Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Presented by HDTV Shop

46 inch lcd

The midrange of a product line is sometimes where bargains meet high-performance, and that describes the LNA550 series of LCDs from Samsung quite well. The company’s entry-level 1080p resolution models, represented in this review by the LN46A550, lack the fancy “touch of color” styling, Internet-connectivity, and 120Hz processing of their step-up brothers in the company’sA650 and A750 series, but keep the superb picture-quality basics of black-level performance and color accuracy. We also appreciated that, unlike the glossy screen on flashier high-end models, the A550’s screen doesn’t reflect ambient light like a mirror. If you can stand to lose a few features and style points, the LN46A550 looks like a great choice among midrange LCDs.

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.

 This 46-inch LCD set doesn’t have the best off-angle viewing however, but it was generally within a range that we’d consider reasonable. To the far extremes there is some color distortion, but when viewing this set we were pleased with the results even if we weren’t completely front-and-center to the screen. More importantly, we liked that this new generation of Samsung LCD sets has corrected the issue of screen glare, and we found the sets to reflect practically no light. The picture from the Samsung LN46A550 is bright enough to be viewable during daylight hours without the need to draw the curtains or darken the room.

The menu is pretty easy to navigate through, and options are where you’d expect. However, because there’s no dedicated PIP button, it was a little difficult to activate that. You’d have to either go through Menu or press the Tool button on the remote, then go down the menu and activate that feature. The buttons are nice and big and backlit, and we liked the dedicated Tools button that offered quick access to picture and sound modes, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture controls. We didn’t like the clicker’s glossy black finish, however, which picked up more than its share of dulling fingerprints after a few minutes.

Key Features : • 46″ widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio) • high-gloss black finish • 1920 x 1080 pixels • 5-millisecond pixel response time • 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio • 178°(H) x 178°(V) viewing angle • DNIe™ digital video processing • built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts • built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box • 1-tuner picture-in-picture • built-in stereo speakers (10 watts x 2) • illuminated multibrand remote control • Anynet+ simplifies remote control for compatible Samsung components (HDMI-CEC) • picture settings memory for each video input • 6 A/V inputs, including: o 1 composite video o 1 S-video o 2 component video o 3 HDMI v1.3 • PC input: analog RGB (D-Sub 15-pin) • RF input for antenna/cable signals • optical digital audio output for Dolby® Digital • side USB port for digital photo/MP3 playback • Energy Star® compliant • detachable swivel stand • wall-mountable

Pros: Good price, full 1080p model, good contrast ratio

Cons: Underpowered speakers, only three HDMI inputs including side input

Buy it! or view more specification detail for this 46 LCD
Also check out my other article : LCD Widescreen Overview

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Related Post :
• 40 LCD : Samsung LN40A550
• 37 LCD : Samsung LN37A550
• Samsung 46 LCD : Samsung LN46A630
• Samsung 32 LCD : Samsung LNT3253H
• LCD Samsung 46 : Samsung LN46A750

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 12:02 am and is filed under Review, Samsung. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.