Samsung LN40A550 40 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Samsung LN40A550 40 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

The SAMSUNG LN40A550 delivers the sharpest, most realistic picture quality you’ve ever seen. Full HD (1080p) contains 1.5 times more scanning lines than conventional HD TVs. That means more pixels, more details and a better picture. A resolution that is approximately twice as much as conventional HD TVs creates the most perfect picture imaginable. Contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this LCD TV. Watch movies and shows come to life with enhanced details in very dark or bright scenes. Enjoy a more realistic, sharper picture quality that’s sure to catch your eye with 30,000:1 contrast ratio. One of the most important features for an LCD panel is the pixel response time. Response time refers to the amount of time it takes a pixel to “refresh” itself-to go from being active to being inactive, (ready to be re-activated). The lower the milliseconds, the faster the response time. A very fast 5ms response time virtually eliminates any blurring and gives you smooth-motion action scenes. Want to get more entertainment out of your TV than movies and shows? With our Wiselink USB connection, you can easily and quickly hook up your MP3 player or digital camera and entertain family and friends with a photo slideshow set to music. SAMSUNG LCD TVs make your high-definition dreams a reality. With the SAMSUNG LN40A550 HDTV you really get the total package. 30,000 – 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio 5ms Response Time 16 – 9 Aspect Ratio SRS TruSurround XT 10 W + 10 W Audio System Input Ports – 3 x HDMI (1 side, 2 rear), 2 x Component, 2 x A/V (1 side, 1 rear), 1x 15-pin VGA PC, 1 x S-Video (side), Wiselink (USB 2.0), RF antenna inputs, Headphone jack (side) Approximate Unit Dimensions – 39.2 (W) x 27 (H) x 11.8 (D) with stand Approximate Unit Weight – 61.5 pounds

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Awesome!
We love it! It is an instant setup with intuitive menu. The picture is extreamly crisp on digital stations but unbelievable on high definition. We receive signals from our rooftop antenna which does not yet have a rotor so only stations broadcasting digital from one direction about 40 miles away come in well. Digital stations are all or nothing but the signal strength can be displayed. We expect that with a rotor to turn the antenna other stations will be just as good.

Before purchase, we did our homework and found this Samsung T.V. was highly rated and we find that rating well deserved.

Amazon’s bottom line price was the best we could find.

5 Stars Simply Amazing
Went from a 19in TV to a 40in Samsung and very satisfied. I had checked different TVs for quality, view-ability, price, reputation, etc, for 3 months and finally decided on this set for $799, the best price in April 2009. Even the tuner card [I use a roof antenna] was more powerful than the converter box I bought with the gov’t coupon. Very happy all around. PLUS, when I registered at the Samsung website, I was given a 3 month extension on the warranty for FREE.

5 Stars Samsung LCD is great!
Samsung LN40A550 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

We had researched LCD’s for almost a year and went to some of the box stores to actually view the models we thought we might be interested in. The Samsung LN40A550 ended up at the top of our list. We were able to get the best price through Amazon (the prices do fluctuate, so it’s worth the effort to be patient and check on the price over a period of time) Amazon’s delivery service is great! We received our TV within a few days. The delivery service calls to arrange a convienent time to deliver and set up your TV. It is unpackaged, inspected and plugged in to check the blue screen. We have been completely satisfied with the sound, color and quality of the set. There is a multitude of adjustments you can make to get exactly the picture and sound you want. We were especially impressed by the sound quality of the set. While we may add a surround sound system in the future, it really isn’t necessary with the 550. One note…we did not have HD when we purchased the set. We added the feature to our cable a few weeks later and I have to say the picture quality is better on the HD channels…no noticable pixeling, even at close range. I would say our overall experience has been a very good one with both Amazon and this TV!

5 Stars Incredible color … superior price … PERFECT!
I purchased a SAMSUNG LCD HDTV on the recommendation of several prople in the television business. I was not disappointed. What amazing color! I was, however, concerned about buying from AMAZON, thinking that I could get any necessary service and, if necessary, set-up from a local vendor. AMAZON, however, offered the best price (by a mile!) and delivered and set-up the set for me WITHOUT ANY EXTRA CHARGE! The set-up, by the way, was easy …. simply involving positioning the set, attaching the cable, putting the provided batteries in the remote and power up! The picture is fantastic … the black is crystal black … the colors astounding. If I have any reservation, it is the sound. Not particularly good … probably needs an ancillary set of speakers. But for the price it is EXTRAORDINARY.

3 Stars Middle of the road review

Let me start this review by saying that with present technology the world is far from being prepared to administer High definition TV. With this in mind it makes it very difficult to give an accurate Review of this Samsung HD LCD TV. I have cable service with the digital option that provides the HD channels. I also have a DVD player that is an older model and does not support the progressive scan technology.

When viewing a HD program that is broadcast in 1080p the picture is acceptable and superior to my old analog Sony TV. I say that with some reservations because the Sony was a really exceptional TV that provided 16 years of service. Hopefully this new set will last as long.

One of the things that I like about the flat screen TV is the weight. A 40 inch LCD is around 50 lbs. This opens up many options for placement of the TV almost anywhere in a room. Hang it on a wall or set it on a table or cabinet.

The picture quality when viewing an HD program is very good, but that is one of the problems. Not all broadcasts on the HD channels are high def and the ones that are…well they come in many different formats. Some are 16X9, some are 720p, some are 1080p and the rest are some form of 4X3. I bought a 40 in TV to watch 40 inches of TV. This is not always the case. Although this is not the fault of Samsung it is frustrating. To compound this frustration Samsung has included picture size options to compensate for the different formats. This is fine if you don’t mind things being out of proportion. One note about the options for these new flat screen TV’s. They do provide a lot of options and one can adjust his set to his or her own specifications. I have been an Electronics Technician for over 40 years and have been involved with maintaining CCTV systems for the most of those 40 years. The point I’m trying to make is that most of this technology is not new to me, but I still have trouble setting up this new TV with all the options available. I wonder how many individuals actually have their TV setup properly or even know the difference whether or not it is set up right. To make my point my wife just asked me how to adjust the picture so you can see the writing on the bottom of the screen. This isn’t the first time I’ve showed her how to make this adjustment.

Audio. Well I’m not particularly impressed with the sound. If you go to some of the major retailers you will notice that they have all the volumes turned down and usually have an expensive sound system playing. If you think about it, the flat screen TV’s are only a few inches in depth with a small space at the bottom or on the sides. This doesn’t leave much room for quality speakers. So think about investing in a quality AV sound system, 5.1 or better.

Sports and fast action is another area where LCD TV lacking. They don’t respond fast enough to give a picture that isn’t pixilated or blurred. Even with a 5ms refresh rate the performance is poor at best when viewing fast action. I knew about this problem before my purchase but I thought that with 5ms refresh rate it would be minimal I was wrong.

So where does this leave me in reviewing this Samsung TV. I’m going to give it 3 stars. I’m basing this on poor sound quality, difficulty in setting up the options on the TV and the poor fast action response. All flat screen TV’s have these same inequities. Samsung is still the best as compared to the others.

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