed to imagine the challenge of improving on this.

2 Stars poor sound–great picture
We are very happy with the picture but the sound quality is poor. We had to purchase a separate sound system

5 Stars Absolutely loving it
I had this Samsung LCD TV for about month now and I absolutely love it.

The quality is great. I have Verizon Fios at home and all HD Channels come out great.

The delivery was really fast too, I received in 3 days.

I will definitely recommend buying Samsung LCD TV through Amazon.com to anyone I know.

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Samsung LN32A450 32 Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Posted by hdtv buying guide on under LCD HDTV, Samsung | Be the First to Comment

Samsung LN32A450 32 Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Enjoy a theater-like experience in your own home with the 32″ LN32A450. A remarkable 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio delivers an extraordinary picture comprised of vivid colors and outstanding quality. Want to feel the action, not just see it? A 6ms response time promises smooth sailing and virtually no blurring when you’re watching movies and sports events while SRS TruSurround XT delivers a virtual surround sound experience.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Samsung 450 series – GREAT TV
After much research online for a Samsung model, I purchased the Samsung LN32A450 today at Best Buy. I had planned to buy the LN32A330 (the object of my research) but when I saw the difference in the two – I decided to get the 450. My main reasons were – the connections on the side of the tv, rather than in back, (I use wireless headphones at night when the grandchildren spend the night) and, the speakers being on the bottom, rather than on the sides of the set. My tv is in my bedroom and is set into a shelf in my closet – great way to hide it when not in use! So, the side speakers were a problem.

I am seriously considering taking back the one I bought today and re-ordering it from Amazon. I paid $699 plus $57. tax (Florida) at Best Buy. I can buy it now from Amazon for $599!!!! – FREE S&H and NO tax – a savings of $156.00. That’s well worth the effort to return it and reorder.

My son hooked this up for me but I could easily have done it myself. It’s easy to set up right out of the box and only weighs abt. 40 lbs. I’ve read some complaints about the “Surround Sound” not being of a good quality – but I can tell you – this is NOT the case. The sound is great, especially in a room like a bedroom – it sounds remarkable.

Another reason I decided to buy this model rather than the 330 model- is the 10,000:1 contrast ratio vs 8,000 on the 330. The black contrast on this set is amazing. I am having some problems adjusting the picture quality due to my particular situation. I have TIVO hooked up through DirectTV. This does NOT work well. It appears that I am going to have to lose 1 1/2 years (prepaid!!) of my Tivo service and go with a DirectTV HD receiver in order to get the quality picture this set can deliver. I’m wasting it by having it run through a Tivo receiver as there is no way to get a quality picture this way. Live and learn!!!!

The overall appearance of this set is slick and modern. Another thing, by having the speakers on the bottom – this set is not nearly as wide as the 330 model (less 3 inches) The stand is a nice size without being too large – just a very good looking set. I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to adjust the picture quality tonight – and am going to just STOP until I get the DirectTV receiver. I’m sure I won’t have a problem once that is in place.

The remote is nice enough – though not backlit, which I do prefer- it’s well organized and easy to find what you need. The Menu is simple and easy to access and is well explained, both onscreen and in the manual. Some reviewers have advised against using the “Dynamic” setting, but I found the picture too dark and difficult to adjust without using this option – this is a matter of personal taste I suppose.

I highly recommend this particular Samsung model – especially at Amazon’s price. You definitely will not be disappointed in this set – both of the Samsung models I researched rated very high with reviewers so I had no hesitation in buying the 450, even though I had not specifically researched this particular model. After purchasing it today, I searched everywhere and it cannot be found any cheaper than today’s price of $599 on Amazon- as I said, I paid $699 and plan to return it tomorrow for the $156 savings – that will buy a lot of DVD’s!!! So, buy this one with confidence and don’t hesitate to order online. Amazon has wonderful customer service and according to many, many reviewers, their delivery service for these sets is top of the line.

