Samsung LN32A550 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 31.5 x 3.5 x 20.2 inches ; 24 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 39 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B00141AYM8
• Item model number: LN-32A550
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,408 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 14, 2008

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description--March 24, 2008

Samsung's 550 Series is a perfect  way to step up to Full HD 1080p resolution. A fast 5 ms response rate produces smooth-motion scenes for sports and action movies, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1 makes for deep blacks and crisp lines (15,000:1 in 32-inch and 37-inch models).  Superb connectivity and networking  with a USB port and 3 HDMI 1.3 ports with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) means these HDTVs play well with all of your other electronics. Easily enjoy MPEG and JPEG files stored on external devices by connecting through the side-mounted USB 2.0, turn your LCD into a full-scale home viewing gallery, or connect your MP3 player for a dynamic audio experience.

Key Features

• New -- 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio: up from 15,000:1 on 2007 models (15,000 on 32-inch and 37-inch models) (Learn more)
  
• New -- Fast 5ms response time: down from 8ms on 2007 models thanks to a new high-speed liquid crystal
• Full 1080p HD (Learn more)
• 178-degree viewing angle from all four axes with Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (Learn more)
  
• 3 HDMI 1.3 ports: Simplay compliant (Learn more)
• USB 2.0 port: connect devices directly to your HDTV--view JPEG photos or MPEG movies or easily listen to your MP3 player through your HDTV's audio system or your home theater system
• DNIe Digital Natural Image Engine improves the picture by enhancing the contrast, detail, and white balance (Learn more)
  
• Hidden speakers with SRS TruSurround XT audio (Learn more)
• Wide Color Enhancer technology and Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) offer a wider color range (Learn more)
• Picture-in-Picture (PIP) enables convenient simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC sources
• V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by the parent to contain objectionable content.
• Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French.
  
• Variable sleep timer to turn the TV off in varying time intervals.
• Auto wall mount compatible: 3-dimensional operation via TV’s remote control; no external IR receiver required.
• Swivel stand included
• 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty (90 days parts and labor for commercial use), with in-home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support

Step Up Features

• Series 6: 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, AutoMotion Plus 120Hz image interpolation for smoother motion, 4ms response time, Transparent and Opaque Color (TOC) bezel, Clear Panel, Ethernet port with Infolink free RSS feeds, 4 HDMI 1.3 ports, Sports and Game modes, Compatible with Samsung's Home Digital Media Adapter for playback and navigation of Internet and stored PC multimedia
• Series 7: Internal flash memory (1GB) with pre-loaded interactive content such as cooking recipes, children's entertainment, HD artwork and more, Integrated woofer for an enhanced audio experience, DLNA-Compatible: for better interoperability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers

• Step Up Features
  

• Series 6: 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, AutoMotion Plus 120Hz image interpolation for smoother motion, 4ms response time, Transparent and Opaque Color (TOC) bezel, Clear Panel, Ethernet port with Infolink free RSS feeds, 4 HDMI 1.3 ports, Sports and Game modes, Compatible with Samsung's Home Digital Media Adapter for playback and navigation of Internet and stored PC multimedia
• Series 7: Internal flash memory (1GB) with pre-loaded interactive content such as cooking recipes, children's entertainment, HD artwork and more, Integrated woofer for an enhanced audio experience, DLNA-Compatible: for better interoperability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers
• Series 8: super-slim 1.9-inch thick profile

What size TV should you get?

Learn More

Full HD 1080P

Full HD, or 1080p, contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. More scanning lines mean more pixels, more details and a better picture. The new Samsung LCD TV with resolution that is approximately 2 times greater than conventional HDTVs, creating the most perfect picture imaginable. Samsung’s 1080p panel uses a new high-speed liquid crystal to cut response time to 4ms. The fast response time, coupled with Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz motion blur reduction technology dramatically reduces motion blur and judder.

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30,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio/500 nit Brightness

30,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio will give you a picture better than you ever thought possible, with whiter whites, blacker blacks and a nearly infinite subtlety of gradations in between. As two of the most important determining factors in overall picture quality, contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this latest generation LCD panel. Samsung’s new LCD TV’s give the most stunning realistic picture quality ever.

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Digital Natural Image Engine

DNIe The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine. This exclusive Samsung technology dramatically improves the picture by enhancing the contrast, detail, white balance and reduces.

