Customer Reviews
A perfect purchase
[...]
Amazon tracking indicated it would take 2 weeks to arrive. CEVA tracking listed it at two days earlier. I received the call for delivery in less than a week - and this included the holiday period!
CEVA showed up with it yesterday. The heavy cardboard box had an 18″ gash/tear in it and my heart sank. They removed the box and I noticed the screen was supported about 8″ from the cardboard and there were no signs that whatever caused the gash had touched anything. We quickly plugged it into the wall and ran it thru some of the built-in menus. Relief - everything worked fine. With the 30-day return guarantee there was nothing more to worry about.
The previous day Amazon had delivered a new Onkyo receiver to replace my older Yamaha. I had already disconnected the Yamaha and wired all the components and speakers to this new receiver (to take advantage of its HDMI capabilities). It now only took a couple hours to make the final connections with the receiver, cable sysem, over-the-air antenna, HTPC and network.
Every single system worked perfectly, even though it sometimes took a few minutes to discover the correct input settings on each device to get everything communicating. The biggest surprise was the quality of the picture. After reading everything I could find on various forums I expected to have some tweaking to do before obtaining the best images. While critically inspecting the imagery for each type of input I could not see a need to adjust anything! Just for experimentation I did make a few selections of alternate settings, but always wound up returning to the original. I’ll likely use an Avia program to verify adjustments later, but can’t imagine any improvement.
The “halo effect” feature on the upper and lower bezel was obvious (albeit faint) to see, but it was not distracting. In fact, if there were a switch available to turn it on and off, I’d still leave it on - it’s neat! The red bezel highlighting (the TOC) is so subtle that it is nearly invisible. If I didn’t know it was there I’d likely not have even noticed it. Perhaps it would be more visible in a room with bright daylighting?
Another neat feature is the touch sensitive controls on the lower right bezel. They are invisible until you touch the area, causing them to temporarily sequentially illuminate. I haven’t fully explored this feature yet.
Another nice feature was discovering that I could hook up the computer to HDMI connection #2 and play computer games without any special adjustments. There was no lag or any problem except that I’ll need to upgrade the computer’s video card in order to take the display all the way up to its full resolution. Nevertheless, the Samsung must have been upscaling the image since it was extremely sharp. (Same thing with the 480i DVDs we played on it - very sharp). When not in use we intend to leave the computer hooked up so the Samsung will continuously display it’s screensaver which cross-fades family photos like a huge digital picture frame.
The Samsung has a TOSLINK out connection which I connected to the receiver. This vastly simplifies audio connections since all audio sent to the TV can be amplified from a single connection to the receiver. If you can connect everything via HDMI there will be significantly fewer wires and a much more simplified operation.
The only thing I would have preferred is if the base would swivel. I understand the 650 models swivel, can’t imagine why Samsung wouldn’t include that feature here.
We’re very happy with this purchase.
EDIT- 6-18-08
After nearly 3 weeks of use we are even more impressed with this TV.
I have upgraded the video card on the attached computer so that it can now attain full 1080p resolution, only to find the text too small to be readable at a normal viewing distance of about 12 feet with my 60-yr-old eyes. Backing off the resolution makes the text large enough to read while retaining its razor-sharpness.
The attached computer is connected with a wireless hub to my home network, allowing it to stream pictures, music, or movies from any of the computers. The TV must be upconverting the movies to 1080p because they are displayed more clearly than when sent to a regular computer monitor.
The hub also provides a patch cable to the TVs’ network port, which allows it to run all the InfoLink connection functions (weather, news, stocks) without the need to even configure that connection.
We added a PS3 a week ago to view blu-ray movies. What an incredible picture! Even though we are using inexpensive $3 HDMI cables, there was no flickering or other problem as reported on another Amazon review. My son tested out his new Metal Gear PS3 game and was impressed with the image and game play. We used the default settings and did not even switch to “game” mode.
We’ve now had time to run THX and TVBlink video calibration tests and were not surprised to find that all the default settings were already set to the optimum values for our personal tastes.
The set is now mounted on one of those entertainment center “stalks” which allows it to be easily rotated (for easier access to the rear connections). This mounting has taken care of the only complaint we had about this set - its’ lack of a swivel base.
Edit - 7-16-08
After 6 weeks of use I must say that this has proven to be one awesome piece of electronics. I simply cannot believe how great this set has performed. The color and details have greatly exceeded my highest expectations. We have begun replaying our old DVD library because the upscaling capabilities built into this set appears to make them very comparable to the Blu-Ray movies we’ve viewed. It’s like seeing a new movie!
It is quite a kick to be using the computer while watching the nightly news in HD via the PIP function.
A lot of people have calibrated their sets using the published settings on AVSforum.com. We tested all of those settings and found that they each resulted in a darker picture that has lost details in shadowy areas and the colors are dull, without the “pop” of the factory settings. Keep in mind that our entertainment area is in a dark, windowless room which should make viewing dimmer features easier. We tried compensating the calibration with various picture adjustments but were unable to attain comparable performance. After a week of trying to perceive any improvements we reverted our settings back to the original, tweaked, factory settings.
Several people have made similar observations, leading us to a conclusion that either there is a wide discrepancy between personal preferences and/or each of these sets have varying image displays. We have no doubt that many people do see improved performance after calibrating their sets - but before you spend a lot of money on professional calibration try the AVSforum settings first to verify if you see any improvement.
