Samsung LN52A550 LCD TV Review

Samsung LN52A550 is one of the best deals for LCD TV to go around right now. Its quality comes at a reasonable price and that is just one of the reasons why many customers are so satisfied with the product. Generally, it scores 5 out of 5 stars on consumer reviews and most expert reviews also give it a high rating. That says a lot about what Samsung LN52A550 is able to offer. Among its main qualities, we can talk about great picture quality, deep black levels, great colors, plenty of connectivity options, and a reasonably good viewing angle for an LCD HDTV. Samsung LN52A550 is part of the A550 LCD TV series from Samsung, and, while it presents a fair anti-glaring coating, it does not have the same performance as other HDTV models. Its screen is not as shiny as that of the newer models from Samsung A650 and A750 series, so LN52A550 actually has better anti-glare properties than its newer brothers. Also, this model has not implemented the 120Hz refresh rate, which makes it slightly weaker than its younger brothers. Another disadvantage that can be counted here is that it does present some uniformity issues. But, all in all, this is a very good buy for the price, and its picture quality recommends it.

Specifications

• Screen size: 52 inches (you can identify the screen size by the “52″ number in LN52A550)
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixel (1080p/Full HD)
• No 120Hz video processing

If you want to read all the specifications of this LCD TV, you will find them on the Samsung LN52A550 product page on the manufacturer’s website.

Picture Quality

The main point that Samsung LN52A550 supporters put their finger on is its excellent picture quality. That is because, when compared with many other LCD TV’s that are sold on the market, even the more expensive ones, Samsung LN52A550 comes on top, with absolutely no problems. Because it has only 60Hz refresh rate, it does not handle 1080p/24 Blu Ray sources as well as the 120Hz LCD TV models. Its deep black levels and excellent color reproduction compensate for some minor uniformity issues, and that is why most reviews will point out that this is one of the best deals for purchasing an LCD TV. LN52A550 needs a little bit of tweaking once it is delivered to the door, so you can enjoy its excellent picture quality in full effect. If you are dissatisfied with the factory default settings, you can fine-tune it, and with just a little effort, you will get to watch a balanced image, not too bright, (like it is set to look better in electronics stores), not washed out, either. Especially for people buying their first LCD (and coming from a regular CRT, the picture quality can be considered amazing. Its 30.000:1 contrast ratio really works its magic.

Black Levels

For an LCD TV, Samsung LN52A550 can really boast about its deep black levels. Usually, plasma TV’s are considered to be winners when a competition about black levels is involved, so this has been an issue for LCD manufacturers for quite some time. Samsung really achieved some great black levels for its A550 series and this model is the living proof. For images in which shadows are present, you will get an exquisite watching experience, as the blacks will show good solid values, enhancing the general picture quality. Even before the buyer has to do any tweaking, black levels are still great. While with other LCD models, the dark scenes tend to look washed out, this is not the case with Samsung LN52A550. Being an LCD HDTV, Samsung LN52A550 can not defeat a similarly priced plasma when it comes to black levels. However, compared to its siblings in the LCD TV world, it does deliver better blacks.

Color Accuracy

You can achieve some vivid, really vibrant colors for this LCD TV, if you tweak a little the saturation. If you’re not a fan of vivid colors, and prefer color accuracy, you can have that as well, LN52A550 being a top performer in this area as well. Also, another aspect to be taken into consideration is that black and tones of black keep their color, without getting any tinge of blue or green, like it happens in other models. Its high impact and sharp colors contribute to the popularity of Samsung LN52A550.

Screen Uniformity

Uniformity is not exactly this LCD TV’s strongest point. That actually means that, if you don’t want to experience screen uniformity issues, you should consider buying a newer model of LCD, or a plasma. Too bright areas can become an issue when combined on the screen with darker areas, and the contrast ratio does not solve it. Still, these screen uniformity issues are considered to be only minor, so, if you can live with a little unevenness across the screen in some scenes, then this is the LCD TV to buy.

Overall Picture Quality

There is no doubt about it, Samsung LN52A550 presents great picture quality. It does presents deep black levels and quite accurate colors, and the viewing angle is fairly good. If we think about how popular the product is, we cannot argue too much about its innate qualities. Despite its screen uniformity issues, overall, picture quality is considered to be excellent, causing Samsung LN52A550 to stand out of the crowd.

Standard Definition (SDTV) Quality

As many people know, watching SD content on a HDTV may not be the greatest experience. This is true about standard definition only if you bought a model produced two years ago, but with this 2008 LCD model, things have changed a great deal. Samsung LN52A550 native resolution is 1080p, 1920×1080 pixel, so this LCD has no problem showing 1080p and 1080i content in all its true colors. The problem usually appeared when the need for converting standard definition content arose; with a large screen size, the issue got even worse, and the display of SD content was not nice at all. For standard settings, some edges may appear too soft, and jagged edges still appear around some objects displayed on the screen. Noise reduction does perform its job, and we can say that, with proper adjustments, Samsung LN52A550 offers a fair SD watching experience. There are HDTV models that are better at displaying SD than LN52A550, however this LCD from Samsung is certainly not bad either.

High Definition (HDTV) Quality and Video Processing

Samsung LN52A550 offers full detail from an interlaced HD video source (1080i) and it displays progressive 1080p perfectly, no details being lost. Since it works at “only” 60Hz, you might expect it to be inferior to the 120Hz models. There is however, nothing to complain about the 60Hz in a real life scenario. Of course, if you are specifically looking for the disadvantage of not having 120Hz, you will find it, however it is certainly not a deal breaker unless you’re a big fan of 1080p/24 mode. If you intend to watch Blu-Ray discs, then you should know that the 60Hz refresh rate of Samsung LN52A550 falls behind 120Hz refresh rate of newer models, so some judder may occur during the conversion from 60Hz to 24Hz.

