Best 52″ LCD TV

Samsung LN52B750 has fluorescent backlight as opposed to models in Samsung LUXIA series, which have LED backlighting. Even without the new LED technology, the LN52B750 manages to produce extremely deep black levels. Not as deep as those on Samsung B8500 models, but at least as good as any other LED LCD TV and better than most fluorescent backlit LCDs. On top of the fantastic black levels, this LCD TV benefits from very accurate colors, this combination making Samsung LN52B750 one of the best LCD TVs on the market. It comes equipped with Samsung’s Wide Color Enhancer 3 technology and it has a nice set of features. If you have a lot of light in the room however, LN52B750 might not perform as well as some Sony or LG models, because it has a shiny screen which is prone to glare.

The Sony KDL-52Z5100 is a fluorescent backlit set with a 240Hz refresh rate. It lets users to download widgets such as weather reports, financial news, Yahoo! Video, Flickr images, stock ticker updates, and additional content. Sony’s XBR9 has almost identical features to the Z series, but the XBR9’s have a wider color gamut backlight. Its matte screen performs better in ambient light than Samsung’s glossy screens. The LG LH90 series has similar black levels to the KDL-52Z5100, though the LH90 might just edge Sony out concerning shadow detail.

Part of lower end B550 series from Samsung, the LN52B550 can’t compete with the high-end and certainly not the top of the line models. It’s black levels though relatively deep, are visibly inferior to those seen on LN52B750, Samsung LUXIA series and Sony’s XBR9 and Z5100. The colors are good as, but just as the black levels, not the best we have seen. Though not among the best HDTVs out there, LN52B550 has one major advantage: it is significantly cheaper. If you have a tight budget and you are not very demanding from your HDTV, Samsung LN52B550 will be the obvious choice.