4 Stars Excellent quality/value – but only with Samsung screen
Pros: Excellent picture quality for the price. It handles 480i/p resolution sources very well, and HD sources even better (with cables of corresponding quality). You will have to pay quite a bit more to find a better picture.

Cons: There is no excuse for such miserable speakers on a product costing hundreds of $. You will definitely want to use external speakers, whether you connect it to your hi-fi or purchase a set of computer speakers – either way it will be an immense improvement. If the internal speakers were on par with the rest of the TV, I would give the A450 at least a 4.5 star rating.

Summary: At this size and price level (and point in time), you will not find another TV that is overall superior to the A450. Everything about it is very good to excellent (except the internal speakers). In the store, I thought maybe 32″ was a bit small, but in my 12′ x 14′ living room, I find it entirely sufficient. 37″ would also be fine, but 40″ would be overkill IMHO. I only sit 8′ from the TV and am glad I didn’t spend more for a larger screen. If you also don’t sit very far from the TV, save yourself the money for a larger screen and spend it on high quality cables. You will not be disappointed! HOWEVER, this TV only excels with the Samsung screen. Samsung is also using cheaper quality screens from two other manufactures in at least the A450 and A550 and selling them as the same model for the same price, although there is a huge difference in screen quality! Look for the S, A, or C at the beginning of the version# on the back of the panel. Only the S panels are made by Samsung. The A and C panels made by AU Optronics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics respectively are not worth the money. I can vouch for the existence of and sub-par quality of the A and C panels after a trip to a local electronics retailer. There were both A450 and A550 models with S, A, and C panels on the shelf; from A650 on up, there were only S panels in the store. The picture quality of the A450 with an S panel was clearly superior to another A450 with a C panel as well as to that of the A550 with an A panel, although the pricier model should obviously have the superior picture. The panel manufacturer is designated in two places on the back of the panel. On the side where the connections are, there is a sticker showing the model#, serial#, and version#. The first letter of the version# will be an S, A, or C, and it corresponds to an identical letter about 1/8″ tall which can be found in the middle of the panel in the top right corner of another info sticker, set apart from the rest of the text. There is no version# printed on the box, and thus no way of knowing without opening it. Some of the very best deals on Samsung LCDs may well be on TVs with A and C panels purchased wholesale from the factory at a steep discount. That is, since the A and C panels are cheaper, the factory can pass them on to middlemen at a lower price than LCDs with Samsung screens without sacrificing its profit margin. Know what the return policy is – especially if you buy online from a discount retailer! Buyer beware!

5 Stars excellent
I am very pleased with the television. Fortunately it was easy to install because the promised installation did not come with it.

3 Stars Audio Out not good
I just set up my LN32A450 and the major down side it that the Audio Out can not be controlled from the remote. Thus if you use another audio system volume and mute to not work from the remote. This is a major pain and a surprise since the Audio Out was controllable from the remote with the 12 year old tube TV that the Samsung replaced.

In addition, I rate the picture quality only good. However, I’ll give it pass for now since I only have standard cable, no digital converter box, no HDMI cables and have not tried DVDs or HD as yet.

5 Stars Beautiful Picture & Sound
I mounted this TV in our pool room/family room. The picture is great and the sound is amazing for just a TV. Highly recommend this TV.

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Toshiba 15LV505 15 6 Inch Widescreen LCD TV with Biult in DVD Black

Posted by hdtv buying guide on January 3, 2009 under LCD HDTV, Toshiba | Be the First to Comment

