Samsung LN32D550 REVIEWS # BEST PRICE

Samsung LN32D550 First HDTV and not disappointed.
I have been considering my first HDTV purchase for quite a while now. Our old set finally had to be put to rest. I was looking for a set under $500 dollars, but I didn't want to skimp on picture quality. This Samsung set delivers big time.
We don't have much use for internet connectivity and all those bells and whistles. We watch DVDs, play some Wii and XBOX, and have a few shows we like to watch regularly. So far the set performs above expectations. The picture is crisp, blacks seems reasonably dark, no ghosting in our first week of use.

If aspects of this review need to change with our continued experience I will come back and edit it. At the moment, though, we couldn't be happier with our purchase.

**Shipping note, unrelated to product review: the FedEx delivery person knocked on my door and left immediately. I live in a fairly big apartment complex and it seems like the antithesis of common sense to leave a television (in it's factory box no less) sitting outside in plain sight, etc. By the time I got to the door, the delivery person was already back at the van.
So, just be aware that even if there is a signature requirement for items over $xxx.xx, it may not be followed. If you're not sure you will be home at the time of delivery and you don't feel like the set will be safe outside your door, you should choose to have the company hold it at their facility if that's available (FedEx offered this service, but I declined because I was going to be home).

Samsung LN32D550 Very good TV, excellent as a monitor!
About time. Here is a TV for 2011. It is a wonderful TV for a bedroom or other similar space, and it is an excellent monitor for a PC with a good video card, one with DVI or HDMI out. Colors are very accurate (photography is a serious hobby for my wife and me).

As a TV, the hi-def channels look fantastic, what you would expect from a quality set. Rich colors and excellent contrast. Standard-def is upscaled very well; Turner Classics looks particularly good on this size set.

Mine came with a light to moderate matte screen, not a glossy screen. The matte effect is very good during daylight hours in my office, while "glossy" photos still look sharp and rich. I think the screen coatings have improved on most TV's the past couple of years, and this TV is a good example.

I've got it on my desk, and the size feels just right. I can have browser windows open that are the size of my old monitor, and in the corner still have a nice sized Windows Media Center with live TV going. And I can set those browser windows at 100% (instead of 125 - 150%) and still read comfortably!

(I remember the days when we would laugh at people who talked about getting a 17" monitor, and if somebody wanted 19", they were nuts!)

The stand is sturdy, and I like the solid black (instead of the clear stand some are shipping with). The stand was easier to put together than on another brand that didn't work out as a monitor.

Playing video games is about as immersive as it can get. I see no lag at all. This is functioning exactly as a monitor.

Sound is rich and clear; I was able to take the clunky old PC speakers off my desk. In fact, I have to keep the volume down now, or my wife, who is studying in the next room, gets distracted. The sound is a major factor in my satisfaction with this! I like all kinds of music, but this is especially good with ballads, swing, classical, and jazz. (Another good reason to have this in a bedroom!) Older rock without earthquake bass sounds good too!

I agree 100% with JA Adams Mullins, another reviewer of this item, who says this is basically a smaller version of the fantastic A650 series, but with 60Hz instead of 120Hz. As a monitor, as a movie screen for DVD's, and as a TV, this is fantastic. Yes, I have a 120Hz A650 in my living room, but I have found that the cable company and cable networks are compressing the source material so much that the 120Hz doesn't seem to come into play (and I still haven't upgraded to Blu-Ray). Also, you can find reasonable opinions that suggest 60Hz is still best for PC games and apps, so, for me, the big savings over the same sized Samsung with 120Hz is a huge factor.

Consider NetFlix streaming. Even with the 120Hz, if I am in full-screen mode, my DSL connection just doesn't pump enough bits to avoid the judder from compression. But on a monitor this size, I can really enjoy movies in a browser window about half the size of the screen, and the motion is very smooth.

There are two types of TV content where the Auto-Smoothing available with 120Hz may be a factor. One is sports. In my office, I only have hi-def on the local channels, not on ESPN or other sports channels. I haven't caught a baseball or golf game on this yet, but when I do, I will report back right here. The other time I like to ramp up Auto-Smoothing is when watching animation, but at the time of writing this, I haven't been able to watch any cartoons in hi-def. (In standard def, motion in sports and animation looks fine, but standard def isn't pushing any of the processors on this set, for sure.) Again, after watching on the weekend, I'll report back here.

