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May 21, 2009 Jon     The thing crapped out after 17 months of less than normal viewing. It won't tur...

Apr 22, 2008 Rochbry     I have purchased and returned two lcd tvs before I finally settled on this Samsu...

Dec 7, 2007 fdegree     My need was simply for a flat panel TV that I could hang on the wall…a tube TV a...

Apr 28, 2007 Robdawg     One of the best LCD's out there. Not as advanced as the 1080p but honestly, i do...

Apr 10, 2007 mark     Looked around for months for a good lcd tv. When I compared this samsung with al...

Mar 25, 2007 Chris D     We looked around and did our research. The last flat screen TV we brought home ...

My Experience: My need was simply for a flat panel TV that I could hang on the wall…a tube TV and stand would take up too much floor space. So, High Definition (HD) was not important to me. But, just try to find a flat panel that is not HD…nearly impossible.

I have this TV hooked up to a satellite service that is broadcasting in Standard Definition (SD) and connected by a coaxial cable. I have left my tube TV hooked up beside this TV for comparison purposes. So, my observations are based upon a side-by-side comparison of a 27” tube TV and this 40” flat panel. I have the flat panel set to the 4:3 picture size, since my reception is in SD. So, the picture sizes of these 2 TVs are very close.

Satellite Service – Standard Definition (SD) – Coaxial Connection Pros and Cons
Pros: More vibrant colors than the tube TV, although skin tones were difficult to tune in…it is possible, but requires some patience. Picture is much brighter than the tube TV, though this is adjustable to suit your needs. Stationary images are significantly clearer than the tube TV. Far away movement has similar clarity as the tube TV.

Cons: Close up images that are moving, especially faces, are somewhat choppy in motion, blurry and grainy. I have found myself adjusting to this so it is not quite so annoying…some people have not even noticed it. Difficult to tune in skin tones. Picture is quite grainy all over, at a viewing distance of 5 feet or less…over 5 feet, this is not a problem.

Since this TV has 2 coaxial inputs, I was able to connect a “bow-tie” antenna and pick up a couple of Over The Air (OTA) HD signals. So, I am able to compare HD pictures to SD pictures.

Over The Air Antenna (OTA) – High Definition (HD) – Coaxial Connection Pros and Cons
Pros: Everything is quite clear and detailed. The “cons” listed above do not exist if you have a program that was recorded in HD and the signal is also in HD.
Cons: None

Keep in mind, with any HD TV, even though the broadcast signal may by coming into your TV as HD, that doesn’t mean the program was actually recorded in HD. So, the quality of the image is at the mercy of the quality of the recording as well as the broadcast signal.

Sound: In the store, with other TV’s broadcasting the same sound, this TV sounded rather impressive when the volume was increased. But, in my home, it does not seem quite as impressive. It does have a few different sound settings as well as a customizable equalizer, which allows for personal preference. The sound is not bad, just not the same as in the store, perhaps the other TV’s had some impact on the overall sound. Or, maybe the connection (coaxial vs. HDMI) and the broadcasting format has some impact as well. I’m not sure exactly why it is less impressive.

Overall:
SD is slightly better than the tube TV…acceptable, not impressive. But keep in mind, this TV is not designed for SD either.
HD is noticeable clearer than SD. But, for my needs, not enough to make me rush out and get HD service from my satellite company.
If HD is not important, and you can spare the floor space, save yourself a lot of many and get a tube TV with a digital and analog tuner. Though these are slowly disappearing and there are few models to choose from.

If you want to see how good this picture is with ideal recordings, signal and connections, just visit your local electronics store. In this ideal situation, the picture is incredible, better than most…even some of those with 1080i resolution.