Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
May 28, 2009 by Bruce
Filed under Electronics
Manufacturer’s Description — March 24, 2008
A sleek design with hidden speakers keep Samsung’s Series 4 large flatpanel HDTVs one of the best 720p HD options around. Upgrades over last year’s models include a 6ms response rate that’s faster than many more expensive 1080p models for smooth motion even with fast-moving sports and action movies, and a higher dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 (up from 8,000:1 last year) for deep blacks and crisp lines. Please note that this description applies to Series 4 models 32 inches or larger. Models 26 inches and smaller have slightly different specifications.
Features Overview
- New – 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio: up from 8,000:1 on 2007 models (Learn more)
- New – 6ms response time: down from 8ms on 2007 models thanks to a new high-speed liquid crystal
- 178-degree viewing angle from all four axes with Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (Learn more)
- 3 HDMI 1.3 ports: Simplay compliant (Learn more about Connectivity)
- DNIe Digital Natural Image Engine improves the picture by enhancing the contrast, detail, and white balance (Learn more)
- Clear panel technology for deeper blacks and more vibrant colors (Learn more)
- Hidden speakers with SRS TruSurround XT audio (Learn more)
- Wide Color Enhancer technology and Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) offer a wider color range (Learn more)
- Entertainment Modes: for sports, games, and movies
- V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by the parent to contain objectionable content.
- Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French.
- Variable sleep timer to turn the TV off in varying time intervals.
- Auto wall mount compatible: 3-dimensional operation via TV’s remote control; no external IR receiver required.
- Swivel stand included
- 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty (90 days parts and labor for commercial use), with in-home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support
Step Up Features
- Series 5: Full 1080p HD; up to 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio; 5 ms response time; USB 2.0 port: connect devices directly to your HDTV–view JPEG photos or MPEG movies or easily listen to your MP3 player through your HDTV’s audio system or your home theater system
- Series 6: 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio; AutoMotion Plus 120Hz image interpolation for smoother motion; 4ms response time;Transparent and Opaque Color (TOC) bezel; Ethernet port with; Infolink free RSS feeds; 4 HDMI 1.3 ports; Compatible with Samsung’s Home Digital Media Adapter for playback and navigation of Internet and stored PC multimedia
- Series 7: Internal flash memory (1GB) with pre-loaded interactive content such as cooking recipes, children’s entertainment, HD artwork and more; Integrated woofer for an enhanced audio experience; DLNA-Compatible: for better interoperability with electronics, computers and mobile devices from many different manufacturers (Learn more)
- Series 8: super-slim 1.9-inch thick profile
Learn More
Super Clear Panel
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Samsung enhances the clarity of select LCD HDTVs by replacing the light-diffusing plastic face of traditional LCD HDTVs with a natural black panel with a clear anti-glare shield. Reduced reflection of external light creates a new dimension in image clarity, highlighting black and darkened areas, enabling vibrant, more compelling colors and a brighter, clearer picture. Black will never again appear grayish. Black details will show in vivid black even in dark scenes. The latest version of Samsung’s breakthrough super clear panel technology makes colors appear more vibrant and blacks even deeper than ever. Enhanced films reduce glare and optimize off-angle viewing. |
10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio/500 nit Brightness
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10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio will give you a superb picture, with whiter whites, blacker blacks and subtle gradations in between. As two of the most important determining factors in overall picture quality, contrast and brightness levels achieve new heights in this latest generation LCD panel. Samsung’s new LCD TV’s give the most stunning realistic picture quality ever. Note: models 26 inches or less have lower contrast ratios
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Digital Natural Image Engine
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DNIe The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine. This exclusive Samsung technology dramatically improves the picture by enhancing the contrast, detail, white balance and reduces. |
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Wide Color Enhancer/Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp
| The NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) has established the color standards all TVs in America try to meet. And typical LCD TVs only meet about 72% of this standard. Samsung LCD HDTVs use Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp back lights to give you 92% coverage of the NTSC standard, ensuring truer, more breathlessly vivid colors. Samsung’s exclusive Wide Color Enhancer technology delivers more brilliant colors, even in bright areas of the picture where blues and greens are washed out on conventional screens. The system displays wider color reproduction, showing you truer colors – the fresh green of spring foliage, the intense blue of the summer sky. |
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Connectivity
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A wide variety of multimedia devices can be connected to the set through three Simplay compliant HDMI 1.3 inputs (2 rear, 1 side), and the handy HDMI-CEC feature lets you control all your CEC-enabled peripherals using just one remote. Connect HD digital devices like disc players, game consoles, and satellite dish components into the 2 rear connections and use the side-mounted input for cameras, camcorders, and laptops. HDMI is the best performing interface for displaying an HD source on an HDTV. Once connected, users can easily access device menus and manage and display content through the newly redesigned Wheel Key Remote control and the HDTV’s sophisticated content management interface. All Connections
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Super Patterned Vertical Alignment
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Samsung’s Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (SPVA) panel provides a 178-degree viewing angle from all four axes |
Audio Features
TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the two hidden, downward-firing side-mounted 2.2-channel dome speakers built into the TV.
SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass.
TruSurround XT audio also adds three audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
- Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into Focus during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
- TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
- The SRS WOW feature widens the sound stage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.
Stereo broadcast reception is offered for MTS and SAP with 181-channel capacity. A sound leveler keeps audio volume consistent during channel changing.
Which Size HDTV is Right for My Room?
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With standard-definition TVs, the rule used to be that viewers would feel comfortable watching a set from a distance of 3 to 6 times the screen size in inches. With HDTV, the resolution is so much better that you can sit closer to a larger TV without noticing the pixels. So with HDTVs, the rule tends to be you can sit anywhere from 1.5 to 3 times the screen size (in inches) for the best experience.
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Product Description
Enjoy the clarity of HD in a stunningly modern design with a unique bezel and frame to suit your decor. True 720p resolution offers amazing LCD image detail, complemented by a 10,000:1 dynamic-contrast ratio for vivid colors and bold blacks. Three HDMI inputs let you connect quickly and easily to your peripherals. Call up a variety of menu options and preferences via a smart user interface. Speaking of smart, the intelligently hidden speakers ensure a sleek, clean look that fits in almost any surroundings. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround sound experience through any two speakers playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels Stereo broadcast reception, (MTS & SAP) with 181-channel capacity. Hidden bottom speakers with 10 Watts x 2 audio power SRS TruSurround XT – TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers V-Chip system allows blocking of rated TV and movie programs determined by the parent to contain objectionable content Trilingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French HDMI-CEC allows peripheral devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by TV remote control Auto wall mount compatible Channel coverage – VHF 2-13, UHF 14-69, and CATV 1-125 (up to 181 pre-selected channels) Antenna – CATV/VHF/UFH 75-ohm, F-type Connections – 3 HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface (2 rear, 1 side), 2 Rear Component (Y/Pb/Pr), Rear RF Input, Side S-video input, Composite AV (Rear, Side), Side Headphone, Rear PC D-sub, Rear optical sound out, Rear RS232, and Side HDMI-CEC Dimensions – Width 31.5 x Height 20.7 x Depth 3.7 / 31.5 x 22.7 x 9.9 with stand Weight – 24.0 pounds / 28.9 pounds with stand
Buy Samsung LN32A450 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV at Amazon
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Pros: Outstanding, crisp HD picture; excllent color contrast; solid response time
Cons: Slight pixelation with poor quality SD signal
“After doing a huge amount of research, I finally settled on this set. I was actually interested in the slightly lower-priced Toshiba Regza, but every store in my area was out. While shopping around, I noticed that this Samsung in particular seemed to have a top-notch picture. Finally I decided to take the plunge 3 days ago, and I have not been disappointed at all. In the past I have had several issues with LCD TVs, which is why I had been hesitating up to now. I know these issues are on many people’s minds, and so I will address each one:
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Motion Response
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First, and most important, is response time with fast motion. I am driven absolutely nuts if the TV can’t “hold” the motion (that is, if the image smears, or fractures, when high speed elements are zooming across the screen). The element you are looking for in an LCD monitor that tells you about this is “response time”, and you want something 8ms or below. I believe this TV is 6ms (the specs say this on Sammy’s website, but several stores have it listed as 8ms). In any case, this TV “holds” the motion of even fast images extremely well. In the store, it held motion best of all comparably priced models, including the Sony Bravias around $1k, and the Sharps around the same price. When I got it home, I tested it out with Star Wars ep. 1 and the battle sequence from Narnia. Both looked outstanding using a regular DVD player with HDMI upconvert to 720p. You will not see ghosting issues with high def images.
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Color and contrast
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Color fidelity and contrast are also important to me, and LCDs have been known to have issues producing deep blacks and bright whites. This is not a problem for this set. It produces excellent color, and did so right out of the box with the factory pre-sets. I have not had to fiddle with it at all. I did try switching to “Cinema” mode, which has some nice characteristics, but even without that, everything looked amazing.
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Standard Def rendition
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Another major issue with LCDTVs and monitors is that anything not displayed at the native resolution tends to look blurred or “fractured”. I was very concerned about this because I have lots of old DVDs of shows like Seinfeld and the Simpsons, which I know were never broadcast in HD. Also many TV stations have not yet made the switch (though most have). Here the TV was about as good as I have seen, though it is not perfect. The good news is that upconverted SD sources like the Seinfeld DVDs look excellent — every bit as good as on a regular TV, if not better. The bad news is that your VHS tapes are going to look blurry and pixelated on a set like this. I don’t have a lot of VHS tapes left, and so this isn’t a huge deal. Regular SD sources with this set vary in quality. For example, the SD version of Animal Planet had a special on the other night that almost looked HD. At the same time, flip channels to CNN, and it looks terrible. I suspect this is the broadcast quality and NOT the set… otherwise all channels would look awful in SD. So when you get a nice SD source being broadcast, it looks fine.
