Samsung LN46A550 Review: 46” LCD TV

Up for review: Samsung LN46A550.  Samsung’s new LN46A550 has many similarities with its other popular model LN46A650 both in terms of specs and design. It has the highest Full 1080p HD resolution available currently. With a whopping 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 16:9 image aspect ratios along with the 500nit brightness, the Samsung LN46A550 delivers realistic image quality.

A reasonably fast 5ms response time of the Samsung LN46A550 takes care of the blurring problem during the fast action scenes. Besides this, the Samsung LN46A550 is embedded with some other handy features such as the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) and sound leveler to take care of the video and audio artifacts.

The entertainment modes of the Samsung LN46A550 allow customizing the picture settings according to your favorite game mode, movie mode or sports mode. Also with the V-Chip system available, parents can keep a check on their children about the kind of broadcast they should watch. With so many advanced features, the new Samsung LN46A550 is priced reasonably at around $1269.98.

Samsung LN46A550 Features and Specifications Review:

General
Product Type 46 in LCD TV
Digital Television Certification HDTV
TV Tuner 1x analog, 1x digital
Video Interface HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite
PC Interface VGA (HD-15)
USB Port Yes
HDCP Compatible Yes

Display
Technology TFT active matrix
Resolution 1920 x 1080
Display Format 1080p (FullHD)
Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
LCD Backlight Technology Wide Color Gamut-CCFL
Dynamic Contrast Ratio 30000:1
Brightness (cd/m2) 500
Widescreen Modes 16:9, Just, Zoom, Auto Wide, Wide Zoom, Conventional 4:3
Viewing Angle 178 degrees
Pixel Response Time 5 ms
V-Sync Rate at Max Res. 60 Hz
V-Chip Control Yes
Additional Features On-screen menu, DNIe (Digital Natural Image engine)

TV Tuner
Analog TV Tuner NTSC
Multi-channel Preview Picture-in-picture (PIP)
Stereo Reception System MTS
Digital TV Tuner ATSC

Audio System
Sound Output Mode Stereo
Surround Mode Yes
Sound Effects SRS TruSurround
Speaker(s) 2 x Right/left channel speaker – Built-in – 10 Watt

Video Features
Input Video Formats 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Supported Computer Resolutions 640 x 350, 720 x 400, 1360 x 768, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480 (VGA) , 1024 x 768 (XGA) , 800 x 600 (SVGA) , 1280 x 1024 (SXGA) , 1600 x 1200 (UXGA)
Teletext Yes

Connections
Connector Type 2 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) – Rear , 2 x Component video input ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Rear , 1 x VGA input ( 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) ) – Rear , 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) – Rear , 1 x Digital audio input (optical) ( TOSLINK ) – Rear , 2 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) – Rear , 1 x Audio line-out ( RCA phono x 2 ) – Rear , 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) – Side , 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) – Side , 1 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) – Side , 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ) – Side , 1 x USB ( 4 pin USB Type A ) – Side

Dimensions & Weight Details
Dimensions & Weight Details Panel without stand – 44.5 in x 3.9 in x 27.6 in x 51.4 lbs

Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year warranty

With 10 Watt SRS TruSurround speakers, the audio quality is good but not suitable for high action movie soundtracks. For high-end sound reproduction, you will need a separate surround-sound stereo unit. But the picture quality is just awesome. The Samsung LN46A550 has Samsung’s innovative Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) technology to provide crisper and lifelike image quality. Even your standard DVD player viewing would be enjoyable by showing the truest colors and highest contrast because of this technology.

Accurate image production with extensive picture adjustments features, relatively deeper black levels, average audio quality; on a whole, the Samsung LN46A550 LCD TV strikes an excellent balance between price and performance.

YouReviewElectronics.com gives Samsung LN46A550 9/10 stars!