Home > Consumer Reviews > Samsung LN52A550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Just plugged in my new TV after reading glowing reviews around the web. The picture is great, the price is great. Unfortunately the sound sounds like it is coming out of a barrel. I'm sure the speakers are fine, but they are somewhere shoved up inside the set so that they sound like they are coming out of a tube. Just make sure you plan on buying a sound system for this one...

20 Month old TV picture died (still has sound). No service in San Diego, and no response from authorized repair center after 3 calls. Bad circuit board which seems common if you Google search Samsung TV problems. Samsung service told me I was out of luck. Parts/labor to repair was quoted at over $500 when I finally got a Sears repair man to come out. For a premium quality product like Samsung, they take no pride in quality and have poor customer service. BUY AT YOUR OWN PERIL....."

Years ago,when you could walk into Sears and buy an RCA,Zenith or GE tv set,go home and choose between channel 2,4,5,7,9,11,and 13 for Leave it to Beaver,Walter Cronkite,Lawrence Welk or Bonanza....and no manual needed and tv was FREE,it was so simple.There were no YEARLY models like a bumper or tail-light change on an automobile.Now,you choose from 29 different makes,each with 39 different models and a manual an inch thick with writing so small you need a microscope to read it.When it used to be vertical and horizontal adjust with brightness and contrast,it's now aspect ratio,dynamic contrast,usb ports,1080p,umpteen cables and we'll do the dishes for ya!..Ha!....not only that but get cable or dish network and be sure to have rg59 and not rg6 for the digital revolution,get a converter box along with it's remote to go along with the tv remote to go along with the dvd remote...well you get the idea....in the meantime,grandma fell asleep while you fumbled through the remote jungle and Lawrence Welk isn't on again untill next Sunday night!
How's the tv you ask...FANTASTIC!....but the modern age is supposed to be simpler folks and when I walk into a bank and they tell me the computer is down,it's not simpler...they don't have my records available.I still have my money in the bank,I just can't get to it.When the cable tv goes out,I still have my tv but I can't watch it.....and..did anyone say anything about FREE tv?
There are more buttons on three different remotes than you will ever use in a lifetime just to watch the Lakers or Babs.So,to sum up this little review,I still watch 2,4,5,7,9,11,and 13 and grandma can't see the numbers on the remote to change a channel let alone know what CNN is and says,'screw you',she'd rather watch her trusty,rusty Philco with the rabbit ears....I miss the good ole days.
To improve the sound,I did use an old stereo amplifier with 4 speakers to get some theater ambiance and bypassed the tv's nasel stuff up tinny honk and BAM!....it's wonderful.The Lennon sisters sound beautiful and the HD is clear,crisp and Babs looks great!....This stuff isn't exactly user friendly for folks over...well you decide...and do I recommend it?....OH YEAH!...Samsung has got it goin on...I also recommend the good ole days....and simple...grandma wasn't as grouchy.

Just received the TV. Phyiscally, it looks gorgeous, and was actually bigger than I expected. Amazon delivery service was awesome, as they hand delivered to me, and unpackaged it and made sure it worked before they left.

I don't have HD setup box so I'm not sure if that is needed, but when I just plugged in my regular cable to the TV, i see standard channells as well as HD channels. For example, I see CBS on channel 2, but if I go up in the numbers, I see a channel 1-2, which is CBS HD (it says so).

CBS HD channel looks better than standard CBS channel. This leads me to believe that I am getting the HD channel correctly, without the HD Setup Box. If that is the case, I am quite disappointed with the Quality of picture on these HD Channels on this TV. I have watched HD channels on other TVs, and they looked so much sharper than this TV did.

I give it a 3 for now, because I maybe missing something here, but so far, I'm not overly satisfied.
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*****8/24 Update*****
I got the HD setup box, and I do get HD channels. However, when I compare the quality of these HD channels with quality of HD channels WITHOUT the HD setup box, there is no difference. This TV already has a HD-Tuner, so therefore, HD Setup box is not necessary to watch HD channels. However, you do need them, if you want to watch beyond the standard HD channels. I took out the setup box, because I only watch the standard channels in HD, and I found setup boxes to be too slow when navigating.

Anyway, after watching these channels for couple of months now, I really like them. I think I had unbelievably higher expectation for the HD channels, and this is not realistic for HD chanels, which only come at 760P. I have yet to watch blue-ray, which is at 1080p. FYI, currently Verizon FIOS is the only option if you want full 1080p on your cable TV.

It's cheaper at Best Buy. Use 10% or 12% off coupon and you will end up buying this one for under $1700.00

Hope this helps.