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Wide Color Enhancer/Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp

The NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) has established the color standards all TVs in America try to meet. And typical LCD TVs only meet about 72% of this standard. Samsung LCD HDTVs use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp back lights to give you 92% coverage of the NTSC standard, ensuring truer, more breathlessly vivid colors. Samsung’s exclusive Wide Color Enhancer technology delivers more brilliant colors, even in bright areas of the picture where blues and greens are washed out on conventional screens. The system displays wider color reproduction, showing you truer colors – the fresh green of spring foliage, the intense blue of the summer sky.

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Connectivity

To make the Series 6 a true entertainment hub for any home, Samsung has incorporated advanced HD connectivity and networking capabilities that expand the HDTV’s functionality. A wide variety of multimedia devices can be connected to the set through any one of the four Simplay compliant HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side), and the handy HDMI-CEC feature lets you control all your CEC-enabled peripherals using just one remote. Connect HD digital devices like disc players, game consoles, and satellite dish components into the 2 rear connections and use the side-mounted input for cameras, camcorders, and laptops. HDMI is the best performing interface for displaying an HD source on an HDTV. Once connected, users can easily access device menus and manage and display content through the newly redesigned Wheel Key Remote control and the HDTV’s sophisticated content management interface. All Connections 3 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) version 1.3: (2 rear/1 side) Component video: 2 rear (Y, Pb, Pr) Composite inputs: 1 rear (shared with component) / 1 side S-Video: 1 side PC input: 1 rear Wiselink® (USB 2.0) RF antenna inputs Headphone jack: side

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Super Patterned Vertical Alignment

Samsung’s Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (SPVA) panel provides a 178-degree viewing angle from all four axes

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Audio Features

TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the two hidden, downward-firing side-mounted 2.2-channel dome speakers built into the TV.

SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass.

TruSurround XT audio also adds three audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.

• Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into Focus during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
• TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
• The SRS WOW feature widens the sound stage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.

Stereo broadcast reception is offered for MTS and SAP with 181-channel capacity. A sound leveler keeps audio volume consistent during channel changing.

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Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?

With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience. If you know the size of the room you have already, where you want to sit, and where your new HDTV should go once you get it, you can figure out the size HDTV you should get. Minimum size = Viewing distance/3 Maximum size=Viewing distance/1.5

• Series 5 1080p LCD HDTVs are available in 32-inch, 37-inch, 40-inch, 46-inch, and 52-inch models
  
• Series 6 1080p LCD HDTVs are available in 19-inch, 22-inch, 32-inch, 40-inch, 46-inch, and 52-inch models
• Series 7 1080p LCD HDTVs are available in 40-inch, 46-inch, and 52-inch models

Product Description

Take your home entertainment to the next level with the Samsung LN32A550 HDTV. With 1080p HD resolution, the picture quality is unlike anything you've ever experienced. The 15,000:1 contrast ratio delivers amazing details and color clarity while wide color enhancer eliminates washed out colors. Why settle for anything less than outstanding picture quality and brilliant color? With the Samsung LN32A550 HDTV you get the total package.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

139 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Picture!, May 27, 2008

By	Robert Steelman (Yadkinville, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been wanting a new flat-panel TV for some time and, though I do make a lot of purchases on-line, I felt like I actually needed to look at a TV in person. My wife and I were looking at the TV's in Wal-mart when another customer pointed out that the better TVs had a higher contrast ratio and he thought that was the most important factor. Sure enough, the one we thought had the best picture was the one with the highest contrast ratio - it was 3200:1, the best 32-inch in the store. (I really wanted something with 1080p resolution, but they only had 720p in the 32" size TVs. We decided to get that one, since we had seen it and felt like we could enjoy it - but they didn't have one in stock...

I came home and began to research. It turns out that there are only a very few 1080p TVs in the 32" model, this being one of them. In looking at the contrast ratio I found that this one was rated at 15,000:1 - almost 5 times better than the best one at Walmart. (High contrast ratio seems to give you darker darks and whiter whites - lower contrast ratios have a milky looking gray where it's supposed to be black...) My research combined with what I saw in the store gave me the confidence to purchase a TV on-line. I settled on the Samsung LN32A550.