(EDIT: Update, 5/9/11. This is fine for sports in high-def, and cartoons look great too. I haven't hooked it up to a Blu-ray, so no comment possible. As for PC video games, especially first-person-shooters, this is fantastic. Before investing in a higher priced 120Hz set for video games, be sure that the set you want to buy actually allows you to enable the auto-smoothing feature while in GAME MODE! I know auto-smoothing on my 120Hz LN46A650 really helps with movies, sports, and animation; however, most content is looking better on this set than on the LN46A650 without auto smoothing. In other words, if the two sets are compared without the auto-smoothing enabled on the LN46A650, the action seems smoother on this LN32D550. BUT, certain movies (e.g. VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER) look MUCH better (that is, smoother and clearer, especially when there is lots of action all over the screen) with the auto-smoothing on the bigger set. I know this is all very subjective, but I'm trying to point out that it seems very important, if a set claims to run at 120Hz, to be able to activate the smoothing feature. Since GAME MODE actually disables many processing features to speed up response time, you need to check to make sure any 120Hz set you want does allow the 120Hz to kick in even in GAME MODE (otherwise, the benefit is questionable).

For using this as a monitor, just be sure to use the HDMI port in the back and label your connection as either PC (if your video card is HDMI out) or PC DVI (if your video card is DVI out). This is not just a naming thing, but a real configuration that turns the TV into a monitor.

The Samsung LN32D550 really improves the comfort level and pleasure of using my desktop computer for photo editing, writing, researching, and playing.

What could be improved? Well, for one thing, when used as a monitor, we seem to lose the Equalizer option in sound, instead just getting presets. The presets are fine, but I'd still like that fine-tuning option. Another: The included eManual is clunky and should be improved a lot or dropped (c'mon, we can download one). I'd like a little sturdier feel to the power jack in the back. The carton it shipped in should be beefed up. Finally, I think the clear area of the bezel extends a tad much beyond the main frame.

Winding it up, I think this is pretty much a game changer for the TV and monitor markets. Why should we pay very close to what this costs for a display that only serves as one or the other?

One last thing: Thanks to all the Amazon reviewers and others around the Web who make it possible to zero in on quality and performance in the ocean of choices!

Samsung LN32D550 Great.
For the last year I've been looking for a TV to replace my 2009 Samsung 26" LCD. It had what some people call "smudging" or "smearing" where if two really dark images move near one another, the black area would leave a trail. It looks sort of like when you make a dark circle with a pencil and run your finger over it. It made night scenes in movies and games really distracting. I even saw it in people with black hair watching 720p Lost episodes.

From what I can tell so far, this set has none of it. I went through a Sony, a Toshiba, an LG, and another Samsung. All but the LG had this issue, and the LG had atrocious black levels due to it being a technically "better" IPS panel. I love my LG IPS monitors, but for TV it looks awful. So I stuck with Samsung's PVA panels, and boy am I glad I did.

I immediately turned off all the video processing options and turned the backlight down from 14 to 8. IMPECCABLE picture as far as I'm concerned. Looks incredible even at 1080i. It's no plasma, but hey, 32-inch plasmas don't exist, so I'm content with LCD.

I have no idea how the input lag is for video games since I play relatively slowly paced games. No fighters, competitive FPS, or other twitch reflex games in my library. I'd be a bit leery if that's super critical for you until more accurate tests are out there. It seems fine to me, but I'm not very sensitive to lag, so take it with a grain of salt.

Bottom line, great picture quality, great black levels (for an LCD), decent motion handling (it IS only 60Hz), lots of options to mess with, plenty of inputs, a sleek design. I would buy this TV again in a heartbeat, personally. As the first reviewer said, JUST what I was looking for.

