Customer Reviews

Samsung LNR329D 32-Inch HD LCD TV

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start off by saying how overjoyed I am with this television. I, probably much like you are, was very hesitant to buy this particular Samsung model, mostly due to the fact that you can't go to a brick and mortar and see it in person. I went by specs alone, the higher contrast ratio, HD-OTA (ATSC) tuner; and other specs lured me to it. I wanted to ultimately use this LCD TV for TV Viewing, DVD viewing, Xbox, Gamecube, some DVD Picture slideshows via the DVD player, and more than likely, although not yet, plugging a Mac Mini into it so that I can do a quick email or web check while watching TV.
That being said, this TV was bought for a bedroom. I'll start by saying that this TV is unbelievable in its clarity of all signals but I am especially impressed with the HD quality using the $20 Zenith over the air antenna. It is ridiculous how clear the picture is over the air vs. how the cable signal shows. Thus far playing video games is great so long as you use the appropriate cables, component or S for the Nintendo. I will update how the Xbox 360 looks when I find one to buy at regular price. I have just gotten an up-converting Samsung DVD player that connect via HDMI and it looks great with store bought DVD's; and I would say they are a hare off the HD quality which is as good as it's going to get at this point, and once you see it you'll understand, it not bad or worse than HD its just apparent that the films weren't shot with an HD camera. Like for instance if you compare LOST on ABC-HD to say something like The Van Helsing DVD being up-converted, if you flicked back and forth you can see a slight difference, which has nothing to do really with the hardware you have but has to do with the ways movies were and mostly still are filmed. Star Wars I,II,III being the exceptions.
Then there is the shocking size of this TV, its all screen and its much bigger than I expected it to be. You should go to the store and see the Samsungs 32" models they have available to get a rough estimate of how large it is. I was overjoyed with its size. I would like to address the blue light issue; when the TV is OFF there is a blue light that comes on around the power button on the TV itself, its not that bright, and I find it useful to let you know the TV is in fact OFF so I don't walk away with it on. Regardless some people can find this annoying in a bedroom if you find things like bright alarm clock displays or the VCR time annoying. It's a non-issue for most of us though but I thought it should be addressed as it is there and part of the set. I have had the TV for weeks now and love it.
Cons: Remote control is ok. Slow surfing of channels on ATSC tuner, i.e. there is a slight delay but if you have DirecTV then you your already used to this. Bigger than you think. Only 1 HDMI input (they all only have one except for Dell's not so good TV's, WTF is up with that?) No quick start guide to tell you how to plug in the base, you have to use your best judgment, it not hard, but when you pay this much for something you don't want to accidentally damage it.
Pro's: ATSC Tuner. Nice Remote. The Blue Off Light (subjective item). The book is a large bound book so it explains EVERYTHING! Large Screen Size. Quality of build. Super thin. Extra Light for its size. Plentiful inputs. Intelligent Inputs. DNIe. Aesthetically simple and pleasing. Blacks are black! No Artifacts in action sequences. Affordable pricing.
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Update
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The XBOX 360 plays incredibly well on this at a native 720P, absolutely sharp and crisp. Its mindblowing how far things have come. I have come to understand that the $20 HDTV antenna doesn't work for everyone. I am in the NYC market within 12 miles of Manhatten so my signal is clear. IF your far from a major market you will need cable or satellite to get the HDTV reception. I don't want to lead anyone astray. The next update will include either a media center pc or mac mini attached to the TV.
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Update
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I have one dead pixel. Right in the middle of the LCD after a little more than 60 days. I called Samsung and after a painless phonecall someone was dispatched to look at the TV, but its been 2 weeks since the guy came so I am going to follow up. More to come soon.
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Samsung called and asked me to fax them the all receipts for the LCD 3 weeks after the service technicians visit. They then called me within the week and informed me that i would be contacted within 14 business days for a replacement with a new LCD of the same model, but the only caveat is currently that Samsung has to come to my home with the LCD and they will take away the old one. As such someone must be home from 8 to 12 or 1 to 5 for this to occur. Still awaiting hte phone call and its been about 10 business days.

First off, let me say that I'm not a 'videophile' so I'll be staying away from tech talk..
I've been holding off buying a flat screen TV for quite some time. I was waiting for the prices to come down a little more... Until last night, when my old Sony Trinitron finally bit the dust :(

My husband had spotted the Samsung LNR328W model in September, and really liked it. One of the main reasons, was that it would fit in our entertainment unit (only 2 years old). So, armed with tape measure, we hit the stores. We found the 328W model, and both liked the richness of the colour, compared to the ones around it. There weren't any 'pixel squares' in fast moving sequences, and so on.. The only thing we weren't fond of, was the chevron shape.

As we were just about to buy, A TV in the home theater demo room caught my eye. I walked over to it, really liking what I was seeing, and sure enough, it was the LNR329D, which I hadn't even researched yet. The picture was more crisp than the previous model, without being cold. The shape was much more appealing, and it has the HD Tuner, instead of just the input. I'm sure there's more differences, but that was what mattered to me. We were sold.

Getting it home was simple, it fit right in the backseat of a 4 door sedan, nothing like the truck and 4 men it took to move in the old Sony... at 42 lbs, my hubby was able to carry it right in and up the stairs, only turning sideways in doorways.

Two things that made it easier: 1) the box had 4 handles; and 2) We didn't have to take the TV out of the box and balance it in the air to get the styrofoam off. The foam was in two pieces.

Setup was a breeze. The stand was very easily installed, 4 screws. I held the bottom of the TV up, and he attached the stand. Note: Use a longer screwdriver, the holes are deep.

