Samsung LN52A650
May 28th, 2008
Superb black-level performance; highly accurate color; improved 120Hz de-judder video processing; fine standard-definition processing; broad selection of picture setup options; can display weather, news, and stock info onscreen; energy-efficient compared with most like-size LCDs.
Unfortunately, it's quite expensive, red-colored frame isn't for everyone. Shiny screen reflects ambient room lighting, some artifacts when de-judder modes are engaged.
If you don't mind its red frame, the Samsung LN52A650 LCD HDTV will reward you with a massive feature set and excellent picture quality.
Samsung's LNA650 series incorporates the company's Touch of Color design scheme. Instead of the standard glossy black frame, the LN52A650 sports dark-red accents that suffuse the entire frame, but are most prominent along the top and bottom edge and either side. Other eye-catching elements include a layer of transparent plastic, which is visible along the extreme edges on all sides, and Samsung's trademark shiny screen (more on that below). The Touch definitely creates a unique look, but call us traditionalists: we didn't really like it. The photos above just can't capture how red the Touch makes the frame appear, especially in bright rooms, and if red isn't your favorite color, you're out of luck--no other colors have been confirmed for this year, despite the company touting a veritable rainbow at CES. In its favor, the red frame didn't really detract from the color fidelity of the picture.
The LN52A650 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which allows it to cut down on blur and to affect judder in motion with a video-processing mode Samsung calls "Auto Motion Plus." Check out David Carnoy's Fully Equipped column for an in-depth discussion of 120Hz, and the performance section of this review for details on how it's implemented on the LN52A650. Like most other LCD and plasma TV models on sale in 2008, the LN52A650 also has a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 (aka 1080p).
New for 2008, the 650 series also includes an Ethernet port, which allows the TV to access the Internet to display news, stock ticker information, and local weather. We liked the easy-to-read font in normal and large sizes, as well as the intuitive controls. USA Today provides the newsfeed, which can sit in the corner of the screen like a ticker (turn Desperate Housewives into Fox News!), or be expanded to allow you to read numerous top stories in a variety of topics. One annoying quirk was that we couldn't remove the Setup screen easily--hitting "return," as the manual suggested, merely turned off the whole service. Also, we'd really appreciate if the port allowed the TV to access firmware updates, but according to Samsung that's not in the cards. A USB-to-Wi-Fi dongle that allows the TV to connect to a wireless network is also available.
The LN52A650 has a similar type of shiny screen as last year's Samsung LCDs, and compared with a more matte LCD screen, such as the one on the Sony KDL-46XBR4, it reflects quite a bit of room lighting. With the windows open during the day and shining on the screen, we could clearly make out our reflection in the screen, especially during dark scenes, and it was a good deal more distracting than on the Sony or the Pioneer. Samsung claims the screen does increase contrast ratio and produce deeper black levels, which might be true given the LN52A650's black level performance, but we still found ourselves distracted by the shine in bright environments while watching dark scenes. We wish the company would make this television available with a matte screen, but again this year all of its higher-end LCDs get the shiny treatment.
The 52LN650 performed quite well with standard-def, and although it couldn't quite resolve every line of the DVD format perfectly, we noticed no untoward softness on program material. The Samsung did a superior job of removing jaggies from diagonal edges, and its noise reduction was very effective in the low-quality shots of sky and sunsets.
Via both VGA and HDMI, the Samsung LN52A650 made a superb computer monitor. It resolved every detail of 1,920x1,080 sources according to DisplayMate, and text looked crisp and well-defined.
So, if you're looking for a new TV and dont really mind spending 2,5 or even 3 thousand dollars, this is the thing for you. Very well balanced gadget that will ensure everyone will like it.