Toshiba 15LV505 15 6 Inch Widescreen LCD TV with Biult in DVD Black

The 15LV505 is the ideal space-saver, offering a stunning LCD HDTV with a built-in DVD player. It’s the all-in-one solution with a convenient, sleek cabinet. The built-in slot-loading DVD player, with easy-to-access operation buttons, provides a convenient all-in-one space-saving design. Built-In ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital tuning allows for tuning of standard cable channels as well as off-air digital broadcasts, in addition to digital “cable-in-the-clear” broadcasts. Official DivX Certified means it plays all versions of DivX video including DivX 6 with standard playback of DivX media files. Digital Picture Zoom Fast Scan Slow Motion Multi-Camera Angle Select Dolby Digital and DTS Compatible Bottom Mount Stereo Speakers Bass/Treble Balance Controls MP3 Playback WMA Playback Clock Closed Captioning V-Chip Parental Control System OSD Language – English/French/Spanish Channel Labeling Multi-Subtitle Select Tri-Lingual Select Unified Remote Control Inputs and Outputs – HDMI Input, ColorStream HD Component Video Input, S-Video Input, RCA Video Inputs – Rear, L-R Audio Inputs – Rear, 1 RF Input, PC Input D-Sub 15, Digital Audio Output – 1 Coaxial (DVD only), and Headphone Jack – Rear Unit Dimensions – 15.84 x 12.61 x 5.52 with stand / Weighs 7.7 lbs

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars NICE UNIT..BUT
This is a nice little unit. I find the picture very clear and the sound is not bad, considering the size of the speakers. Very light and has a very good viewing angle, better than some larger lcd’s I’ve looked at. The built in dvd player is simple and works well and the remote is very intuitive and easy to use. The only downside is you cannot mount this tv to the wall. Because of the dvd player it is not compatable with any of the the existing wall mounts. It has no mounting holes for a wall mount.

Other than that it is a great little unit for the money and works well for small spaces.

4 Stars Great HD picture quality.
I purchased this TV to replace an old rabbit eared CRT on the kitchen counter. Running new cable was the only work involved. The only problem that I have encountered with the TV itself is that I watch it too much.

As far as installing cable I suggest the following Web site: http://www.swhowto.com/index.htm

5 Stars question/comment
I wonder if the reason the channel switching was slow has something to do with it being an energy star rated item? Or maybe the batteries in the remote were demo batteries and needed to be replaced?

5 Stars Excellent TV
TV is very light weight, so easy for my wife to move from room to room. We are taking it on a road trip today to use as our portable DVD player. Picture clarity is excellent.

4 Stars Nice small screen LCD TV
If you are looking for a very small LCD TV, this is a nice product. If you have room for a 19″, by all means I would go for the larger screen. Keep in mind that, even with the abundance of digital and high def signals out there today, many channels/programs will be broadcast in 4:3 format. Since this TV is a 16:9 profile screen, a 4:3 display will appear that much smaller on this 15.6″ screen.

However, if you have a tight space, like on a kitchen counter under cabinets, this TV is perfect. It included a built in DVD player, which is a nice perk. The picture is vivid and HD display on it is excellent. At this size there is absolutely no reason to go for 1080p. For a 15.6″ screen, or even a 19″, 720p is fine.

At this screen size, Toshiba’s competition tends to be “store brands” or no-name brands. This is the lone high quality name brand TV in this class (size).

What included in the box:

* 15.6″ (measured diagonally) flat screen TV.

* Attached stand.

* Remote control.

* Power cable.

The TV comes with a QAM tuner so you can pull any unscrambled analog and digital TV signals from your cable company. The TV accepts coax and HDMI connections.

PROs:

* Vivid picture

* Fully adjustable backlight and picture format, as well as all the usuals (brightness, contrast, audio, etc.).

* Excellent sound.

* Matte finish screen reduces glare so screen is viewable in bright and low light situations.

CONs:

* Tuner is fairly slow when switching stations.

* Stand is not adjustable for different angles or height.

Overall, this is a nice TV for the price and has many of the functions you’d want. An adjustable stand would be nice but at this size its not a necessity. I’m not sure why the tuner lags as much as it does, taking approximately 2-4 seconds in between channels. If you channel-surf often, this will annoy you.

I would have rated this a 5 had it not been for the slow tuner.

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