Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
Enjoy the clarity of HD in a stunningly modern design with a unique bezel and frame to suit your decor. True 720p resolution offers amazing LCD image detail, complemented by a 10,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio for vivid colors and bold blacks. Three HDMI inputs let you connect quickly and easily to your peripherals. Call up a variety of menu options and preferences via a smart user interface. Speaking of smart, the intelligently hidden speakers ensure a sleek, clean look that fits in almost any surroundings. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two speakers playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels Stereo broadcast reception, (MTS & SAP) with 181-channel capacity. Hidden bottom speakers with 10 Watts x 2 audio power SRS TruSurround XT - TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by the parent to contain objectionable content Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French HDMI-CEC allows peripheral devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by TV remote control Auto wall mount compatible Channel coverage - VHF 2-13, UHF 14-69, and CATV 1-125 (up to 181 pre-selected channels) Antenna - CATV/VHF/UFH 75-ohm, F-type Connections - 3 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface (2 rear, 1 side), 2 Rear Component (Y/Pb/Pr), Rear RF Input, Side S-video input, Composite AV (Rear, Side), Side Headphone, Rear PC D-sub, Rear optical sound out, Rear RS232, and Side HDMI-CEC Dimensions - Width 31.5 x Height 20.7 x Depth 3.7 / 31.5 x 22.7 x 9.9 with stand Weight - 24.0 pounds / 28.9 pounds with stand
Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Accessories
 Cables To Go - 40315 - 2M (6.5ft) Velocity HDMI Digital Video Cable (Blue)
HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet)
Samsung DVD-1080P8 1080p Upconverting DVD Player
Peerless Articulating LCD Wall Arm for 22 inch to 40 inch LCD Screens - Black (SA740P)
Peerless Universal Wall Mount for 23"-46" Flat Panels
Sony DVP-NS700H/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player, Black
Playstation 3 40GB
3 Yr Samsung Ecommerce LCD (flat panel only) ($600-$999), DOP
Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
Peerless ST650P Tilting Wall Mount for 32" to 50" Flat Panel Displays (Black)
Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Reviews
I also have the 32" Phillips LCD that I bought for about the same price as the Samsung but the brightness of the Samsung is far better than the Phillips. The Samsung has several video connection options. Very fast delivery. The image is super and settings give you every option you could desire for personalized settings. Both brands have their own pro and cons in comparison but nothing terrible about either one. The setup was easy, auto program of both analog and digital channels (on the same antenna - yes, I am using over the air reception). Amazon service was great.
It is a perfect size for the bedroom or small den. Picture is exceptional, no problems. TV has a great picture, it was everything the manufacturer promised. The delivery was good, quicker than expected and convenient.
Don't just watch the video. I currently have my Wii, Insight 3.2 HD,& a older Panasonic DVD mini system connected to this set, besides the insight DVR the max I'm getting is 480p in 16:9, which truthfully looks pretty good through this set. I'm very happy with this set and the channels that I get in HD look great. I'm not going to write a big long review for this HDTV because its all been done. I do think that reading the CNET review can help answer a lot of questions you may not find answers to on this set. Although since most stations still don't broadcast in HD you will catch yourself watching a lot of sd programs in 4:3 which also looks great, but shrinks the overall picture size to around 27" on this set.I would take this into consideration when buying this set. I do plan on getting a upconverting dvd player and will update my review once that happens.
We were very surprised with the ease of setting the Samsung up and the picture quality is fantastic. We live in a rural area and don't have cable or satalite so we were a little skeptical of the kind of picture quality we would get. The remote is sleek and easy to read. We bought this one for our bedroom and when we get ready to replace our living room televison we will definately buy Samsung.
Don't know if it's being up converted by the TV or not and I am running the component cable w/ the deck set at 480P (progressive scan) and widescreen and I do think it helps to have the DVD player output progressive scan whenever possible and when sources are clean and crisp, it really shows up nicely. First of all, I ordered the Samsung via the white glove service here on Amazon and have to say that I had a very good experience with CEVA, their shipping contractor. Overall, I'm very pleased with this set for its ease of use and setup and for its superb image quality and for it's breadth of features for the price. Setting it up is really simple. One thing to note, in the information pane at the upper left when you call it up, all DVD sources are shown as 720x480. I'd been eyeing LCD TV's for several months now once we knew of the tax rebates.
VHS is VHS and no matter what, it'll always look so, so though it might be a touch crisper with this set. Overall, it's a fairly intuitive set to figure out and when I was researching sets, I had gone into Circuit City to check Samsung and other brands out to see how they work, how I liked the menu system, the feature sets Vs price, image quality etc and further research revealed that the Samsungs have had a very good reliability history, second only to the Panasonic and from further research and reviews lead me to note it's image quality and my tryouts in the store were no different, true, the store is not the best place to do this, but it can give you an idea of what you are getting though. "Tales of the City" is one good example of this, shot to film, but for TV in the early 1990's so it's all SD material and even on the old TV, I could detect the grainy film, especially in dark interior or night scenes. However, this set does exacerbate the grainy tendency of some films shot on grainy film stock and there really isn't much you can do, but to try and minimize it some so it's not so obvious. When viewing HD sources, you can REALLY see the details like the imperfections of an actor's skin for example, or the texture of an insect shot in macro mode on a nature program, just stunning. I bought this Samsung LN32A450 32" TV about 2 weeks ago or a bit more after some researching of several sets.
