My Samsung LN32A550 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Let me first start this review by explaining some HDTV jargon. That way if/when I use it in my review later, you will have a better idea of what I am talking about.

HDTV Jargon Explained

When I first started looking at getting an HDTV, I was overwhelmed by the jargon being thrown around. I must say that I was intimated. However, as I researched more, the jargon became known to me and I finally understood it enough to use their terms to compare products. I would like to pass my (although limited) knowledge onto you in normal people language not their HDTV jargon.

Here is a list of the HDTV jargon that I felt was important. Is this all of the jargon that exists? No. I just felt this was the stuff that matter when I was evaluating HDTV products before I bought mine.

HDTV Term	My "normal person" description	My Opinion(s)
Contrast Ratio	This is the difference between the brightest spot of the TV screen and the dimmest spot.	To me, this was a very important feature as it gives the viewer a much more vibrant picture. It makes the picture look deep (dimensional). The problem with the manufacturer numbers here is that there is no standard measurement for Contrast Ratio. That means that you can only use their numbers to compare HDTV sets of the same manufacturer. You will have to give it the old eye test (that means you look at them to see which you like better) yourself between manufacturers. When I did this, I was most impressed with Samsung across all models. The Samsung HDTVs just seem to have that little extra picture quality to me.
Resolution	Resolution is usually measured in dots per inch(dpi). If you have one inch of TV screen, resolution is the number of individual pixels (or a single spot/dot of light) that can be turned on/off within that inch. Think about it this way. For finer detailed work, an artist uses a smaller paint brush like having smaller pixels (or dots) on a TV screen. The more dots per inch you have (meaning each dot must be smaller to get more dots), the more details you will be able to see in the picture.	Right now there are two flavors of resolutions in HDTV, 720 and 1080. Yes, the 720 resolutions sets are cheaper but why waste your time by not getting the best resolution you can? You are already needing a new TV so you might as well get the best resolution.
Refresh Type	On the TV screen, the way the picture is "drawn" currently comes in two types: Interlaced (abbreviated "i" like 1080i) and Progressive (abbreviated "p" like 1080p). To help you understand this concept, think of the TV screen as a series of parallel horizontal lines. In interlace refreshing, first the even lines are drawn and during a second pass, the odd lines are drawn. In progressive refresh, each line in drawn in turn.	I like progressive best, if the product can really draw the lines fast enough to accommodate it.
HDMI	HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. Ok, as far as we are concerned, that just means that you use that type of connection to hook up your High Definition DVD player (or other equipment).	Get as many of these and other connections as you can on your new HDTV set. You can never have too many connections for stuff.

My Review

Being a bit of a geek, I had my eye on an HDTV for a while. But, how could I justify one to my wife? Then it came to me as the move to High Definition was mandated by our government. Well, honey, I have to get an HDTV since the US government mandate for high definition TV will happen soon. Oh, sweetheart, I can also use it as a computer monitor!

She finally gave in. (I think it was the "puppy dog" look I gave her that really sealed the deal) So, next I had to figure out what exactly I should look for. I looked at various models at many different places including Walmart which only carried the cheap lower resolution ones. The biggest thing I needed to know was which manufacturer was I going to go with.

As you likely read in my HDTV Jargon section, I was really impressed by the deep of picture that the Samsung models produced. Tie this to the fact that I had used Samsung stereo equipment for years with no problems that clinched the manufacturer question for me. Now it was a matter of figuring out which features I would "need". (Ok, the ones I really wanted!)

The features available on the various models can be awe striking. Of course, budget started figuring into the equation about now as well. These babies are not cheap! But, you got to get one as mandated by our government (for those of us in the USA). I did not wish to compromise on the resolution, I had to get 1080p. Why settle for anything less? Then, I had partly sold my wife on using my HDTV as a computer monitor as well. So, that meant I had to have an SVGA connection on my set. Then there was size. I wanted it fifty feet by fifty feet! But reality said that would not fit on my desk much less my budget. So I measured the space I wanted to put my new HDTV and then figured I did not want all of my desktop space used up by the TV. So I settled on a 32 inch model with the features I stated earlier. I also got as many other connections as possible (or as available at the time). Now, I just needed to figure out where to purchase it.

I watched the prices like a hawk. First, Circuit City would have a sale and then Best Buy. Then another store would get in the game. However, I never found any of them would touch the on-line deals. I finally saw a price I could not refuse and you got FREE shipping! All right! I was in. Next was the worst part of the whole experience. ... waiting ... waiting ... waiting. Not that the store was slow to ship it, I was just so anxious to get my hand on it. The day it arrived I almost hyperventilated from excitement before I could get it up to my office and unpacked. I finally had my prize. I mean HDTV. Yes, it was everything I had hoped it would be. After I got my HDTV antenna hooked up to it, I was watching football in HD! It looked like you were right in a stadium seat watching the game only better since you had many cameras to get all the angles.

Now for channel reception, you do not get all those ghostly images like you do with the old rabbit ears. You can either get a station or not. My current HDTV antennas are very directional so you have to point the antenna in just the right direction to pick up whichever station you want to see. But that is not the TV's fault, that is my antenna. But HDTV antennas will likely be another product review for a later date. Look for it in my product review section.

I am very pleased with my HDTV choice. I get a great picture and I use it for my computer as well. You might like to check out the Samsung HDTVs in our store. Just use the link below to see the actual model I purchased. At this time, it is now a little dated as Samsung has come out with three or four models beyond this one. So, have a look and see what you think. You might even like to look at their other newer models before you buy your HDTV!

Samsung 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

You can take a look at the product I am reviewing by following the link below:
Samsung LN32A550 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

If you scroll down far enough on the page displayed by the link above, you will find several product reviews written by other people about this Samsung HDTV.

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