Customer Reviews for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
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Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Resolution: 1366 x 768 Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 60,000:1 ConnectShare™ Movie
Average Customer Rating:
(21 Reviews) 21
(out of 21 reviews)
Rating Snapshot (21 reviews)
5 stars
12
4 stars
6
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
1
18 of 21(86%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Review 1 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Hokiewolf
Date:January 9, 2011
Better than Vizio
Pros: picture quality, sound quality
Cons: difficult assembly, slightly cluttered remote
"I bought this for my Mom after the 32" Vizio from Costco was returned to a defective tuner(5-20 minutes for pink static/noise to disappear from screen...tuner seemed to need to warm up before you could change channel, adjust volume etc).
The Vizio had been a breeze to set up, involving a stand that slid onto the TV and was held in place with a thumbscrew, so having to deal with the cryptic instructions, tiny pictures, and unlabeled parts of this Samsung had me baffled for a bit. None of the screws wanted to start, but after a bit of work, and a prayer for no cross-threading, I got them all in place. The four in the back are very difficult to get started.
After I got the guide neck, etc attached to the stand I noticed that it wasn't facing exactly forward. I remembered the one in the store pivoted and I was able to make the assembly swivel with some effort. Wish I had read the notes here first about loosening the screws on the bottom of the base first, but I can vouch that the TV will swivel with some effort without doing this step.
Anyway, after 30 minutes of fussing and fighting with the unit I had everything assembled. One part was left over that wasn't mentioned in the setup. It's roughly rectangular, black, with a couple of thumb slots and a clip. It has the word "Front" on it. I finally theorized that it's a part to cover up the hole on the back of the unit(where the stand/base would attach) if you decide to wall-mount it. Another reviewer mentioned that he found a vague reference to this in the manual.
Anyway, after 30 minutes of fussing and fighting with the unit I had everything assembled. One part was left over that wasn't mentioned in the setup. It's roughly rectangular, black, with a couple of thumb slots and a clip. It has the word "Front" on it. I finally theorized that it's a part to cover up the hole on the back of the unit(where the stand/base would attach) if you decide to wall-mount it. Another reviewer mentioned that he found a vague reference to this in the manual.
The setup of the TV was a bit cryptic as well. Again, another viewer referenced some choices on cable setup involving IRC, HRC, etc. I used to know these terms, but found out it wasn't necessary, at least for me to change any of the default/standard settings in order for the set to discover all the channels(basic cable, ie no HD receiver). The search for channels took 20-30 minutes and seemed counterproductive. First it searches for ALL available channels(close to 400 DTV and 70-90 standard/analog channels) and then removed 350+ scrambled channels from memory.
After spending over an hour on the installation and channel setup, I was not in a pleasant frame of mind. Fortunately, the picture and sound were worth the wait.
The sound first...my Mom is hard of hearing and really has to crank up the volume on the TV. I'm fairly certain this set only has two 5 watt speakers (downward facing) so I almost discouraged her from buying it. My 4+-year-old Philips has 15 watt side-mounted speakers whose sound quality has not been matched by any set I have looked at in the past six months. With the prevalence of home theater systems, it seems that sound quality is an afterthought with TV manufacturers these days.
The Vizio had two 10-watt front-facing speakers, but the sound was very tinny with no bass. This Samsung with its 5-watt down facing speakers was a pleasant surprise even before tweaking the settings on the graphic equalizer.
On to the picture...even though the set is 720P its picture seemed much crisper and more colorful than the 1080P Vizio that I had to return. I guess the old rule-of-thumb has some merit that the difference between 720P and 1080P is moot with a set 32" inches or smaller.
The picture mode choices of dynamic seemed a bit too crisp/constrast-y while the cinema/film mode was too washed out. I saw little differences between the two other modes...natural and standard or normal. I left the set in one of those two modes. I apologize for the vagueness of this review as I'm not at my Mom's house to reference the TV or its manual at the moment.
The remote was a bit cluttered, as another reviewer mentioned, with some choices better left on the menu, but I found it easier to navigate than the Vizio. The channel and volume up/down buttons, the ones my Mom will use the most, are much larger than on the Vizio. The menu button, due mostly to its different color is readily visible, but not positioned in the ideal spot being buried in the middle of the remote. The enter/OK button is a bit on the small side and the left right up down buttons that surround it are too close to it as well.
Remote controls seem to be an afterthought with manufacturers as well, probably since they realize most users will be using their cable/satellite remotes more often. I wish I could find a code for my Mom's Zenith/Allegro remote that would work. That remote will always be my favorite remote, as far as position and spacing and size of buttons.
