Customer Reviews

Samsung LN32B650 32-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great set, for all the reasons already covered in other reviews. The downsides are Samsung's incompetent quality control that allowed this product to ship unassembleable, and their atrocious customer service that won't fix the problem.

This set includes a base with pre-drilled holes that are too small for the included screws. I called customer service and they said they would send new screws, but they never did (it's been almost three weeks), and I'm not going to follow up with them because I've already solved the problem on my own.

I'm posting this review so that people won't have to let those downsides keep them from buying and enjoying this fine television. If you buy this set, and plan attach the included base rather than mount it on a wall, you will need to purchase 4 #6-32 x 3/4" machine screws to attach the guide stand to the stand. The included screws will attach the set to the guide stand.

Amazon hasn't updated its page for the LN32B650. Samsung has changed what qualifies for in-home warranty service, and guess what - the 32 inch model no longer qualifies. I called Samsung and they confirmed that if you want warranty service, you have to mail your television to the warranty service provider AT YOUR EXPENSE. Yes, no return shipping label, nothing but a vague statement from customer service that Samsung will reimburse for shipping costs "in certain circumstances."

Imagine, $150 to send your $900 television to New Jersey for "warranty service." Now, imagine your blood pressure exceeding normal limits.

I got this TV a few days ago and i can honestly say that the picture looks like a million bucks. My brother has the Sony 32" XBR9 TV and this Samsung TV completely blows it away. For a better picture the TV has to be calibrated (by a pro or yourself using online manuals) and your blu-ray system as well.

I have this TV hooked up to my PS3 and my 360 and the picture looks amazing. The ability to have this TV connect to the net is a huge plus. You can check the Weather, News, and Stock Market info all with the push of a button.

Movies look great running at 1080p/24! If you want a TV with a superior picture then this is the TV for you!

Specs:
Video

Screen Size: Diagonal length of TV scree 31.5"
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Resolution: 1920 (H) x1080 (V)(480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p)


Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 100,000:1

Response Time: 4ms
LCD 120Hz
Native Resolution: 1080p

Sound Effect System:
The sound effect system produces 5.1ch stereophonic sound with the left and right speakers: SRS TruSurround HD

Sound Output(RMS): Volume level of sound from TV speakers 10Wx2

Input & Output(Wireless) 802.11(with adapter)

HDMI: 4 (1 side 3 back)

Composite (AV): 1 (side)

Component: 2 (rear)

USB: 2 (side)

Ethernet: 1 (rear)

PC input: 1 (rear)

Features Picture-in-Picture: Yes
Game Mode: Yes
HDMI-CEC: Yes
Price $1,299.99
USB 2.0 (Movie): Yes
Media Stream: InfoLink
USB 2.0 (Movie,JPEG)
System Tuners: Built-in

I have had the Samsung LCD LN32B650 a few days. I will write more after I have it six months but I have checked everything out and have found absolutely nothing to complain about in regards to the TV. You will note this 2009 model has some significant upgrades from the 2008 model. The picture is awesome!

One thing I did not like was paying over $1100 for a 32 inch LCD but if you check the specifications are top notch so it probably is worth it. Watching the action in the NCAA games the motion shots are perfect. Not related directly to the TV but the manual is an E-Manual and it comes on a USB drive you plug into the TV. I can not load it on my computer very successfully as the software is looking for commands from the TV remote and not the computer so I can not naviagate through the e-manual very well so I can't print it out. It is personal preference but I don't care that much for e-manuals when I can't print them out. I like to be able to read a manual and make notes while I am trying things. I understand why companies do it but I don't have to like it. The other issue with an E-Manual is you can only see it on the TV and if you are having issues with the TV you may well not be able to look at the manual for help. This is a Samsung issue and has nothing to do with the TV. They do have telephone and e-mail help which I never needed but one does have that option. The Samsung web site has a lot of good FAQ's. One tricky thing for the wife and I on installation was a cover that came with it that took us a long time to figure out where it goes. The fact is if you use the table stand which we did you don't use it. It is to cover that hole if you do a wall mount.

There are all kinds of video and audio setting which I have not used as I just could not ask for a nicer picture. We got the TV going with the Quick guide which is not bad. We had some questions about some setting that were answered in the E-manual. I really made no changes to them after reading the manual. We do not have a Blue Ray but it appears there are some setting that would enhance watching a DVD played on a Blue Ray. The remote is very intuitive for the wife and I. The huge number of I/O's on the TV is awesome. We used one of the HDMI inputs with a 1.3 cable which should give the best quality. We are using a dishnetwork VIP 622 which also lets us use the OTA antenna hooked to the VIP 622 and puts those channels in the program guide. The OTA as well as Satellite HD looks great. Also the SD looks excellent. I have heard a lot about how bad SD looks but so far we have been most please with the SD channels. Some of this may have to do with the 32' size and might not look as great on a 52" model.

Received this beautiful television but could not use it for three weeks because Samsung put the wrong parts in the box. Called Samsung Customer Service and they have no clue on what to do or what questions to ask. E-mail the corporate office with problem and waited for three days. Finally called Amazon Customer Service and talked to Nathan and he got hold of Samsung and the correct parts were FEDX overnight to me with Saturday delivery, problem solved. Great Amazon Service and again THANK YOU NATHAN and a very nice TV.

