Sep
25

Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

The SAMSUNG LN46A550 has full 1080p HD resolution and an astounding 30,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio for the sharpest, most realistic picture quality ever, all on a 46-inch screen. And if you want to watch sports events and action-packed movies like never before, a fast 5 ms response rate produces smooth-motion scenes. This TV turns your high-definition dreams into a definite, crystal-clear reality.

2 Composite (AV) inputs 3 HDMI inputs PC input (D-sub) S-Video input Headphone output RF antenna inputs View - 178 x 178 degrees DNIe (Digital Natural Image Engine) - Samsung’s innovative DNIe technology delivers a crisp, lifelike picture that is closer to film. (Both analog/digital) SRS TruSurround XT - produces virtual surround sound with the left and right speakers Amplifier watts per channel - 10 Watts x 2 Built-in digital tuner - ATSC / Clear QAM Picture-in-Picture mode Wide color enhancer optimizes a color’s hue resulting in more natural colors Bottom speakers Sound leveler Hook up your MP3 player or digital camera via the Wiselink USB 2.0 connection HDMI-CEC allows peripheral devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by TV remote control Auto wall mount compatible 3-dimensional operation via TV’s control; no external IR receiver required Stereo broadcast reception (MTS & SAP) with 181-channel capacity V-Chip system for parental control Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French Variable sleep timer to turn the TV off in varying time intervals Includes Swivel stand TV dimensions without stand - 44.4 x 27.6 x 3.9 TV dimensions without stand weight - 51.4 lbs TV dimensions with stand - 44.4 x 30.2 x 11.0; TV dimensions with stand weight - 60.8lbs Black finish.

Review

Well, here’s my review of the Samsung LN46A550P 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

A little over a year ago I bought a Samsung 214T-21.3″ monitor for my big computer.

I’ve been extremely happy with its performance and quality. So much so, I decided on a Samsung monitor for my movie watching experience.

I bought the LN46A550P to replace a 20 year old 50″ Mitsubishi. The 50″ TV was excellent in its day but it was old and had some issues. Obviously, it was time for retirement.

After doing a week and a half’s worth of research I decided on the Series 5 for four main reasons:

1) 30,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio - The higher, the better picture quality.
2) 5ms Response Time - The amount of time any given pixel on the screen takes to change from one color to another. For game playing this is a must.
3) Appearance - it is a handsome looking piece of furniture!
4) Price

The day the monitor arrived I took the lid off the shipping container and felt that the monitor was cool to the touch. After all, it spent about 10 days in a cold truck and 3 more days in a warehouse before it was delivered to my home. Because of that, I opted to unpack the monitor and let it sit in my living room for a day or so before plugging it in.

I live in a mobile home that has a moderately sized living room. If I had purchased a bigger set, I’d be too close to the action. It would be like being too close to the screen in a movie theatre. (not good)

For optimum viewing it is best to place the monitor at the same height as your head if you were sitting in your favorite chair about 6 to 8 feet away. I’ve seen pictures of this monitor mounted on a wall much higher up and further away from the viewing perspective and wondered if the people watching a movie would get a sore neck. Having such a setup reduces the movie watching experience as well.

The monitor’s subsystems are accessed through a Microsoft Windows-like menu making it easy for anybody to access its features.

I do recommend disabling the monitor’s speakers within the monitor’s menu system.
The monitor’s speakers are fine for average viewing but fall short in providing booming sound for movies.

I have my monitor connected to an amplifier. This is done by connecting cables from the left and right audio channel output jacks behind the monitor to the amplifier’s audio input jacks.

My Nintendo Wii is connected to my monitor via a Component cable for maximum video clarity. The Wii’s audio cables are also plugged into the monitor and the sound the Wii makes is routed through the monitor’s electronics to the amplifier. I included this information in my review for all you gamers.

In studying the manuals you will notice right away that the quick setup guide warns that if you experience any difficulties with the monitor NOT TO SEND IT BACK TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE. Instead, it instructs you to call SAMSUNG. Samsung offers in-home service for monitors larger than 30 inches during the warranty period.

In the near future I plan to purchase a Sony Blue Ray player (BDPS300). It is a second generation BD player that steps DVD movies up to 1080p.

Performance:
So far so good. It’s important to note that I currently do not have any HD input-just the standard cable signal and Wii via composite cables. Of course the picture quality is OK at best, but I am hardly complaining as I have faith in the set. Because this set is new (mine was assembled on March 31st and arrived to my house 10 days later), there aren’t many extensive reviews online yet. Usually, the Sony sets lead the pack in comparison reviews, but they usually cost [$...] more than the runner-up. To my eyes, the Sony tends to display more details and Samsung does a better job delivering vibrant color and contrast. One might look slight better than the other, depends on your preferences, when they are next to each other. But either one would look fantastic just by itself.

Interface:
The menu is pretty easy to navigate through, and options are where you’d expect. However, because there’s no dedicated PIP button, it was a little difficult to activate that. You’d have to either go through Menu or press the Tool button on the remote, then go down the menu and activate that feature. Also, I am not the biggest fan of the remote. It has back-lit feature, but in order to have all the buttons lit-up, Samsung gives us big soft rubbery buttons. Some of these buttons can get stuck if you press hard, and I am yet to use the back-lit feature cuz I usually have a light on in the room. The IR sensor can also be improved. It is located at the bottom right corner of the frame. My room isn’t huge, so sometimes I am a little “too close” to the TV, and the remote wouldn’t work because it is not aiming straight at the sensor. If the sensor was in the middle of frame, it’d probably work better. The aforementioned “imperfections” are definitely not deal-breakers.

Care and Maintenance:

ALWAYS use a micro fiber clothe to clean an LCD display to avoid scratching its surface. Samsung includes a micro fiber clothe with the monitor but no cleaning solution. You will need some good cleaner, like; “Monster ScreenClean LCD Display Cleaner 2 Bottle Screen Clean Mini Package (MPC CLNKIT-SM)” found here on Amazon.com.

I use that cleaner to keep my computer LCD monitors clean. It leaves no dirt or dust behind after cleaning.

I gave this monitor 5 out of 5 stars with only one recommendation for Samsung; keep the audio output jacks in the back of the monitor but remove the built-in speakers. People who buy such a monitor have amplifiers and movies in mind.

One Special Note:

On the shipping container you will see a liquid-filled sticker in the shape of a pyramid that says, “Tip & Tell”. If the tip of the pyramid is blue it means the monitor was tipped over during shipping. In that case, make sure the delivery company makes note of it on the delivery invoice!!! My monitor was tipped but I saw no damage to the container at all. My monitor has no visible damage either and works perfectly. Makes me wonder what happen? Either way, I’m cover under warranty!