To close, everyone's taste in TVs, whether it be picture/sound/design quality varies, but don't disregard this TV just because its specs don't match your perception of what you should get. Give the set a try and let your eyes and ears be your guide. Costco's return policy is very easy and their doubling of the manufacturers warranty is a bonus."
After spending over an hour on the installation and channel setup, I was not in a pleasant frame of mind. Fortunately, the picture and sound were worth the wait.
The sound first...my Mom is hard of hearing and really has to crank up the volume on the TV. I'm fairly certain this set only has two 5 watt speakers (downward facing) so I almost discouraged her from buying it. My 4+-year-old Philips has 15 watt side-mounted speakers whose sound quality has not been matched by any set I have looked at in the past six months. With the prevalence of home theater systems, it seems that sound quality is an afterthought with TV manufacturers these days.
The Vizio had two 10-watt front-facing speakers, but the sound was very tinny with no bass. This Samsung with its 5-watt down facing speakers was a pleasant surprise even before tweaking the settings on the graphic equalizer.
On to the picture...even though the set is 720P its picture seemed much crisper and more colorful than the 1080P Vizio that I had to return. I guess the old rule-of-thumb has some merit that the difference between 720P and 1080P is moot with a set 32" inches or smaller.
The picture mode choices of dynamic seemed a bit too crisp/constrast-y while the cinema/film mode was too washed out. I saw little differences between the two other modes...natural and standard or normal. I left the set in one of those two modes. I apologize for the vagueness of this review as I'm not at my Mom's house to reference the TV or its manual at the moment.
The remote was a bit cluttered, as another reviewer mentioned, with some choices better left on the menu, but I found it easier to navigate than the Vizio. The channel and volume up/down buttons, the ones my Mom will use the most, are much larger than on the Vizio. The menu button, due mostly to its different color is readily visible, but not positioned in the ideal spot being buried in the middle of the remote. The enter/OK button is a bit on the small side and the left right up down buttons that surround it are too close to it as well.
Remote controls seem to be an afterthought with manufacturers as well, probably since they realize most users will be using their cable/satellite remotes more often. I wish I could find a code for my Mom's Zenith/Allegro remote that would work. That remote will always be my favorite remote, as far as position and spacing and size of buttons.
To close, everyone's taste in TVs, whether it be picture/sound/design quality varies, but don't disregard this TV just because its specs don't match your perception of what you should get. Give the set a try and let your eyes and ears be your guide. Costco's return policy is very easy and their doubling of the manufacturers warranty is a bonus."
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Review 2 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Paulenator
Location:Houston, TX
Date:January 3, 2011
This is actually 1080p!
"Bought this as a second TV for the bedroom and was surprised to find out when I hooked up a PS3 to it that the TV is actually 1080p. This TV was a great price for 720p, when you consider that it is actually 1080p this is an excellent deal at $400. Originally I wanted an LED-LCD but for the price difference and features of this particular model, it can't be beat."
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Review 3 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
PatL
Location:Alpine, CA
Date:December 30, 2010
Best around
Pros: connectivity color clarity brightness
Cons: none
Model Number: LN32C540
"Purchased on Black Friday. Picture was pretty good on just regular cable. Called my cable provider to add a box for this set in my office. The picture is stunning, the colors are stunning, the brightness is great. Would highly recommend. Samsung is the best. Purchased similar Samsung 9 months ago before the upgrade to USB movie capability. My son talked me into giving it to him for his birthday. We both love Samsung."
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Review 4 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Helaw
Location:Marlton NJ
Date:December 6, 2010
Great Picture
Model Number: L32C540
"Setup was easy EXCEPT for missing ? screws for base. Called Costco Concierge and started explaining my problem of 4 missing screws for base. While on phone flipped over base and unscrewed one screw of base and out popped the bag with the missing screws. Once I had those attaching base was easy. Set is light and I carried it to table by myself.
The picture is beautiful and true High Def which is what I look for. Set up by menu was easy and my universal remote works fine. So far no complaints, just raves.
Also, set cover is 'clean' no additional unnecessary design, plain black frame."
The picture is beautiful and true High Def which is what I look for. Set up by menu was easy and my universal remote works fine. So far no complaints, just raves.
Also, set cover is 'clean' no additional unnecessary design, plain black frame."
