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Wide Color Enhancer/Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp
Connectivity
Super Patterned Vertical Alignment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key Features
 | Samsung's Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (SPVA) panel provides a 178-degree viewing angle from all four axes |
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.
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.
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TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER SOUND April 29, 2008Christopher Nickels (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina United States)
75 out of 77 found this review helpful
From the AVS Forums. These sound settings will bring your sound to life.
"Official LNXXA550 Calibration/Settings Thread"
A lot of people have used Rye82's audio settings and reported dramatic improvements:
Mode: Custom
SRS TruSurround XT: On
Auto Volume: On
TV Speaker: On
(# of clicks):
Balance: 0
100Hz: 8 clicks right
300Hz: 8 left
1kHz: 4 left
3kHz: 3 right
10kHz: 5 right
Turn it up and enjoy the ride. . .Great Pic and more than adequate basic sound!
LOOK NO FURTHER. SIMPLY SPECTACULAR! April 10, 2008G. Cohen (NY)
40 out of 68 found this review helpful
Short and sweet review: ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS LCDTV. I am technical expert and have seen and setup many lcd and plasma hdtv's and if you are thinking about this latest offering from samsung, then look no further. It is that good. 1080p via blu-ray or hd dvd players is breathtaking, when the tv is set up correctly and tweaked. NEVER use the factory default dynamic settings. Those are for store displays only. USE A HIGH QUALITY HDMI CABLE from monoprice.com and you will be blown away. MOVE OVER SONY, SHARP AND TOSHIBA! Get one of these puppies while they are hot and for a hot amazon price of $2300 ( what I paid)with free shipping and no tax. You will not be disappointed!
Seriously Consider This Samsung 52" TV July 10, 2008Samsung Fan (Philly)
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
I have had my TV for nearly a month now and I love it. I am coming from a 27" CRT TV, so of course, I'm going to be impressed. However, here are a few things I would like to pass along to those of you in the market for a new flat panel TV:
* LCD versus Plasma:
If you are having a hard time deciding between LCD and plasma, LCD has nearly caught up with plasma in terms of being the better flat panel TV. You still pay a bit more for a comprable LCD though. If you are hooking up a PC to your TV, will be pausing live TV, or anything else that keeps the picture still for a while, definitely consider an LCD as plasmas still have their problems with ghosting. I was in a Circuit City recently and looked at a new plasma TV with all the "anti burn-in" technologies built in. After accidently leaving an image on the screen for 4 hours, there was obvious "burn-in" on the screen.
* Screen Size:
I originally started looking at 42" TVs, but realized that the picture quality is so good on HDTVs that you can buy a much larger TV even if your seating distance is only a few feet away. So, I limited my search to the 46" - 52" range. Another factor to consider is whether or not you want to spend extra for a 1080p set or settle for 720p. Most experts will say that you can't notice the difference between the two in a set smaller than 50". So, you may want to save the money and go with 720p. Also, I was worried if my TV would look too "big" in my family room, but trust me, it looks great. I'm so used to the screen size now that anything smaller just doesn't look as nice anymore.
* HD and SD Channel Quality
The HD channels look fantastic. I have an HD package with Dish Network and all of the HD channels are incredibly clear. The SD channels are certainly bearable, but a big step down from watching SD channels on my 27" CRT TV (in terms of picture clarity).
* PIP
This feature will not work for most people as you must have an analog signal. Those of you with digital cable or satellite TV will not be able to use it. For everyone else, it seems like it would be ok.
* Sound
I didn't have as big of a complaint as everyone else did. I could hear everything loud and clear. I will soon be hooking it up to a home theatre system to improve the sound, but as for basic TV speakers, they seemed ok to me.
* Price
If you are considering a TV purchase, buying from Amazon is a must. They typically have the lowest price (much lower than big box stores) and you don't have to pay S/H or taxes. The customer service was excellent any time I contacted them with regards to receiving a price adjustment. The delivery service was good too.
* Picture Settings
Most people will complain about the "Dynamic" mode of the TV saying that this is what the big box electronic stores use to make the picture look brighter, sharper, etc. This is true, but keep in mind that if you want to use the DNIe (Samsung's picture enhancing engine), you will need to use "Dynamic". I'm still figuring out if DNIe is worth having on, but what I did was set my "Dynamic" settings to be very similar to the "Standard" settings. This way the screen isn't so bright. As for the rest of the picture quality settings, I left most of them the same except for a few minor adjustments for my personal liking.
* No Auto-Motion
This was definitely a struggle for me. Do I buy a 46" 6 series to get Auto-Motion or a 52" 5 series? I've seen fast moving action scenes in both sports and movies and you can at times pick up some jutter (especially when the background is also moving). If you are really picky, consider getting Auto-Motion (which you can set to off, low, etc), but for most people the 5 series with out Auto-Motion is fine. I don't really notice anything most of the time unless I am really looking for it.