Samsung LN32D550K1F Excellent gaming TV.
My main uses for this TV is purely gaming and on occasion a secondary monitor for my computer. The #1 concern I had while shopping for a TV was input lag. I went over to the AVS forums and hung around their "input lag wars" thread and did some heavy reading and research on the TV's they were recommending there. Someone suggested that the new 2011 Samsung models were looking good so off to Amazon I went.

Straight out of the box I set up my TV and connected it to my Xbox via HDMI. I popped in Marvel vs Capcom 3 grabbed my TE fightstick and tried out a few combos. I noticed there was a very minuscule delay when I pressed a button and it made me frown a little. Keep in mind all I did at this point was set up the TV right out the box without doing any configurations to the TV itself. I knew that most Samsungs have a "game mode" setting which turns off some of some of the frame processing features in the tv therefore minimizing input lag so I went to Menu > Settings > General > Game mode ON and crossed my fingers. SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE. The game mode eliminated any input lag that I felt and gave me such a sigh of relief. Each button press had an instant reaction and my team was DHC'ing, OTG'ing, Level 3 x-factor Sentinel frying pan the computer with ease!

For my next test I threw in Halo: Reach and hopped into the MLG playlist. The TV produced beautiful colors, deep blacks, and most importantly no input lag. DMR shots were straight and steady and did great on the FPS end.

If you are a competitive gamer and concerned about input lag like me, then I 100% suggest you get this TV. It has performed very well in the games I played and remember you NEED to turn the game mode ON to eliminate any input lag!

Note: The neck stand for this TV is black and not the clear plastic that Amazon has in the description picture. Although I would of preferred the clear look, the black is clean and doesn't take anything away from it.

Samsung LN32D550K1F Everything I was hoping for..
I ordered this product: Samsung LN32D550 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Black) around 1pm yesterday with One-Day Shipping and received it today around 1pm. Amazon always is the best for quality of service and working with the best package delivery companies. I have been looking to purchase a 32 inch TV for my computer room for the last 3 months. I waited for the 2011 models and I am glad that I did.

Setup (putting the stand) on this TV was very simple and the user interface is very easy to understand. I have tested input lag with video games as well as quality on a Blu-ray. You need to adjust your setting when hooking up an Xbox 360 to completely get rid of all input lag noticeable to the human eye (I had to label the HDMI port as PC). The PS3 on the other-hand has no noticeable input lag tested with multiple settings. I watched a few minutes of I am Legend on Blu-ray and the video and audio quality is amazing.

The LN32D550 has more settings and options (except internet apps) than other current 2011 32 inch LCDs.
Video: black tone, dynamic contrast, shadow detail, edge enhancement, motion lighting, digital noise filter, mpeg noise filter, etc.
Audio: SRS TruSurround HD and SRS TruDialog

Vs my other TV Samsung LN40A650 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color this TV has a better interface, more settings, better sound quality, and very similar picture quality but lacks 120Hz motion technology.

This TV is all around a great purchase and product.

Input lag test were done playing Call of Duty: Black Ops on the 360 and Uncharted 2 on the PS3.

Samsung LN32D550K1FXZA Quirky DLNA, underwhelming documentation, but great picture and sound
I chose this model over other 32-inch LCDs because I'm a sucker for things like network streaming, a 5-band equalizer, picture-in-picture, and firmware updating. It also has a semi-documented headphone jack in the rear -- just turn off the speakers for it to work. Also, the power cable detaches, so you can replace that yourself.

One might dismiss this TV altogether since it doesn't have LED edge lighting, but that tech does not appear to be earning its price premium so far, considering a higher percentage of panel defects, and a black level so intense that detail often gets lost. 60Hz is also not a deal-breaker, since 120Hz tends to only show its strength with sports programming.

The picture quality is ultimately subjective, of course. But I found it well above average. Unfortunately, you can't completely disable Dynamic Contrast. The TV will tell you that it's off, but some enterprising Internet detectives at televisioninfo.com have determined that this is a ruse, which leads to some unavoidable light trailing and somewhat crushed blacks. DVDs look surprisingly good, and standard-definition signals look very solid but not outstanding.

