Customer Reviews

Samsung LTN1785W 17-Inch LCD Flat-Panel TV

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

 

 

Don't take me wrong - this TV is the great product. I use it in the kitchen, as everyone else. The picture is sharper and the colors are truer (in comparison, say, to LTM1755, which I owned briefly). But when I connected it to the old DirecTV receiver, the picture came out extended. So, I had to update the receiver, get cables (because this piece does not come with them), etc. If you want to use it mostly for watching non-HDTV programs in non-wide-screen format - don't get this monitor. Get Sharp instead it's less fussy.

After looking at comparable models from Sharp, Phillips, Sony, and others we settled on the Samsung LTN 1785W. It is sitting on a credenza in the breakfast nook off the kitchen and fits very nicely on the counter and under the china cabinets. The screen is plenty bright enough for full daylight viewing. This was important to us, as the area has a lot of natural light from windows and a skylight. The picture is very clear and sharp. The options available for picture, color and sound adjustment are simple and effective. I added the HDTV box yesterday and the added clarity is quite astounding. As noted in another review I would rate the sound quality as acceptable, but not outstanding. The Dolby 5.1 added with HDTV helps.

I note this set is list priced (currently) at about $999, but we got it for over $100 less by shopping around, then got $100 cable credit from Comcast and Samsung on a special offer. So, while initially pricey for a 17 inch set, the net cost was quite reasonable for this quality HDTV ready widescreen set.

We really struggled with spending $900 for a small TV for the kitchen peninsula but after buying a $200 16" Samsung tube TV and losing so much counter space plus the odd viewing angle, we decided to return the 16" and blow the wad. It turned out to be the right thing to do. What a gorgeous picture this thing has and being HGTV ready and wide screen, this will not be obsolete in 2-3 years. It has a crystal clear sharp picture with no light glare. It's not heavy and easy to move around. The extra space we gained really makes a difference. Everytime we watch it we are so happy we decided to go this route. Now we wish we could replace our other TV's with LCD/plasma, but guess we'll wait till the prices on the larger screens come down.

This TV is a decent device but a little overpriced for what you get.

My number one gripe with this TV has to do with the sound quality. The standard built-in speaker does not offer the clarity and crispness of the ordinary 10 year-old tube TV that it replaced.

The other annoyance has to do with the short muscial tone it plays every time the TV is turned on or off. It gets old fast.

My third peeve is with the monitor's on/off indicator light. When the TV is turned off, a red LED light glows red, and when the TV is on, the LED light disappears which is the total opposite way that I would have designed it to function.

On other hand, the picture quality for regular cable-TV channels/broadcast TV is good to very good, depending on the channel.

The HDTV option is a little awkward to work and not worth the trouble due to the limited number of HDTV channels available in NYC.

Bottom line, is I love the thinness of the TV but the speaker system needs improvement.

I got my Samsung LTN1785W 2 days ago and so far it is a great TV. I saved space on my office table and the picture is very good so far. I have to connected any component so far but with normal cable it is fine. I will tell you more after I play so more with it !

We bought this as our kitchen-area TV for watching breaking new stories during meal preparation. We figured it would be nice to be together before meals as well as during them. It was fine while it lasted, which was about five months. The set is now 19 months old, but we really only used it for about four or five months since we were out of the state, on and off, for about a year. The set cost $400, which we paid because of its great reviews even though most sets of this size cost considerably less. The problem that a black shadow has appeared over the bottom half of the picture. The shadow comes into view within a few minutes of turning on the set. It is so dark you can hardly see the whole bottom half of the picture. Of course, now the warranty no longer is in effect, so -- guess we're outta luck. Too bad because the sound was of good quality -- you could hear it over running water. And while it worked, the picture was large enough to see from across the kitchen and adjacent sitting area. For the exercise room, we have a smaller flip-down set which has been working perfectly for about 9 years. That one cost only about $250. I would have just bought another one of those for the kitchen but got talked out of it by the hubby who pays a lot of attention to consumer mags and product reviewers. Maybe he'll read THIS review before getting a new replacement set! Ha ha! Hi, Honey! (This is an update on a review previously written in July, 2010, 13 months ago, when we rated the product highly because it was working fine and fulfilling the function for which we bought it.)