CRT's will dim over time due to age and the guns inside getting weaker from use. The next thing I noticed was how easy it is to setup to accept channels, adjust audio and video without really having to consult the manual first. The Mitsubishi had issues with discolorations in 2 corners and the remote sensor I think had stopped working for even a universal remote eventually got to where it would not work with it at all. Navy blue, black, dark brown, charcoal all look the same so some tweaking is necessary to render those colors enough to tell what they actually are and in some cases, I could not discern the lapels of a dark suit and barely could see a button of the suit jacket, tweaked, the suit was actually dark gray. And it's this deep, deep blacks are what allow the colors to just pop but without being garish.
Otherwise, in brightly lit scenes, details become more apparent than ever before with the Samsung. When you open the box, you first of all have to lay it down to do so, right side up to unpack it and the first thing you will notice is the bottom side of the base, carefully lift it out and turn it right side up onto the surface you are placing the set onto (that's assuming you won't be hanging it), in one of the Styrofoam packing ends, you will see a black plastic collar, that goes onto the neck of the stand - and only in one direction, snap it into place, there is a bag with screws, 2 kinds and a mount. Ultimately, it came down to the Samsung 3 series or the 4 series and ultimately, I chose the 4 series over the 3 for it had the extra connectors on the side of the set, the 3 does not, I liked it's overall trim profile w/ the speakers mounted on the bottom, facing down, rather than on the sides, facing forward. That is a testament to how good Samsung has got the blacks on this set, perhaps a bit too good IMO. The first thing I noticed upon firing the set up is that it's much brighter than my old set ever could be in large part due to it's age. Also, if this set were to become a secondary set where the built in speakers may be needed, the 4 series was a bit clearer despite not being as loud as the 3 series due in large part to the speaker's placement. So, the time had come to do something about it and that's where the Samsung comes in.
Avoid the dynamic setting; it WILL render your image in a garish manner color wise, but your blacks will look great. I was replacing an old Mitsubishi 26" CRT TV that was purchased new in 1986, making it 22 years old that I got from family friends a bit over 4 years ago to put in the living room for it was larger than my Toshiba 20" set I bought new in 1996. One thing I would suggest is get a calibration DVD and set the set up that way for I think you may get a much better color and etc for YOUR viewing situation, rather than the presets Samsung gives you and they can be used as a reference, but with the wide choice of settings available for adjusting your picture manually, why not take advantage of that and this set does offer the blue only setting, which is necessary when using color bars on a calibration disc and that will ensure color accuracy amongst other things. Overall, I really love this set for it renders details like nothing I've had before, dust from the cells during original production in a fully restored Looney Tunes cartoon now really show up and I've noted it quite well on the old set so consider it a part and parcel of the cartoons themselves. Currently, the set gets it's material from a non up converting SD Panasonic DVD recorder and a VCR connected to it (for dubbing primarily to DVD) and over the air digital broadcasts. Plug in the power cord and your a/v cables and antenna/cable/satellite and voila, you are ready to go. May well get a digital tuner box for it soon, but definitely in time for the changeover next Feb. For programs originally shot on video tape will often look reasonably good, given the condition/quality of the original source and of course, its age.
The older the material, the less the lines of resolution in general so bear that in mind, but overall, from what I've been able to see, it fairs quite well overall even though the set can render more than what the source can provide so one will see the flaws, such as they are where they exist. Now I realize that not all movies are meant to have a crisp clear look so I do take that into consideration when viewing material. Well restored cartoons really do look fantastic on this set. If there is one potential con, and that is the blacks, out of the box are too deep, so much so that you get no details at all. The remote for this set isn't the most fancy for it isn't universal, nor back lit, but is very nicely designed and comfortable to hold and to use.
Notice on the bottom a rectangular opening, that's to slip over the mount, carefully place the TV on that mount and use the 4 blunt end screws, also provided to secure it and the set is assembled. The set came on time, (well, it actually arrived 15 minutes later than they said they'd be here, but in my mind, close enough) and in good condition and works very well with little to no pixel defects that I've noticed. Slip the mount into the base per instructions and use 3 pointed screws, provided to secure it, then remove the rest of the parts, that includes the instruction manual, the remote and all that and remove the top parts of the Styrofoam packing and then carefully lift out the main unit and carefully take it out of it's bag. Just for the record, I still have my 20" set as it's been the bedroom set the past 4 years and is still very much fine. Plus, the 4 series had a plethora of connections, both composite, component and digital DVI/HDMI and has a USB service port, geared strictly for updating firmware when necessary by downloading the updates to a thumb drive, along with the optical audio for home theater.
My analog channels don't come in well at all, in fact, are virtually unusable (and have never been that great to begin with) and I am amazed at the quality of the image on this set, the colors are brighter, livelier, SD images tend to be clearer when the source is very clean, be it over the air or DVD.
|