* Bonus
Since you've taken the time to read my long review, here is a little bonus. After you buy this TV (or any Samsung), register it online and they will give you an additional 3 free months of product warranty.
Happy Shopping!
Great Value June 4, 2008Secret Santa
31 out of 31 found this review helpful
A while ago I got a Philips 52PFL7422 LCD from Costco. I couldn't get the Philips to look right, even after adjustments using DVE, so decided to return it and get a different brand / model.
After some research and in-store comparisons, I decided to get the Samsung LN 52A550. I checked Amazon and the price was less than I paid for the Philips, and I trusted Amazon, being a satisfied customer of theirs for years.
From the start the Samsung was MUCH better than my previous set. It had none of the issues I had with the Philips. I was surprised how well the colors and black levels looked before I did any tweaking. Wanting to get the best picture I could, I set all the enhancements off and used DVE (Digital Video Essentials) to fine-tune the set. The result was a great picture, not overblown like store displays, but not dim or washed out either.
To summarize, here is my opinion of the pros and cons of this set.
Pros:
1. Great contrast - adjusted backlight, contrast and brightness so the blacks look great and whites are not blown out. A really nice, not-too-bright, natural looking image.
2. Great Color temperature and Tint
3. Menus are well organized and VERY comprehensive - many advanced adjustments are available without entering special service menus.
4. USB photo and music interface was nice and menus were comprehensive.
5. Clean-looking frame and pedestal.
6. Noise Reduction and Dynamic Contrast modes, when needed, offer subtle enhancements without degrading the image.
7. Great HD quality from Blu-Ray/PS3. Games and Blu-Rays look fantastic. Even older non-HD DVD's look very good.
8. Great HD and Good SD quality from Cable Box (after adjusting the factory default contrast down to mid-60's, sharpness down to around 0, edge enhancement off).
9. Good quality from Wii and Playstation 2 - contrast, etc. settings similar to Cable Box. The games looked surprisingly good even though they are 480i or 480p. Be sure to not ovewrdrive contrast or sharpness. Use backlight to brighten if necessary.
10. HP Laptop (with NVidia graphics) connected via HDMI looked great. TV displayed various resolutions properly without chopping off the top or sides.
11. Low glare screen. Not as matte as some others, but definitely not high gloss like other Samsung LCD's. This was a must-have for me due to the bright room where the TV is installed.
12. Very good off-center viewing angles. - MUCH better than my previous LCD set.
13. Remote has good-sized buttons and a backlight.
Cons:
1. Sound is hollow unless you perform some adjustments (see AVS Forums for suggested settings). Not really a factor for me since I connect up to an external stereo system anyway.
Didn't Try:
1. VGA/PC Video input.
2. Digital sound outputs.
3. Composite video input.
All-in-all I am very happy with the purchase and with Amazon shipping and customer service.
Buyer Beware of Samsung Customer Service!!!! July 11, 2008Elizabeth (CA, USA)
26 out of 33 found this review helpful
I have no complaints about the television, but about the Samsung company itself. People who purchase from Samsung need to read this review to know the nightmare that may be in store for you should something go wrong with your new television. I would STRONGLY urge anyone who purchases a product from Samsung to make sure you purchase the extra in-store warranty that guarantees immediate exchange at the store you purchase it from in case anything goes wrong. That way, if the tv breaks, you don't have to deal with Samsung Customer Service and can simply get it exchanged at the store you purchased it from. We purchased the 2007 model of this t.v. on December 23rd, 2007 and it broke within a month of us buying it. The LN52 A550 is the model t.v. that they will be replacing it with after 8 months, yes, you read that right, 8 MONTHS of wrangling with Samsung Customer Service department. We paid for a $2,000 television and got to actually watch it with enjoyment for about a month before these awful lines started spreading like a virus all over the screen. Samsung literally has the absolute worst customer service department I've ever worked with. I am not alone in this, other folks have had the exact same horrible experience as me (see the forums on Samsung). They make great products, but they do not back up those products with quality support. They will miscommunicate, not call you back, be rude to you when you call them, drop the ball and never move forward on your case until you practically make it a full time job in your spare time to call them. I've had to call them close to 20 times in the last 3 months. Today when I called, I found out that they had closed me case and listed my television as FIXED when it was broken beyond repair and we were supposed to already be in the review process for a new television. I'm not exaggerating about how bad this service is, so please, save yourself the time and aggravation and spring for the extra hundred or so bucks, just in case. You will save yourself the cost of having to go to the doctor for high blood pressure meds after attempting to deal with Samsung's Customer Torture Department. To top it off, our warranty on the replacement t.v. ends on the same day as our old, broken tv. They won't extend it, even though it was all their fault that we had to wait so long for a new televison. Buyer beware, is all I'm saying. Good luck to everyone.
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