Samsung LN40C550 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

Review by falstaff for Samsung LN40C550 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Rating:
i actually received this set as from Samsung as a replacement for a 37 inch model that they no longer make. unfortunately, this television has also been plagued with problems. let me preface this by saying as far as picture quality and overall appearance go, this is a fantastic set. however, there are 3 fatal flaws that are causing me to return it.

1) audio clipping issues: regardless of the audio source, the television exhibits audio clipping and dropouts where the sound will temporarily disappear. this causes a very quick, but incredibly annoying, loss in audio. this occurs regardless of input source.

2) auto-dimming issues: the set features special settings to automatically adjust the brightness levels to conserve energy and optimize the the tv for low-light settings. however, even after turning off all of these options, the tv still auto-dims. obviously, this degrades from the experience.

3) poor DLNA codec support: one of the most exciting features for me about this set is that it is compatible with DLNA home media servers. i was hoping to be able to stream my content to this set. however, the television has very poor codec support. it cannot play many common file formats and codecs. even after transcoding the files, the set often fails to play them. in addition, the set doesn’t support fast-forward or rewind on streaming media, which makes watching a movie very difficult.

i really wanted to like this set, and was excited to receive it, but unfortunately, i think this will be the last Samsung TV i ever own.

Review by M. Sossong for Samsung LN40C550 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Rating:
i love it very much, i can use it for videophone, computer, dvd and tv as well.

Review by chickeebabe for Samsung LN40C550 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Rating:
I purchased this 40″ TV when Amazon offered the free TiVo Premiere TiVo TCD746320 Premiere DVR (Black) along with purchase. This is my first flat screen TV and it is a good starter for the price. I chose an LCD because it tends to be more economical than a plasma. Plasmas offer better color but tend to use more energy and are more costly. I wasn’t looking to create a fantastic new home theater system; just something that will allow me to enjoy everyday TV and the occasional movie. The flat screen also opens up my small living room significantly. My previous tube TV was ginormous in comparison.

The delivery company, CEVA, came in within the time frame designated and helped set-up the TV on the swivel stand. They do not check to see if an image comes on the screen, even though they ask you to initial the line that states an image appeared on the TV. Whatever, I don’t expect the delivery guys to be technicians. Just keep this in mind.

Fortunately, with some exchanging of wires, I was able to set up the TV and receive a signal and picture. I do not have cable, so I hooked the TV up to an antenna. The picture quality is great on the HD channels and sufficient on the non-HD ones. It really is a sleek and nice looking TV. Even when turned off, it’s a nice piece of equipment.

I was concerned with the 60 Hz because I had read that the minimum an LCD TV should have is 120 Hz minimum. And while my friends and I are no LCD television experts, we really don’t notice a difference between our TV’s based on this refresh rate.

The sound quality is what’s bringing the review to 4 stars. Even for my small space, the sound just wasn’t good enough. You don’t need expensive speakers, but it’s definitely worth hooking it up to another audio output.

Review by Happy Golfer for Samsung LN40C550 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)
Rating:
Hmmm…let’s begin here…Been looking fwd to getting a HD TV for over an year..read reviews…tons of them..and then some. I decided to wait until I get something really good- 1080p, multiple HDMI ports (v important for me), Large screen, good price and a good manufacturer. I have a surround system/multiple disc changer,- panasonic, ‘old’ vcr and cable— I wanted something that would connect all these without having to spend a ton of $$$$.

THE GOOD: So having read a number of reviews of this system I went for it..and paid about […]..unpacking..amazing..set up ..like 5 minutes..and connecting the S-VIDEO cable to link up the surround system/ ‘old’ vcr and cable—IT WORKED. I am still workin on buying HDMI linked stuff (its been like a month)…but waoo..This system is good. The TVs sound system is not that great but I have the surround system- so I dont need it.

The Other- Have to tweak the contrast, etc for sometime to get the TV to be to your taste. The TVs sound system is not great.

Overall- so far so good. Excellent product-5/5.

Success.