Samsung LN52A650 is one of the best LCD TVs on the market. If offers superb black levels for an LCD TV, great color accuracy, plenty of connectivity options and the full range of picture controls. It also has an improved 120Hz de-judder video processing, making it better at displaying fast moving scenes like sports or action movies. On the down side, its red frame, though subtle, will not suit everybody’s taste or room design. Also on the down side, it has a pretty shiny screen that doesn’t handle bright lighting very well, and if you have a lot of sunlight falling on it, the screen will reflect it, making viewing unpleasant.
Pros:
- Superb color accuracy.
- Superb black levels for an LCD TV.
- Improved 120Hz video processing for smooth playback of fast moving images like sports, games or action movies.
- Plenty of connectivity options.
- Internet connectivity allows it to display local weather, stock and other useful information.
Cons:
- Not so great anti-reflective screen. It’s shiny and reflects light pretty bad.
- Relatively expensive, though if you want quality it is natural to pay the price.
- Samsung’s red touch of color (on the frame) will not suit everybody.
Samsung LN52A650 Reviews
cNet.com Review
cNet.com reviews Samsung LN52A650 and lists it as one of the best LCD TVs of 2008. They have a very in-depth review as usual, covering every important aspect from looks to picture quality.
The Samsung LN52A650 is one of the best-performing LCDs we’ve tested. Its picture quality, anchored by excellent black-level performance, and accurate color, surpasses that of the Sony KDL-46XBR4 and Samsung’s de-judder video processing has improved to the point where it’s basically equal to the Sony. We did notice a couple of minor issues, and as usual we’d avoid watching dark movies on this glossy-screened TV in rooms with lots of ambient light, but that’s about it.
Engadget’s Short Review
Engadget has a short and sweet review. Bullet point lists with pros and cons. The list with pros is pretty long as opposed to the one with cons :). They also have an image gallery with pictures of Samsung LN52A650.
There is more to like than to dislike about this TV. Even when we solicited users for feedback online, we were hard pressed to find any complaints. We really enjoyed the time we spent with this TV and if the contrast of a plasma doesn’t interest you, then we would definitely recommend that you check out Samsung’s latest Series 6 LCD.
Amazon Showcases the Technologies Present in LN52A650 (pics)
Though, Amazon.com is not specialized in reviews, we find the information they present about Samsung LN52A650 informative. Lots of pictures depicting, more or less accurately, the various technologies implemented in this LCD TV.
Wide Color Enhancer/Cold Cathode Flourescent 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 backlights 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.
User Ratings
Out of the almost 400 user ratings on Amazon, most are top scores. Some people found reasons to complain but generally due to the fact they had bad luck and the LCD TV malfunctioned. This is not unusual, with any product existing the chance to bump into problems. As I said most ratings are positive and the user comments praise the qualities of LN52A650.
I did all the research, read all the reviews, found the best price here on Amazon and pulled the trigger. Delivery was on time and flawless. As reported by everyone else, the picture quality is nothing short of phenomenal. One thing to remember is for DVD movies to turn off the “auto motion” setting otherwise it looks like you are watching videotape recordings. I watched Iron Man and the characters looked unnatural, then I switched off the auto motion and it looked the way a movie should. Bottom line, there is a reason everyone is handing out 5 stars. They don’t regret this purchase and neither will you.
Read more user ratings at Amazon.com
Samsung LN52A650 Prices