A fine HDTV of a reasonable size at a reasonable price

1080p HDTVs provide the best pictures in sizes larger than 48inches or so.  At 32", there is not perceptable difference - except in price! 720p does the job quite nicely in this Samsung LN32A450 HDTV.

While I m generally quick to buy and try new technology, I have been slow coming around to HDTV.  I thought I would wait until more channels were available in that broadcast fashion and until the official switch to digital broadcast became the standard.  So, a year ago, when our old JVC gave up the dust (the tuner died,) it was replaced with a new 27" Samsung CRT - all 90 pounds of it. We still use it in the guest room and with digital signals, the picture IS better than it was - but, geez, we thought it was really excellent - before we saw this HDTV.


We were quite pleased until we broke down and got this HDTV.  If you have not yet seen it, it is difficult to describe just how very superior the image is! Because we sit no further than 6-8 feet from the screen, research informed us that a 32" screen was probably adequate and that a 720p definition would be just as good as the ‘industry standard' 1080p.  Right on both counts. Months of shopping and research led us to this Samsung LN32A450 HDTV and, in all honesty, the picture quality and overall performance have been quite stellar.

Complimented, now, with a HD-Digital DVR (from Comcast) the images are clear and crisp. The color definition striking, the blacks are really black and there are no residual ‘shadows' following even the fastest motion in the images.  The response time, the quality that allows the set to hold motion clearly, is measured in units abbreviated as "ms"s.  Samsung rates this set at 6ms while some stores say it rates at 8ms.  I don't pretend to understand what this number means, but, as a consumer, I can tell you that the clarity of both still and moving images is as clear -or clearer- that our local movie theater that proudly announces that it now used "Digital Projectors."

By comparison in local stores, this Samsung LN32A450 HDTV looks better than many more expensive models.  The Samsung repair reports are quite positive and their service is outstanding.  We bought ours on line.  We knew this might create a risk if we needed help, but were comforted by Samsungs reputation for service work and our prior experiences with the Samsung brand.

There was, from the outset, a low frequency buzzing intermittently. We called the Samsung 800 repair line. The next day, a technician showed up.  Two days later, both speakers and the ‘motherboard' equivalent of the HDTV were replaced.  The buzz was gone and from my household's point of view, we now have a perfectly operating HDTV.

The factory settings were essentially fine out-of-the-box, though we adjusted the brightness just a tad to suit our personal tastes and the positioning of the TV facing windows in the room we watch it in.

There are still many Standard Definition stations being broadcast - and on this Samsung HDTV, they look so much better that they, too, appear to have shifted to HDTV. The unit has a digital tuner built in to it though with some systems (like Comcast) you still need an adaptor so as to be able to capture all of the now digitally broadcast stations. This number of stations increases each month as the Feds have delayed the required National digital broadcasting for another few months.

The body is sleek (less than 6" thick) and it is light (less than #30.)  The old LCD is, by comparison, a heavyweight, pixilated image.  It is glossy black at mounts on its own swivel stand.  The remote is likewise glossy black, clearly marked and offers a wonderful set of options including adjusting the size of the picture to 3x4 (the old standard, 6x9 (the current standard,) 1x  and 2x focus as well as the ability to adjust its general picture presentation and sharpness setting to standard, movie or dynamic (primarily for sports.)

The Samsung LN32A450 has 2 HMDI inputs as well as standard 3-wire- video connectors. Our Samsung ‘upscaling' DVD player hooks up by HMDI and automatically connects when turned on. We still use it in the guest room and with digital signals, the picture IS better than it was - but, geez, we thought it was really excellent - before we saw the HDTV.

At around $600., the Samsung LN32A450 32" HDTV is an outstanding performer at an outstanding price from a reputable manufacturer that honors its warranty promises!  What more could a consumer ask?  While there is a 1080p version of this 32" set for several hundred dollars more, I suggest that this would be a waste.

You can spend more, but you would be hard pressed to get more for your money.  A good company with a solid product, prompt and responsive warranty service and an image that beats the band.  Sit back and enjoy!