Samsung LE32B550A5 32-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Crystal LCD TV with Freeview
Posted by Notcot on Jun 8, 2010 in Home Cinema & Video |
Product Description
- Crystal TVâ„¢
- Platinum Black
- DNIe+
- USB2.0
- X4 HDMI
- 32″ Full 1080p HD LCD Screen
- 1920 x 1080 Resolution
- SRS Trusurround HD Audio
- USB Port
- 4 x HDMI Sockets
Samsung LE32B550A5 32-inch Widescreen Full HD 1080p Crystal LCD TV with Freeview
I’ve had this TV for a month now and I am pleased to say it is everything I wanted and expected. I upgraded from a 26″ samsung 720p TV and choose to keep to Samsung due to the excellent performance of that TV.
This 32″ full HD TV has excellent picture quality, the colours are deep and vivid, the picture fast and responsive. I use mainly with a PS3, which, at 1080p is great. The four HMDI ports (3 on the back, 1 on the side) allow me to connect all my devices at once.
The TV itself is very attractive, feels very well built, solid and robust. The stand is solid and allows you to turn the TV left and right, for perfect set-up. All the buttons on the TV are touch sensitive, which looks great, but, at night when its dark, means that it takes a moment to find the off button (with practice I’ll learn!). Attaching the stand was OK, 8 screws and two peices. The screw holes were threaded but took some effort, although this probably means it is now very secure. I recommend a good screwdriver, I used an old one at first and nearly stripped one screw head.
The remote control is easy to use, although a little more clunky and less attractive than the remote for my old 26″. No longer is there a button to swith direct to HDMI devices, you have to use a ‘source’ menu instead. The TV does not always automatically switch to a new input when you turn it on (ie. using a PS3, then turn on the sky box, it does not automatically change the source, as older models did).
The downfiring speakers give a great sound quality, deep, rounded and slightly bassy.
Pros: Excellent quality picture, Looks great & Good connectivity.
Cons: Clunky remote (not terrible), changing sources takes more than a moment & The stand could be easier to assemble (not bad enough to be put off from buying).
A great buy, very happy, based on my previous 26″ samsung the second-hand value will hold well. Now I’m rewatching all my DVD’s in even higher defintion glory and enjoying how much more I get out of PS3 games!
Rating: 5 / 5
Very easy setup with the most user-friendly menus I have ever used. The picture quality is superb, probably superior in my Panasonic, which cost significantly more. Currently been fed solely by the RF2 signal from the downstairs Sky HD box, through it the terrestrial signal is strong, with only the usual standard definition-type artefacts present, ie don’t stand too close to the screen and all will be well. There are times when the picture quality really impresses, even compared with the HD on the Panasonic. However, with the ‘natural’ picture setting selected the TV makes a humming noise which varies depending on the brightness of the picture. Frustrating because the picute quality was better with this selected. Ours was so annoying the TV was returned to Amazon, typically this was carried out without fuss. The replacement TV had exactly the same problem – solution, to select the ‘standard’ setting and adjust the rest of the controls to compensate.
Rating: 4 / 5
TV seems good so far. Easy to set up – none of the problems fixing up the stand which I’ve read about in other reviews. Lovely picture. Just two niggly points:
1) The sound is poor – as it seems to be with every TV which has speakers pointing backwards. Voices are muffled and speech difficult to distinguish. So I’ve bought a couple of cheap external speakers which plug into the headphone jack at the back of the TV. The improvement is enormous.
2) The font size on the built-in Freewiew TV programme guide is a bit small for comfortable reading at the distance I sit from the set. This may just mean that I need new glasses, but Samsung should probably think about providing a large-font option for people with a visual impairment – unless of course this option already exists and I just haven’t discovered it.
Rating: 4 / 5
Well to begin with, i was going to buy the predacessor model of this TV but i thought why not go for the newer version becasue surely for the extra bit of money i would get a little bit extra, but so far i dont know what i have gained extra. I was also considering the LG LH4000 which i was going to buy but though Samsung have a better name for reliability and gaming so i bought this remarcable TV.
First things first, you open the box and are confronted by a sleek glossy black TV, might i add, well packed. It comes with a remote, batteries, stand, cleaning cloth but note not for the screen but for the surrounding black areas of the screen, and various instructions etc. Now, you might be thinking at this point why are you explaining this to me, but i bleive you need to know what you are buying.
The TV stand was bloomin difficult to assemble, my stand had no thread so screwing the blasted screws in are difficult enough if took me 2 hours of agony, due to blisters and strain put onto my forearm trying to secure the screws. Bearing in mind i am a fit individual i have never found it so hard to screw in 4 screws. So i would advise buying a thread maker or what every it is called if you want to save yourself alot of stress. However not to worry, after you have overcombe this hurdle, the screws that you use to screw the stand to the TV are relatively easy.
The side buttones running down the right hand side of the black side trim are touch sensitive, which is quite snazzy. This feature combined with the elegan, sheeque black side trim, it goes nicely with your PS3.
As soon as you turn the TV on, you select your language and settings etc, very simple, however choosing the antenni option is abit awkard if you dont understand Technology but you will be able to solve this problem eventually by trial and error lol.
Well performance, Grrreat. The colours are vivvid, you can change various screen setting and sound options extensively. The TV has excellent blacks and contrasts, as i was concerned because the spec does not show the contrast ratio. I mean the only reason why this product gets 5 stars is because the picture is great, the TV looks Great, the Stand looks Great (yet very difficult to assemble due to no threads in the screw holes).
Gaming… A very important part of everyones life, espascially for me. I bought this Samsung instead of the LG also because of its better processing engine for digital immagery. I know i will be shot for saying that becuase im not sure it is called an engine but hey. Anyways, the gaming aspect, i have to say it does look nice next to my PS3 and 360 especially with performance when connected with the two consoles. The blue ray DVDs are equisite, the sound is crisp, the fast action explosions are smooth. What more can you ask for.
I am sure the LG would have a stand that is easier to assemble, but this TV is amazing, fully reommend for those with strong wrists, and forearms unless the stand has screw threads.
So to conclude, this product is great, and will be agreat asset to your room and a great replacement for you old TV. Combined with HD consoles this TV is pucca. I have yet to connect my PC to it but shall in due course.
Overall 9.5/10, it loses the 0.5 because of the bloomin stand !! If anyone requests, i can post pictures of the TV.
GREAAAAAAT TTTTTTTTVVVVVVVVVVVV !!
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m so impressed with this Samsung. As it’s my first LCD TV I had high expectations due to both the spec and seeing the quality of my mate’s Samsung LCD TV. I have not been disappointed. Simple to set up and getting going. I now have my Mac Mini attached via a HDMI to DVI cable and the results are awesome either using it as a massive 32″ display (the native resolution is brilliant) or for Front Row as a media centre for films and music. The in-built Freeview is excellent and the picture is crisp and bright. There are numerous settings you can tinker with for picture improvement. I don’t understand why other people had difficulty with the stand. Mine was simple to assemble and was attached in a few minutes! Well impressed and completey satisfied with this purchase!
Rating: 5 / 5