Dynamic Contrast, Black Tone, Shadow Detail, Edge Enhancement and the noise filters should probably be turned off. Unfortunately, these features can create more problems than they solve; use them sparingly. Like Spider-Man once said, "With power comes responsibility."

I have a Roku box connected through HDMI, an Xbox 360 via component, and clear QAM cable TV through the RF antenna jack in the rear. These hookups are going straight into the TV inputs -- no receiver. I figure that this eliminates a testing variable or two. Picture quality and sound was great from all three sources. When I streamed Netflix over Xbox Live, the Xbox appeared to upscale to 1080i. I could not get my 720p Roku box to do this over HDMI.

(Edit: I have also now tried a third-party VGA adapter for the Xbox 360. It looks quite good using the console's "Expanded" reference level; at least on par with component, and upscaled DVDs look quite good, but not as good as Blu-ray.)

Audio is in a better boat, since the SRS functions can actually be turned off (as far as we know). There's also that 5-band equalizer. I thought the TV did surprisingly well for two downward-facing 10-watt speakers, but they won't quite replace dedicated external audio.

The D550 doesn't do Internet apps, but this feature is becoming increasingly redundant. As for network sharing, you are not limited to Samsung's proprietary, Windows-only "PC Share Manager" software, either. There's a variety of free, multi-platform software that handle networked media libraries. Unfortunately, Samsung appears to have not implemented DLNA according to spec, so you may have trouble getting third-party software to work properly. I had the best experience with TVMobili, which is thankfully free and compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Serviio is also good.

In its promotional material, Samsung swears that its Wi-Fi "LinkStick" dongle is *required* for wireless networking (and it is not bundled with this TV). This is simply not the case. You can just use a wireless-N Ethernet "game adapter," which can be had for as little as $30 if you shop around. Dongles are also only compatible with a few devices from one manufacturer.

(Edit: It's come to my attention that an Intellinet 523974 *might* also work in place of Samsung's official dongle. I cannot directly confirm it, though. It is also reportedly 2.4Ghz, while the dual-band Samsung model adds a 5Ghz option.)

The "E-manual" built into the TV's menu system isn't very good and is difficult to navigate. The PDF version on their website is... a PDF version of the e-manual. Which is white text on a black background. So much for printing it out...

Also, the two-piece pedestal requires a Phillips screwdriver. That's not bad, but the screws required quite a lot of torque to get them all the way in. Also, you need to attach the top part at a certain angle, or else it won't be flush with the base.

A note about shipping: Amazon Prime does not currently provide 2-day or next-day shipping for this unit; "3-5 business days" is the official line. This is not unusual for products of this size and weight. However, the unit arrived at my door less than 48 hours after I ordered it. So I appreciate Amazon's and UPS's fast service! But your own experience will vary according to your distance from the warehouse and other factors.

(Update 4/25: This item is not currently shipped from and sold by Amazon, nor eligible for Amazon Prime. "Video & Audio Center" is handling the item instead. I am not familiar with their service, so the previous paragraph does not apply to the current purchase experience. "3-5 business days" is still the official shipping time, but I don't know how long it may take this third party to process the order before shipping. It may take a few hours, or a few days. Just a friendly heads-up.)

Despite this TV's quirks and poor documentation, I think it gets 5 stars for a really good picture and above-average sound (as long as you tweak that equalizer for some bass). I guess that's what matters most in the end, right?

Please leave a comment if I've left you with questions, and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge.

Samsung LN32D550K1FXZA Great TV for small room
Setup:
The TV is pretty light. I'm a 5'5" female and it was pretty easy to get the screen out of the box.

Setting up the stand can be a little annoying. You will need to set the screen on a soft surface, like a bed, where the base can hang over the side so you can install the stand. The screws to hold the stand to the screen seem to be made from some kind of plastic. I supposed this is a better alternative to metal screws that may wear over time.

Usage:
I am using an HDMI cable that I bought from Amazon. I don't know why it seems choppy/pixelated sometimes. This could just be from my AT&T U-verse Cable box or the channel itself. I'm also wondering if certain HDMI cables work better than others...perhaps the $120 ones that can handle faster refresh rates? Although I'm not so thrilled about spending another $100 for a mere cable...