Anti-Glare Performance

When watching television in a brightly lit room, or by someone that does not enjoy getting the curtains down when indulging in this activity, LCD TV’s generally did a good job. Samsung LN52A550 does a fair job at handling glare, however other HDTV models – both LCD and plasma – are superior in this area. Its screen is not as shiny as that of the newer models from Samsung A650 and A750 series, so when it comes to glare, it actually performs slightly better than those newer and more expensive LCD TVs.

Features

While younger brothers of Samsung LN52A550 do have more features, the A550 series comes with everything you need. This model offers a lot of flexibility to use picture settings, in order to achieve the desired picture quality, and the auto setup is also thought to be very simple. The organization of the menu and the advanced adjustments capabilities are appreciated by many customers, as well as the picture enhancing abilities. It lacks the more exotic features present in A650 and A750, but if you need a good TV and don’t really care about Internet connectivity and such fancy features, this TV will be a better deal.

Controls / Settings

Samsung LN52A550 has three picture modes and three picture presets (also called “entertainment modes”). A little bit of a nuisance can appear, as the picture modes are adjustable, while the picture presets are not, which can become quite annoying for the user. The model also comes with five color temperature presets, capability to tweak the white balance, film detection feature, gamma control, dynamic contrast and color space control. Four aspect ratios are available for watching HD content and three power save modes are also in place. If you like the picture-in-picture option, there you have it, with Samsung LN52A550. While newer models have many other features, some consider that the features this model has are quite enough for the average consumer.

Connectivity

Samsung LN52A550 has two video inputs, one VGA-style RGB input, one RF for cable or antenna, one digital audio output, and one stereo audio output. It also has three HDMI inputs, and one of them is a side mounted, which for some users represents a disadvantage, as the ideal set would have had three regular HDMI inputs, and one extra, side mounted. Of course, if you don’t have a lot of Home Theater equipment the three HDMI ports are enough. The HDMI ports are compatible with the 1080p24 video signals that some Blu-ray disc players use.

Hooking up your LCD with a laptop, a PC, or a video game console is easy, and toying with different resolutions is not hard at all. Also, connecting the TV to an USB flash drive is easy, and you get to display pictures from USB at great quality, on the screen, or listen to your MP3 music. Two rear component inputs make Samsung LN52A550 compatible with older devices that don’t support HDMI.

If you prefer to watch television late at night, then you will find useful the headphone jack, which allows you to enjoy your favorite programs, without disturbing other people sleeping in your house.

Sound

This is one of biggest misses for makers of Samsung LN52A550. The built in speakers are considered by many to be underpowered, and the sound is less than desirable in terms of quality. The speaker bar is designed in a way that it can support SRS TurSurround XT, but it does not do much, if you intend to have your own cinema over at your place. Yet, it seems that many buyers of Samsung LN52A550 do not care much about the weak speakers. With its connectivity options, it is fairly easy to set up your home theatre, by connecting a real surround sound system to your LCD.

Compared to Other LCD HDTV Models

Samsung LN52A550 vs LN52A650

Samsung LN52A650 sold very well during 2008, and Samsung LN52A550 was just a little behind. But which are the main differences between these two models designed by Samsung?

The newer model (LN52A650) has a 50.000:1 contrast ratio, which is significantly bigger than that for Samsung LN52A550. Another is the response time, which is with one millisecond lower than that of Samsung LN52A550. Also, the “problem” of the 4th HDMI port is solved with the 650 series.

Another advantage of the LN52A650 is the 120Hz refresh rate. It will not make a huge difference when it comes to fast moving scenes, however if you’re a fan of 1080p/24 Blu Ray movies, you will certainly appreciate the higher refresh rate.

At the time that this article is being written, the price tag that Samsung LN52A650 comes along with may not be seen with good eyes by the average television watcher. So, even if so many are inclined for buying the newer model, for now, you can still save extra for a good LCD TV, by buying Samsung LN52A550. Notice that both have the same 52 inch screen size and relatively similar picture quality, which means that the extra $500 for the A650 series may better serve other purposes. On the other hand, LN52A650 does have some advantages, and in time, things may change and it could become cheaper than LN52A550. The best way to choose the best deal is to shop around before making a purchase.

Samsung LN52A550 vs LN52A750

Another option from Samsung is the newer A750 series. Just as the A650 series, the newer A750 models also come with 120Hz refresh rate. Even if some consider that the 120Hz can contribute to better picture quality, this is mostly part of an advertising campaign and not exactly a plus that can justify spending extra hundreds of dollars for the newer models, at least, for now. But, in case that these models become cheaper, the advantages coming with 120Hz refresh rate can be seen as a bonus. Make sure you understand what 120Hz is all about before making your mind. Lower response time and higher contrast ratio are the same as with A650 models, so the main differences remain the same between LN52A750 and LN52A550. Also, as things are going on right now (when I am writing this) many cannot ignore the fact that the difference of about $1,000 in price cannot be justified just by some extra multimedia features, and other rarely used (by most) adjustments. As long as Samsung LN52A550 offers great quality picture and displays HD and SD content alike with no flows, then, for this comparison, LN52A550 is the winner.