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I would highly recommend this set. After connecting my HD cable box today and watching things like CSI:Miami, Vegas, and Miss Congeniality, all in widescreen HD, I can say that I am totally blown away by this set’s HD performance. I don’t think you’ll be able to find a better HD TV set for the price.”
3.0 out of 5 stars
Deceiving model number
The item was offered as model #LN32A450 which is the model I wanted. The model delivered was #LN32A455 which is the REFURBISHED version of the model advertised.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Samsung 32 Inch 720 LCD
Have been extremly pleased. Easy to set up and fantastic delivery time. There is a delay when you turn it on of a few seconds however one gets use to it. Great picture quality.
Good image quality watching local HDTV stations, DVD movies and video games. This 32″ LCD HDTV has 3 HDMI inputs, S video, composite video in, component video in and optical audio out.
The HDTV is easy to set up, with an automated feature that finds all the HDTV channels on air or your local cable. The black levels and contrast are quite good. This screen features 720P progressive scan.
The remote and menu software are well designed, so that you don’t have to go too deep into the menu to adjust settings. The prices in Atlanta area ranged from $800 at Fryes Electronics to $712 at HH Gregg. Prices online appear to range from $700 to $1000.
Since the Samsung 400 series was launched in March 2008 this is quite a range of prices. The Samsung 4 series is intended as Samsung’s value line, compared to the more upmarket Samsung 5 series. However, this monitor seems to have better picture quality than some of the other 32″ LCD TV’s we reviewed in the $800-900 range. This price and quality makes the Samsung 4 series a good value for the dollar.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing like a Samsung
My 1st HDTV and I am truly impressed. Samsung has again not disappointed me with their quality or service.
4.0 out of 5 stars
lcd tv
I like the tv but the one thing I don’t like about it is the size source
I should have gotten a tv with size 1080 which this tv doesn’t have.
Bought this model a few days ago from H&H Gregg for $807 “on sale.” Not clear why they would be discounting a model that just came out this month by $92 off list price when last year’s model was still selling for more than that, since the new model boasts better technical specs in several important respects.
Bought Samsung because many reviews indicated Samsung was worth the extra money in picture quality over cheaper 32″ models. The picture is excellent. The documentation is good as far as it goes. However, there are a myriad of picture controls that are probably great for the afficianado, but bewildering to any neophyte. Unfortunately, the documentation doesn’t give you any real insight into when you would want to deviate significantly from the default settings. You just have to keep experiementing until you find what you like. There are several “automatic” settings that supposedly make adjustments to the picture based on the input source and material, but frankly I couldn’t tell whether and how this was working.
Likewise, there is a special feature that is supposed to enhance picture quality to the highest level (precisely how is a little unclear), but that feature may be toggled on or off, and is available in only the “dynamic” mode, not the “regular” or “movie” mode. Again, why this is so is not in any way explained in the manual.
Nevertheless, the picture if excellent under most conditions and probably just a little tweaking of the default settings is sufficient most of the time. I did notice a little shadowing in the action scenes from a PBS drama. There was also some weird flickering in an HD broadcast of an NHL hockey game, perhaps because the white ice is on the screen so much of the time. This did not occur in any of the other sporting events – NCAA basketball, golf, NASCAR etc – all of which looked awesome.
On this model, the speakers are hidden below the picture and the sound quality is a bit weak. But then for any sound that matters much to you, output can be sent to your external speaker system.
Set up was easy. The set looks great, so much sharper than the clunky CRT set that it replaced. Only problem was that the first effort to automatically detect local over the air HD stations failed to find a couple, which turned up on a second try. The “Favorite” channel designation feature is a nice way to focus on the few stations you may want to consistently view.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I’m very happy with my purchase, and I love the fact that it “chirps” as it turns on and off. That way I can tell if the power is still on or not.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can’t beat the quality for the price.
I love this TV. Make sure to spend a little time to properly set this set up and you’ll love the quality HD picture and sound.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the one!
I purchased this TV almost a year ago and I still Love Everything about it. My family and friends were so impressed with the clarity (prior to my having HD) they purchased the…
4.0 out of 5 stars
My first flat screen.
I am completely pleased with both the Samsung product and efficiency of Amazon’s delivery company. The installation and channel configuration were a breeze to complete.
5.0 out of 5 stars
so far so good!
Been enjoying this TV for about a month, and everything is working fine!! I don’t find anything wrong about the speakers as mentioned by some of the reviewers.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A $100 makes a difference
I first bought a Sharp unit and I was not happy with the look of the SD content so I took it back. The Samsung unit cost a $100 more but I was much happier with look of the SD…