For gaming, I currently have my Wii hooked up to it via regular A/V cables. I had to mess with the settings to get it to display to my liking. I tried out The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and it seemed to be too dark on dynamic settings. So I needed to customize the brightness in order to even play in some areas of the game. But since this game is pretty dated I imagine newer HD games will not have such a problem.

Sound:
I have a pretty small room so I don't really require the sound to be very high. Usually set between 15 and 25. I don't think this TV will sound so great in a large living room. But for my small 12x12 ft bedroom it's just right.

Dislikes:
- I did not like how the screen wobbles if touched/held too much
- I have my Wii hooked up via A/V cables and if I turn it off the TV needs to be reminded of what its source was. I can hear the Wii menu but not see it so I needed to re-select the A/V source. This can be a bit bothersome.

Will add more to this after more usage...

Edit June 30:

I have found that in addition to not registering my Wii the TV also has trouble with my cable box. At first it won't display anything and claims the power to the box may not be on (when it clearly is). I have to turn the TV on and off, making sure it is still on the HDMI input when it first turns on. This can be very annoying especially at the end of a long day when all I want to do is watch TV! I am unsure if it's the TV or my cable box itself that is the problem (AT&T U-Verse, ugh) so it might be unfair to blame the TV, although since it does the same thing to my Wii it probably is at fault.

Samsung LN32D550 Best Price
Unit arrived sooner than expected which was not a problem. Set up was very seamless and easy. HD picture is extremely sharp, even with non-HD broadcasts. Color seems to be very true; angle of view is better than advertised. In short, I am glad to have purchased this Samsung unit,

Samsung LN32D550 Best Price, Great picture clarity.
TV arrived an a reasonable time frame, and in good condition. We managed to get it assembled with no problems, though the textless assembly instructions were a little difficult to decipher -- they are not "Ikea" quality. Quickly attached cables as indicated, and had the TV working within minutes. The clarity of the picture is great, and the color settings are realistic. We haven't tried all the features yet, but for ease of initial setup and quality of both sound and picture, we are very pleased with this purchase. Samsung remains one of the better brands on the market.

Samsung LN32D550 Best Buy, Wonderful HDTV!
This television is absolutely amazing! It's my first HDTV, and I'm very happy with my purchase! I really like the glassy edge border on it! It gives it a nice finishing touch and looks great! I bought this TV mainly because of the other 5 star ratings I found here on Amazon. I found a few that said there is no button lag for video games especially on PS3 versus some of the other brands out there. I didn't want to spring for the cheaper alternatives out there just to test the theory out, so I just delved right into this one because others have already admitted no issues with this one at all. Now that I own it, I can also say that I have no issues with button lag on this TV.

The color scheme is beautiful, rich, and vibrant! There are plenty of options to customize it if you are not satisfied with its original settings. Also, the sound isn't as bad as I thought it would be, considering the speakers are placed on the back of the TV. It's great for a small to medium sized bedroom, but probably not for a large living room though. I'm not sure if the sound would resonate enough in a larger setting.

I'm pretty sure most people don't like that only one of the HDMI ports is on the back, and the other three are on the side, but it doesn't really bother me at all. It's actually convenient for me because I place my DVD player and PS3 on the the side anyhow.

The three HDMI side ports are on the right side of the TV when looking at it from the front, just for those of you who are curious about that. Before I bought it, I couldn't tell which side the ports were on based on the available picture. I bought it hoping it would be on the right side, since my set up is on the right side. I guess I got lucky with that.

I love my new HDTV!

Samsung LN32D550 Best Buy, Great Picture!!!
Consumer Reports rated this TV very highly. They were right. The picture is so beautiful. Love the swivel to move its viewing angle. Just the right size for my bedroom. It was very easy to assemble the base and set it up with my cable box. It arrived so quickly and boxed extremely well. I would highly recommend. I am so glad I bought it!

Samsung LN32D550 REVIEWS # BEST PRICE

Monday, October 17, 2011

Samsung LN32D550 REVIEWS

DISCOUNT SALE # Samsung LN32D550 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

Samsung LN32D550

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