Review on:

Samsung LN46B550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Features

Performance

Color Accuracy

Black Levels

Value

Design

mattCR’s Rating

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Community Rating:

(6 reviews)

Someohow my original review was eaten.

THe Samsung LN46 was a really difficult choice for me.  I had previously owned a 60" Samsung DLP set that I loved to all ends.  The DLP set was to me, perfect.  But in the end, wife acceptance factor drove the drive to the LCDs.

I compared several models and the Samsung stood out for me in comparison to several of the others nearby.  (Sony/Vizio/etc.)

The Samsung has a very polished look that comes across in a way old theater buffs would refer to as "piano black" finish.  But the look on the screen was only part way into how positive I felt when taking one home.
 

Seeing an LCD in a store is sometimes the worst way; they are always out of whack, seemingly over-bright and over-saturated.  As though someone just cranks brightness to 100% assuming that's what people want.  Thanks to a great display setup near me, I was able to pop in a few blurays of my choice, and that's when the Samsung really sold me.

While the black level never came across as deep and rich as my DLP, it was by far the best looking LCD presentation I had seen.  I used several films that were my favorites for a film reference.  The moment that I watched a few Pixar films in BD on this, I knew I was sold.

Bang for the buck, I couldn't justify going up to the 50", which marked a sizable increase in cost, almost 60% more then the price point on the 46".

There are lots of LCDs out there, including quite a few good ones. 

Samsung has now upgraded this with a 120hz version, which is even snappier then this.  But you can find this model now at a steal.  And for the price it's selling for, its' worth every penny.