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Review 5 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Otis
Location:Greensboro, NC
Date:October 19, 2010
Good product - poor manual
Model Number: Samsung LCD 540 HDTV
"Had to call costco conceirge to get help on putting base together - drawing very hard to understand - the top of the base slides up into the bottom of the tv and then you put screws in to attach it to base - great size for bedroom - sharp clear picture - takes some time to scan channels on initial setup - remote is intuitive - defaults to an eco sensor which dims the picture automatically to save energy - turned that off and got a very bright picture - bought because have a samsung 42" 1080i that has been a great tv for many years - can not tell a difference in picture quality although this one is 720p -"
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Review 6 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Octothorpe
Location:California
Date:September 27, 2010
No power after the first month
Pros: nice looking tv and clear picture
Cons: tv would not power on after 30 days of ownership
Model Number: Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
"My wife and I loved this TV. The picture quality is great, the menu is intuitive and switching between sources on the romote is easy. We have the larger 40+ inch TV in our living room and we love this one. Not sure what happened to this 32+ TV but it had power problems after the first 30 days of ownership. We had to unplug the TV for a couple hours (sometimes overnight) for it to power back on. We returned this to Costco and debated about buying the same model again. We unfortunatley went with another brand."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
CthulhuD
Location:Socal, OC
Date:August 14, 2010
Better than Vizio!!
Pros: beautiful picture, base swivels, very easy setup, smooth volume control compared to vizio.
Cons: screws didnt want to go all way in on the back.
Model Number: LN32C540
"I originally purchased the 32" Vizio, I returned it for this model that was 50 bucks more. It is worth every penny spent and than some!! First off the Vizio had hdmi ports on the left side, not exactly a clean look if you ask me. Reason I returned it is sometimes during commercials the volume would shoot up real loud and when trying to turn it back down the TV would turn off.
Anyhow I am here to review this TV. First off after 10 mins putting it together; the TV is really bright and nice!! Way better picture than the Vizio I did have. Volume could be heard and changes smoothly. The TV plays a small musical song maybe 2 secs long when turning on or off. Also 3 of 4 Hdmi portsa are in the back, there is one on the side.
The remote has nice large buttons on it but not too big. I don't know about the other reviews but my box did have a parts list and very clear instructions on how to mount the swivel base. There were 2 bags of screws color coded and labeled A (yellow) and B (white). The only issue I had was the screws in the back didnt want to go in all the way. No biggie.
For the size I highly recommend this model with easy setup and a very beautiful finish and picture. Samsung is the #1 manf with Vizio at #2 and Sony at #3. See it for yourself and buy this TV!!"
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
j123
Location:florida
Date:August 7, 2010
samsung 32" unit bad out of the box
Pros: none
Cons: unit bad out of box
Model Number: LN32C540F2D
"i purchased samsung 32 inch today at costco. set up and controlls volume and menu would not work properly. called samsung and was told unit is defective and they would set up for me to ship unit back for repair.
i told them i would return unit to costco and buy a different unit.
i am not happy that i had to set up and the unit was bad!!!"
i told them i would return unit to costco and buy a different unit.
i am not happy that i had to set up and the unit was bad!!!"
2 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
MiniTrail70
Location:Salinas, California
Date:August 5, 2010
Bedroom TV
Model Number: Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
"Easy set-up. Using our universal remote, we have excellent range. Colors good. Could be brighter. Overall just good."
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
jc321
Location:California
Date:August 1, 2010
User unfriendly
Cons: poor instruction guide, remote cluttered
Model Number: LN32C540
"After all the great reviews on this Samsung TV, I felt compelled to give my feedback. I didn't like it at all and it is simply getting returned. Let me share the background story. I bought a 42 inch Vizio for the living room 2 months ago and love everything about it. So when my TV went out unexpectedly in the bedroom I went to Costco and picked up a 32 inch Vizio. The setup and base installation (no tools required) on both Vizio's are super easy and there are color quick setup guides... painless. But the 32 Vizio had some things I didn't care for and was not as great as the 42 inch one. So, I read the reviews and returned it for the Samsung 32 inch.
Right out of the box, it was dissapointing. There is no "what's in the box" list and I had a part I didn't know what it was. Set that aside and onto installing the base. The quick start guide and manual are in black and white and have the tiniest pictures. It is impossible to determine the front from the back of the base (although it notes to be sure to do so... lol). After much ado, it ends up only fitting one way, but the TV is now askew. ??? Fortunately, I recalled reading from another reviewer the base swivels after loosening some screws (this in not in the manual) and that fixes that.
Now for the setup. First, the remote has way too many buttons that will rarely get used and would be better suited on the "menu" screen instead of cluttering the remote. The "enter" and/or "OK" button is about 1/4 inch square, difficult to depress without depressing adjacent buttons and only labelled with a square with an arrow in it (and is not labelled on the remote control diagram in the manual?) so you're left to find this on your own amid this cluttery remote.
