Samsung LN37A550 is yet another 37 inch Full HD TV released this summer.
Intro:
Samsung LN37A550 is a new model of HD TV with plenty of features including picture controls, good music interface, Picture-In-Picture and more. It offers bright and sharp picture with excellent colors. The only thing that not top-notch in this model is the audio quality which might be slightly disappointing for music lover, but quite enough for gamers and film watchers.
Samsung LN37A550 pros:
+ Full HD 1080p HDTV
+ Extensive picture controls
+ Low power consumption
+ Picture-In-Picture
+ Plenty of ports
+ Good viewing angle
Samsung LN37A550 cons:
- Average audio quality
- Greenish shadows
- No Ethernet port – no Internet connection
The Design:
As always the is pretty, yet without any extraordinary visual gadgets. It is made of glossy, black, good quality plastic which looks attractive and solid. The TV weights 39.5 pounds (17.6 kg) with the swivel which rotates about 30 degrees. Samsung LN37A550 has two connection panels which together have 3 HDMI inputs, S-Video In, Headphone Out, Composite Input, USB port, 2 Component Inputs, VGA with minijack Audio and a few more ports.
Performance:
Samsung LN37A550 has plenty of customization options, but it is practically ready to use out of the box. Depending on your main requirement you might have to change the native resolution, brightness or saturation. What I liked about this TV is the screen that pops up after the fist turning on which asks you about your watching environment. That really helps to adjust the image right away. Thanks to advanced image processing and the latest technology used in Samsung LN37A550 you simply can’t complain about the image quality. However, sensitive listeners might complain about the sound, but you can always use a standalone speaker system.
Menus / ease of use:
In Samsung LN37A550 you have the choice of 5 color tones, you can also adjust the black level, tint, color, brightness and contrast, so you can easily adjust it to your needs. The TV shows onscreen descriptions in the menu of what will happen after changing certain settings to make life easier for those who don’t know how to operate such state of the art equipment. This makes it easy to use the HD TV, but of course if you still have troubles you can refer to the manual.
As is the case with the recently reviewed Samsung LE40A559P the 37 inch model described here shares its hardware with other models which differ only in size:the 32-inch LN32A550, the 40-inch LN40A550, the 46-inch LN46A550, and the 52-inch LN52A550, therefore, they all should have the same image quality so this review can be applied to them also.
Selected Samsung LN37A550 specs:
Product Type
37 in LCD TV
Digital Television Certification
HDTV
TV Tuner
1x analog, 1x digital
Video Interface
HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite
PC Interface
VGA (HD-15)
USB Port
Yes
HDCP Compatible
Yes
Dimensions
With stand
Width
36.1 in
Depth
11.8 in
Height
25.6 in
Weight
39.5 lbs
DISPLAY
Diagonal Size
37 in – Widescreen
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Display Format
1080p (FullHD)
Image Aspect Ratio
16:9
LCD Backlight Technology
Wide Color Gamut-CCFL
Dynamic Contrast Ratio
15000:1
Brightness (cd/m2)
500
Progressive Scan
Progressive scanning (line doubling)
Widescreen Modes
16:9, Just, Zoom, Auto Wide, Wide Zoom, Conventional 4:3
Viewing Angle
178 degrees
Viewing Angle (Vertical)
178 degrees
Pixel Response Time
5 ms
V-Sync Rate at Max Res.
60 Hz
Max V-Sync Rate
75 Hz
Max H-Sync Rate
60 KHz
V-Chip Control
Yes
Color Temperature Control
Yes (Warm1/Warm2/Normal/Cool1/Cool2)
Picture Adjustment
Custom/Standard/Music/Movie/Speech
Additional Features
On-screen menu, DNIe (Digital Natural Image engine)
TV TUNER
Analog TV Tuner
NTSC
Multi-channel Preview
Picture-in-picture (PIP)
Stereo Reception System
MTS
Channel Coverage
VHF:2-13, UHF:14-69, Cable:1-125
Secondary Audio Program (SAP)
Yes
DIGITAL TV TUNER
Digital TV Tuner
ATSC
VIDEO FEATURES
HDTV Ready
Yes
Input Video Formats
480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Supported Computer Resolutions
640 x 350, 720 x 400, 1360 x 768, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480 (VGA), 1024 x 768 (XGA), 800 x 600 (SVGA), 1280 x 1024 (SXGA), 1600 x 1200 (UXGA)
Teletext
Yes
Parental Channel Lock
Yes
REMOTE CONTROL
Remote Control
Remote control – Infrared
AUDIO SYSTEM
Sound Output Mode
Stereo
Surround Mode
Yes
Sound Effects
SRS TruSurround
Audio Controls
Balance, Equalizer, Sound mode
Equalizer
Yes (5-band)
Speakers Included
2 speakers
Output Power / Total
20 Watt
Additional Features
Balance control, Auto volume adjustment
Speaker(s)
2 x Right/left channel speaker – Built-in – 10 Watt
Source: Samsung.