I definetely would recommend AMAZON to anyone!!! and Samsung Customer Service scores 000000.

L.

The picture is very clear. I hooked a Blu Ray up and it gives excellent detail. The 120HZ feature is excellent for fast moving action items. The sound from the TV is good but I may add an amplifier and speakers later. It is a TV for the bedroom and I was not planning on adding speakers to it originally. I have a 50" Samsung Plasma with theater sound in the living room and have gotten spoiled with that.

I just purchased this TV set and tried putting the stand together yesterday. I read the comments previously posted and thought okay, if I have the same issue, no problem. I placed my TV on the stand and the screw holes were not lined up properly. I got my mag-lite out and checked and the holes were not even close. I then determined why - the TV does not sit far enough down on the stand because the back part of the TV which is notched out for the stand is not notched out far enough for the stand supplied. There is a metal frame part on the bottom of the TV where the stand should rest but it does not. I could get it to work by making the notched out area in the TV to go up a small amount but it is a new TV and not to ready to make "home adjustments" yet. I called Samsung and they said they will send me another stand. I mentioned to the rep that appears to be a common problem for this TV. So, I will wait a week or so for the possible right stand to arrive (which I am not too positive it will be any different). I will add more later as the saga continues.

The Guidestand that came with the TV had LN640-32 and BN61-04992X if you have those numbers you have the wrong part. The new one that arrived today had LN650-32 and BN61-04812X stamped on it. I took the Guidestand part and placed it on the stand and the TV fit perfectly in place to get the screws to work. Now it is time to enjoy the TV.

Put simply, you can't get more advanced than the Samsung LN32B650. It's 1080p at 120Hz with a gorgeous display. I probably couldn't go back to 60Hz after playing my PS3 on this TV. I dare you to watch a Blu-Ray on this TV in a properly lit room and not be stunned. The only minor thing I don't like are the buttons on the TV (power, volume and channel) are almost invisible. They're heat-sensitive buttons on the bottom right of the TV you slide your finger across, but you need to be in a extremely bright room to see what you're actually pressing. The labeling of those buttons should glow in the dark. Nevertheless, despite needing a lot of them, it's worth every penny.

I bought this set from Amazon in July and am still playing with the features, many of which I'll probably never use. This replaces a 20-year-old Sony XBR, and is my first flatscreen, so maybe my small problems are caused by inexperience. The delivery was first class; two people brought it into my house and set it up for me and made sure it worked.

I use it to watch satellite tv, dvd's, and for streaming with a Roku box. The Roku movies are much better looking on this tv than on the old Sony. I like being able to use different sound options for different purposes and being able to adjust the picture according to use.

There is a very annoying chime that automatically plays when one turns the set on and off, and I can't figure out how to shut that sound off. It's much louder than the volume that I play the tv, and I'm afraid it will wake someone sleeping in the next room.

It would be very nice to be able to use headsets to help me hear all the dialog without turning up the volume too loud, but I don't see a place to plug in headsets, and I've read that wireless headsets don't work well with digital sound.

Forget trying to contact Samsung's mis-named customer service. I asked my questions on line to them and all they did was sign me up to receive email advertisements.

I have researched all models and finally settled on Samsung. In fact it was a tie with Sony product but I thought the 120 Hz feature at this price was a good choice. I had never bought a product this expensive on the internet for fear of having to pay lots of money and after few days be disapointed with having to return the item but this was a great choice. I love the experience the TV setup was a breeze and everything worked. I am happy with my choice and the quality of this product. The purchasing experience on Amazon was a good one as well. This is an outfit I could trust.

Purchased this unit through Amazon and appreciate their great service as always. However, the LN32B650 is defective. After less than two days, the unit started powering off by itself (no it's not the configurable timer) and on day two, it powered off in mid-movie and will not turn back on. I checked all the usual causes but clearly this is a problem with the board or one of its subsystems. Possibly damaged in transit but online research indicates that is unlikely. Just search (Google) for "Samsung LCD problems" or anything remotely similar and you'll see all content you would care to (clearly I should have done more research or just stuck with Sony). Let me summarize: while there are always online postings about product issues and a company as large as Samsung is bound to have its share, there is a disproportionate number of reported problems about Samsung LCD TVs, all related to quality control in one aspect or another. Additionally, a large number of people report issues which are the same or similar to mine (i.e. power cycling, etc.). Technicians point users to firmware upgrades and whatnot, but seriously, who wants to deal with that? My setup was extremely simple: a quality DVD player and the LN32B650. I will say the picture was gorgeous (while it lasted - all of 48 hours).

You may be thinking that you really want this unit (it is pretty) and that you're bound to run into some negative reviews like this one, and that you'll roll the dice and hope for a unit that is not defective. Fair enough, you may win, you may lose. I can't give you an accurate percentage for success of course, but really, why risk it? I am lucky that the problem presented so quickly and can return the product through Amazon for a full refund. What if the unit tanks like this after a year or two? It's happened to a lot of people. For my part, I am choosing another company/product (i.e. I am done with Samsung as an electronics vendor).