As the onscreen programing prompts you, the choices are confusing and no brief explanation of the choices. It asked me things about my cable connection, I doubt the cable guy knows... lol. So after the setup, I wasn't convinced I had chosen the right things. Do I have to research now... ugh! The Vizio was so intuitive. Why is this Samsung so much effort? As I went back into the menu settings, there were things I couldn't access (like picture settings). Again frustrating. Why is that not accessible? Does another setting have to be disabled to have access? It just became not worth the bother. It was simply not user friendly, the manual was terrible, I disliked the remote and the picture was no better than the Vizio. I did find one brief unclear sentence in the manual that led me to the conclusion the "extra part" I found is a cover plate for the hole for the base if wall mounted.
I ended up buying a 32 in LG TV and am loving it. Not quite as easy of setup as the Vizio, but overall a great experience and a much more functional remote.
Of the three 32 inch TV's which were all 720p and 60 Hz, the Samsung is the only one that had lag in the picture that I visually could see. The fact that it was so user-unfriendly, I will not consider buying a Samsung product again."
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Elle23
Location:Los Angeles, CA
Date:August 1, 2010
Good Selection
Pros: wonderful picture
Cons: none
Model Number: LN32C540F2DXZA
"I needed a television for my bedroom and after a great deal of research and after reading a lot of reviews, I decided on the C540. Since I received so much help from the reviews, I decided to write one myself.
Well I am now watching the television and I am very satisfied with my selection. I am a 58 year old woman and had this TV up and running in under one hour. It would have been half the time but I got stuck during the TV set-up portion because I got a prompt which stated that I had a weak antenna signal. I called the customer Service number and the problem literally was resolved in 3 minutes.
Thanks to an earlier reviewer I was able to put the stand together without a glitch. Sure enough, the manual failed to mention a step in the process. Were it not for the reviewers step by step instructions, I probably would not be watching TV now, just waiting for my husband to come home and put it together himself. Follow the reviewers instructions step by step. (I hope it was this site)
There is no problem with the sound contrary to some of the reviews."
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Justinkase
Location:Henderson, NV
Date:July 17, 2010
Great TV
Pros: great tv for the $
Cons: nothing - so far
Model Number: Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
"I chose this model based on Samsung's reputation and the other reviews. It was easy to set up, picture is terrific, and it's the perfect size for our bedroom. We've only had it for 3 days, but everything works (so far).
Great deal for the $"
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Review 13 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Ideh
Location:Los Angeles
Date:July 7, 2010
Excellent TV
"This TV has excellent, crisp and bright picture quality. We have it in our bedroom and enjoy it very much. The only negative thing is that the picture is so good, that it keeps me up at night when I'm trying to sleep and my husband can't sleep!"
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Review 14 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Ski7908
Location:Port Angeles,WA
Date:July 3, 2010
Gaming TV
Pros: colorful and quick refresh rate display, decent sound with a nice eq to mess with.
Cons: gamemode gets laggy with noise filters on.
Model Number: LU32C540
"I got this tv for my PS3 that I have in the bedroom so that I could game without bothering anyone. I did a ton of research before choosing this one the construction is top notch. The table stand is metal and heavy ABS plastic it's not going anywere. The backing of the TV is metal covered in a black vinel.
If you are looking for a blu-ray tv I recommend steping up to the C530. This model the C540 being 720p is perfect for gamers as roughly 90 percent of all games run in a native 720p. And with the Game Mode on and my console set to 720 games like Modern Warfare 2 chug a 60 FPS with no problems.
Lastly If you have a newer 120 or 250GB PS3 slim the Anynet+ is awesome to have. With this feature active you can control your PS3's XMB,photo,music,video DVD and blu-ray playback with the tv remote. Also if you turn off your tv it will automatically turn off the PS3 as well. And I can also just grab my controller turn on my PS3. And a few seconds later the samsung is powered on synced to HDMI and ready to play without have to pick up the tv remote or worrying about what port it's hooked up to.
I can't recommend this set enough for the gamers looking for a good set at a good price."
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
NorwalkWarehouseFan
Location:Fairfield County, CT
Date:July 2, 2010
Terrific TV - missing assembly-step alert!
Pros: reception of over-the-air channels, ease of set-up and assembly, excellent out of the box picture, tv pivot-feature, monitor's as-you-go set-up instructions
Cons: not one!