The TV arrived in good working order and I had it set up and running within 30 minutes. (The biggest problem was unhooking and moving the old one!) The picture is everything I could have imagined it would be - far better than anything I saw in the store. The crystal clear picture and crisp, well defined images make this simply the best picture I have ever seen on a TV. I saw a bit of a NASCAR race on this unit and the motion was unbelievably smooth - no after images at all.

I debated a bit on giving this unit a five-star rating. I felt like the picture quality so outrated the sound that I had to bump it up a bit. But if sound is an issue you may want to consider this to be a "four-star" unit. While the TV has a built in equalizer function (with some presets based on your listening preferences) I found the sound, even in the best adjustment leaves a lot to be desired. It has a tinny sound much like you would expect from an old transitor radio. I would suggest investing in a good pair of external speakers to enhance this unit. (If you already have a home theatre set-up sound is not an issue anyway...)

So far I'm glad I made this purchase. If Samsung can improve the speakers on this TV they will have the perfect TV!

*****
UPDATE:

OK.... Now that I've owned this thing a few months I'll tell you how it's going:

First, it was pointed out to me in a post that the contrast ratio on 27- and 32-inch TV's was 15,000:1 instead of 30,000:1 as I incorrectly surmissed from the somewhat unclear (to me) product update. I have edited the initial review to reflect the correct information. I'm sorry for any confusion it may have caused. (If you want the higher ratio and have the room, you could consider going with a larger screen size. 15,000: is still a pretty amazing ratio though...)

Overall I am happy to report that I am just as satisfied today as I was the day I first turned it on. I did purchase a set of Creative GigaWorks T40 Premium 2.0 Speakers (available at Amazon.com) for around $125 - and this dramatically improved my viewing experience. (I'm sure the best option would be to use a home theatre set-up - but this unit is in my bedroom...)

I still recommend this TV - just don't expect too much out of the sound - without a little help.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good TV at a Great Price, April 21, 2008

By	Mr. William D. Akers "Barachiel" (Blacksburg, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this last week, and so far, its exceeded all my expectations except in one regard (below). The picture is fantastic, and each input is customizable so you can use one video setting for each device you have plugged in. This is especially handy as it doubles as a PC monitor for me. Some people say you can't tell 1080p quality on a 32" screen. Well I'm here to tell you their wrong. The difference is noticeable, both when using it for my PC and when lying back in bed watching movies. The interface is user-friendly, the remote well laid out, and setup was easy. This brings me to the one flaw in the system: the on-board speakers are tin-y and low-quality. Get a set of external speakers ASAP if you by this set. If you've got a home theatre system already, then this isn't an issue, but be warned, this is one of the worst sounding TV I've ever had. Still, for a picture this good, its worth it.

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deffinetly worth the money, April 14, 2008

By	Mark Twain "MT" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This was my first television purchase. I wanted a true 1080p high definition television. I didn't want to spend over $1000 and I did some serious shopping between Circuit City, Best Buy, and Target.

I found that the in store guy I bought my television from at Circuit City matched the online price they had listed. At first, one guy tried to sell me it for 1099, but that is not the point of the review, but be careful...do you're home work before purchasing. You could be missing an online sale like I almost did. Also, AAA gives a discount for 8% on purchases over 150 at Circuit City.

The picture clarity in HD is simply amazing. I was watching the Masters on Sunday and the detail was just incredible. It made me very happy with my purchase. The picture clarity with standard non-HD programming is not as good as my old 20" TV. I'm not sure why this is, I assumed it would also be a better picture...I was wrong.

Gaming on this TV is incredible as well. The Playstation 3 HD games are so bright and vivid, it really does make it more fun to play with the picture clarity being so clear. The system hooks into the TV via HDMI cable and was so easy to set up. This TV has three HDMI inputs, two on the back one on the side. I can hook it up to my PC too, though that is not an important feature to me.

The design is nice and simple. All black with an easy to install TV stand. The remote is big but not to big, with buttons spaced out nicely and the back light turning on each time a button is pushed. Installing this TV was very simple, that was great!

The only negative about this TV is the sound quality from the built in speakers during DVD viewing. They speakers become tin(e) and sound quality is distorted. I recommend investing in a nice home theater system. Sound quality is good while watching TV and gaming.

Overall I would give this TV a 4.5 out of 5. I am very happy with it and its abundance of HDMI inputs. The picture quality is amazing for HD programs and gaming. The contrast isn't the greatest for regular tv viewing and the sound is tin(e)/distorted while watching DVDs.