The only complaint we have is that we’ve now been spoiled by what this set can do. We picked up a new Samsung T260HD computer monitor (which also includes an HDTV tuner). This is a 26″ monitor that has a similar TOC bezel to match the LN52A750. You can read our review here on Amazon - in a nutshell, we are disappointed with it’s performance.
Better processing than the a650 line - perfect for gaming
I’ve been agonizing over an HDTV purchase for months. My 32″ 480p Samsung CRT just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. It was time to delve into HD now that it has been around for awhile with major tech innovations (1080p, 120hz, and more). I feel as though it will be many years before a *significant* new HD technology comes along. Here is a list of what I’ve been agonizing over (and probably you too) and why I made the decision for the 750.
1. LNxxa750 vs LNxxa650
I spent some time drooling over the LN52a650 until I came across LN52a750. I searched and searched to see if there was a performance difference between the two sets. I finally found someone with some knowledge and indeed the 750’s use a different (more powerful) internal processor than the a650’s. For how incredibly small the price difference is between the 650 and 750 I’m surprised people still shop the 650. Not to mention the regal-looking bezel on the 750, the woofer for those without a home theater system, and some other minor goodies. Bottom line, if you’re flip-flopping between the two - stop. Just buy 750.
2. What size? 52, 46, or even 40?
Of course I wanted the largest size I could get. HD is a whole new ball game, and even a 52″ model is not as big as it sounds. In fact after having this for a couple weeks now I am beyond relieved I didn’t buy a smaller size. (I typically sit about 7 feet from the screen.). Please take my word on this. You will never regret buying too big. Unless you’re in a tiny dorm room, the 52″ will not overpower you. If you buy a smaller size just be warned you will be longing for the 52 before too long.
3. Samsung or Sony 41 series?
I went to 3 different big box stores to compare side by side. The picture on the 750 just blows away anything else in these stores. It’s amazing how two sets with similar specs can have such different displays. The gloss finish just has the colors and contrast jumping off the screen. Sony makes solid products in general, but so does Samsung. It took only a matter of seconds to realize that the Sony 41 series has a boring picture compared to the 750.
4. Plasma or LCD?
With the glossy screen and various black adjustments in the menu, you’re getting the best of both worlds with the 750. It has contrast like that of a higher end plasma, but also performs beautifully in a well lit room. Plasmas are just plain dim and dull. With how bright and vivid the 750’s screen is, I have not had any issues with reflections. If you look at the models offered by most companies, it’s clear that plasma is dying just as DLP is.
5. The “halo effect”
Non-existant. I’ve watched HD cable, games, and blu-rays in a pitch black room and cannot see the supposed halo that some people are whining about. In fact, I’m almost disappointed because I wanted to see what the hubbub was all about. Apparently Samsung has eliminated this.
6. Amazon or a partner seller?
Local big box stores sell this unit for (including tax) anywhere from $500 - $800+ more. Insane. I knew I’d be ordering it from Amazon. But sometimes the partner sellers are cheaper…what to do. It just so happened that the day I ordered it Amazon had the lowest price. But had they not, I still would have paid the extra small price difference to get it from Amazon. I have no experience with the partner sellers but felt I’d have more recourse with Amazon if a problem occurred.
7. Gaming performance
I also bought a PS3 and Xbox 360 at the same time. Both are stunning, and nope, no input lag on either system using very inexpensive HDMI 1.3 cables. (However, I’ve read of people’s feedback on the a650 where they have experienced lag. This is where the superior processor of the 750 comes in). I’ve played fast-paced shooters, racing, and adventure games with no lag issues. I may have had a minor lag issue with SOF on the 360 but that could just be the game. Games on the 52a750 will have you hypnotized, especially if it’s your first foray into HD.
8. Sound
Could care less. I’m using a home theater system, but with the 750’s woofer I’m sure the sound is good/great for a flat panel unit.
9. Light and glare from the glossy finish
Has not been an issue for me. At all.
10. Final thoughts
Comcast HD (via Motorola box), PS3 Blu-Ray, PS3 games, Xbox 360 games all look incredible. I sometimes watch content that I’d otherwise be bored with just because of the gorgeous picture. Plasma has nothing on the a750 and gaming is lag-free via HDMI. Buy this TV and your friends (especially those owning plasmas) will be envious if not outright jealous.
Screen Frame Glass Concerns
I was bouyed by what others have written in their reviews as well as my own experience as to what I saw in the stores when deciding what TV to buy.
So when I received this model TV I was anticpating an amazing experience with my first High Definition television. At first I was blown away by the picture. But then, when I started to watch a movie at night when the room was dark, I noticed that the clear beveled edge glass of the frame was reflecting light back at me and it was very distracting.
I found that if I shifted myself higher in my seat by as little as a few inches, the reflection at the top disappeared. But I still saw the reflection on the sides. But do I have to sit at a perfect angle and location in the room to fully enjoy a not so cheap TV?
I called Samsung technical support and the person I spoke to said that yes, they were aware of this problem but that it was not a large enough concern to them to change the design to correct.
They recommended that I consider exchanging the 750 for the 650 series whose only difference was a few features as the 650 does not have this design flaw.
So while the picture is fantastic, I can hardly rate this TV very highly when I have to put black tape around the glass frame to hide the reflections.
Source : Cheap Samsung LCD TVs
http://astore.amazon.com/best.buy.samsung.lcd.tvs.hdtv.32.37.40.46.52.flat.screen-20/detail/B001418WF4