Model Number: LN32C540F2D
"We purchased this at the warehouse a week ago, it's an excellent choice: picture, ease of set-up, strong ability to pull in over-the-air channels; never had cable, don't want cable, this Samsung pulls in many more channels than our other LCDs in the house. BUT there is a missing assembly-step in the Samsung instructions. One reason we chose this is because of it's pivoting stand feature - great for LCD watchers anywhere in the room. We saw this immediately as we began the assembly and found the stand would not pivot , so immediately called Costco's Concierge Service help-line. The person who spoke with us also had the manual and was stumped, too, so called Samsung while we were on the line, set up a conference-call, and the Samsung rep guided us through it: if you want the pivot-feature, before assembly, turn the stand-piece upside down and note the fixed gray metal circular disk in the middle and the shiny metal tab extending up from below into the cut-out channel in the disk. Loosen slightly the disk's three screws just until the disk can pivot and the shiny tab's channel can slide. That's all - easy! Then proceed with assembly as written and your TV will pivot.
None of this is Costco's fault, but that of Samsung which omitted this optional step from it's assembly-instructions. Costco's outstanding Concierge Service, saved us much frustration, repacking and probable return of what turned out to be a superb choice of TV."
None of this is Costco's fault, but that of Samsung which omitted this optional step from it's assembly-instructions. Costco's outstanding Concierge Service, saved us much frustration, repacking and probable return of what turned out to be a superb choice of TV."
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Btyful1Flower
Location:California
Date:June 9, 2010
Great TV for the Price
Pros: great picture quality., sound quality is solid.
"Samsung did it again. This is a great tv. The picture and colors are great. I didn't even have to adjust the color setting, the colors were perfect right out of the box. Also, even without a HD cable box, the picture is very clear.
I have just the coaxial cable cord connected to the back of the tv and the picture is great. The digital tuner found all the digital channels and the picture on the digital channels is crystal clear, it is like having an HD box connected.
The picture is the same quality as my 1080p tv that is hooked to a HD box. If you are looking for a perfect tv for your bedroom this is the one to buy. The design is nice and sleek.
You will not go wrong with this purchase, especially since it is at a great price. Thanks COSTCO!!!"
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
Lotus
Location:Modesto, CA
Date:June 6, 2010
Goood Buy
Pros: picture, sound, price
Model Number: Samsung LN32C540
"Purchased the Samsung LN32C540 and have been happy ever since. Did some shopping around and ended up buying at Costco because of the warranty (1 year on top of Samsung's year) as well as the customer service. The TV has good sound and easy to use menu settings. The picture is dark before adjusting the settings but after a little bit of tweaking, I was able to get a good picture for the room. Cable is hooked up to the ATT U-Verse via a HDMI cable, while the DVD player is hooked up through the standard RCA cables. I bought a lower priced HDMI cable and have had no problems and good picture quality. I have had this TV for a little over a month now and am glad I chooser the Samsung."
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
moalro
Location:TX
Date:June 2, 2010
Very nice
Pros: good product for incredible price
Cons: i have not used it long enough to have a solid rec
"I have been using the TV for more than 2 weeks and so far everything looks very nice. The color are bright, the image is sharp and HD, and it was easy to program. So far everything says that it was a wonderful deal."
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Review 19 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
TheStuart
Location:Chicago, IL
Date:May 22, 2010
Quality at a good price point
Model Number: LN32C540
"For the price you can't go wrong.
Excellent picture quality, decent blacks/contrast, plenty of inputs and easy to set up. The ability to play media direct from a thumb drive is a neat feature.
Excellent picture quality, decent blacks/contrast, plenty of inputs and easy to set up. The ability to play media direct from a thumb drive is a neat feature.
The first one had an uneven backlight, which resulted in a brighter area in the middle of the screen in dark scenes. Costco swapped it out for a new one and the new one is perfect."
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Review 20 for Samsung 32" LCD HDTV
Rating:
OldSemperFi
Location:Naperville, IL
Date:May 7, 2010
Very good TV purchase
Model Number: Samsung 32" LCD TV
"High quality video and decent audio in a very trim, nice looking set at a competitive price. For a 60hz LCD, it has very good blacks and a sufficiently low response time that I see no ghosting or smear while watching fast moving sports. Extremely easy set up including a useful onscreen description for each setting without having to refer to the user manual. Includes a swivel base which I find handy for the location between our kitchen/dining area. The few touch controls on the lower bezel are difficult to see but the remote control is used virtually all of the time so it’s not much of a problem. This is a recent purchase so I can’t speak for long term performance but my initial experience has been a good one."
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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