I got a new TV! Samsung LN46A550
22-Sep-2008
My home theater has re-entered the modern age. The old Mitsubishi
VS-4541 45" CRT RPTV died after 13 long years of service. It
was a power issue as none of its three bulbs would turn on. Finding
no obvious and easy (read inexpensive) fixes, it was time to send
the hulking box to the recycling center and invest in a svelte flat
panel.
After reading many reviews at AVS Forum, CNET, Consumer Reports
and PC World, I decided on the Samsung
LN46A550, a 46" 1080p LCD. Out of the box, the picture was
astoundingly bright. It looked much better after the settings were
adjusted based on these suggestions.
For TV viewing, I'm relying on the LN46A550's internal tuners.
Standard definition analog cable is just bearable, but high def
channels picked up by the set's QAM tuner look great. Sadly, I can
only pick up a few HD channels this way, but I don't watch much TV
on my home theater anyway so digital cable or satellite is not a
priority right now. Audio is routed through the set's digital
optical output to the receiver to take advantage of Dolby Pro Logic
II processing.
Fast motion sports such as football look very good. The Sunday
night game on NBC in HD was super sharp and detailed. The LN46A550
is 60Hz and I did notice some very slight motion blur, but it wasn't
distracting. Standard def DVDs also look very good. Children of
Men and Casino Royale elicited no complaints from me.
Keep in mind the other components are older with accompanying
older technology and I don't have a Blu-ray player yet, but so far
the Samsung LN46A550 is making a fine foundation to reinvigorate my
home theater.
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