Connecting it was simple. Every input/output is clearly marked. We didn't need the manual at all.

After powering on, we were directed immediately to the plug and play menu. First is language, then auto program. If you have a digital cable or satellite box, make sure it's on, so the TV will program channel 3. It will ask you what type of antenna.. and then it's ready to go!

We don't even have HD yet (next week). But we're very happy with how DVD's and digital cable appears. I had to go into the DVD player's menus and set the screen size to get rid of the letterboxes. Something on HBO had letterboxes as well. I changed the picture size to 'zoom 1' and it got rid of them without distorting the image at all.

The menus are very easy to navigate, and there's so many presets for the colour and sound that the technically challenged shouldn't have any problem with this TV.

The picture is crisp and clear, with no distorted areas. The lower network channels that are analog look a little funny, almost like the actors had on too much makeup, but it's not going to bother me. Once I have HD I won't have to look at that anyway.

All in all, I'm extremely pleased with this TV. Some other models I looked at tonight were terrible.. This one is amazing! I would highly recommend it to someone that, like me, is just getting into HDTV, and the newer technologies that are available, and that also wants to keep it simple.

Originally, I had the Samsung LN-R3228. I upgraded to the Samsung LN-R329D, as I liked the cosmetics of the set much better plus it had many more features. The great features include a built-in HD receiver for over-the-air HD tv signals, a programable remote, real 3:2 pulldown for 480i source material, better sound with the hidden speakers, and a faster "refresh rate" of 8ml, versus 12ml that's on the R3228. I also now have HD cable tv and can see the benefits of hi-def on this set. I find that dvds and hi-def cable tv do look great. Standard tv programs do seem to have a bit of the "clayface" artifact that many HD tv sets have. The poor quality of the low-def analog signal is upconverted to the native resolution of the LCD tv. The processing of this signal is designed to eliminate noise in the picture, so there is an unnatural look to Standard tv fare. It is very watchable, just not as nice as progressive scan dvd or real HD tv. Many video enthusiasts knock the Samsung LCD tvs, because of the DNIe feature. This feature is designed to enhance the picture by adjusting black level, white level and sharpness. Also, the DNIe feature features 3D noise reduction to eliminate motion artifacts. This feature cannot be turned off. I do find that most of the time, IMO, DNIe does seem to help the picture. In dark scenes, it's touch and go. This set does have good black levels. Some very dark scenes, like night scenes out in the woods, will be super dark grey, as opposed to jet black. Most LCD tvs are like this anyway. I've had this set for two weeks now and have viewed it several hours per day with HD cable, Standard cable and dvds. I can say that it is an acceptable tv set. HD looks fabulous, well-transferred dvds look great too. Standard cable varies from poor to acceptable. I have seen no ghosting or motion artifacts on this set. If you are a purist and want to be able to adjust and tweak every variable possible on an LCD tv, this likely will not be for you. If you are the type of person who simply wants a good picture and has no interest in spending a lot of time adjusting every aspect of the picture, then I think this set is just fine. As for the blue light that the other poster complained about... I agree that it would be better if this light was just a tiny "dot" as opposed to a large circle around the power button. However, it goes OUT when the tv is turned on! Also, when you turn off the set, if it annoys you, simply put a piece of paper over it and darken it! It does not bother me enough to affect my rating of this product.

Despite what Amazon says, the Samsung LNR329D 32 Inch HDtv LCD Monitor does not have a cable card slot. This feature is only available for th 40" and 46" versions. If you have doubts, please check Samsungs website.

I was VERY unhappy to learnt his ONLY after I bought the 32" version.

after buying the previous model (v-shaped LNR328W), I decided to try this new and improved model. I had no complaints the previous version, as it was perfect as is, but in comparison, this LNR329D is even better! Faster refresh rate, better sound, optical output, and built in ATSC tuner! It no longer have that faint hum if you turn up the brightness (inherant defect in previous model). This is a beautiful TV for DVD, HD programing and games... I can't think of anything to complain about. The blue on/off button matches my Samsung DVD player, which also have a blue glow button. This way at night time I know they are turned off. There are many picture features to adjust, so you can actually make it as good (or bad) as you want the picture to look. I paired TV up with an attic HDTV antenna, and I am watching local channels in High Def for free. Man... isn't technology great? Best thing about it...This TV gives you the most bang for your buck hands down. It costs a little more than the non-brands, and a LOT less than Sony. So this is the best value for a name brand product.

Strengths: Excellent picture and amazing sound. Lots of inputs. Built-In HD tuner. Universal Remote is a big plus. Very nice clean lines.

Weaknesses: BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL! Light around power switch illuminates whole dark room when off! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Manual in multilanguages is very large.

Summary: Yes, screen is beautiful and sound is much better than prior lnr328w version. I really like that the black triangle area below the display on the 328w was dropped for a clean even straight bezel. The hidden speakers produce great sound. DUMB DESIGN: BRIGHT blue circle light around power switch makes set look like a cheap gamebox. Previous version didn't have this DUMB design. Why fix what wasn't broken? Guess designers never put one in a bedroom. Manual is quite thorough, and an inch thick and heavy due to multilanguages. Why not bind each language seperately? Only power/miniplug audio/antenna cables provided.

This TVs a great buy - search for a price on the web and you'll hit some better deals too. Had a Sony LCD(KLVS32A10) earlier which I returned and got this Samsung instead. Did a lot of research to come to that conclusion. Picture's great even when you dont have High definition feed.

The blue light that the other reviewer is mentioning may seem cool for a lot of people. I like it and the TVs overall sleek design goes with it. Highly recommended TV!!