Samsung LN55A950 55" 1080p LCD HDTV with 120Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting

This is my second Samsung TV and I am very happy with this purchase. Sure its a pricey TV but its also loaded with great features, tons of settings, and the latest LED backlight technology which provides black level that takes LCDs into Plasma territory without the power demands or heat of plasma. This new 55 inch takes less power than my old 40 inch LCD panel due to the smart backlight which turns down (or off) LEDs in dark areas of the displayed image.

Overall I think its picture quality is up there with the high end Sony (LDC) and Pineer (plasma) displays. Samsung has really made a name for themselves in the last few years with there continually improving line of LCDs. I really like how each input saves its own settings so you don't have to adjust whenever you switch inputs.

For gaming: Like other LCDs, in its default configuration there can be some trouble with some games with latency and image blur. I had one major issue with Rock Band when the animation behind the scrolling notes made the notes blur. You can use "E-Mode Game" to fix this but I found a better solution. Because you can not change the brightness/contrast or backlight with "E-Mode Game", I used HDMI2 input for the Xbox 360 and changed the label on HDMI2 to "PC". This tells the TV that you have a PC hooked up to HDMI2 and skips some of the color and image processing just like the "E-Mode Game" but you can now control brightness/contrast and backlight. This only works on HDMI2 and its briefly mentioned in the manual but it makes a much better low latency game mode than the "E-Mode Game" that Samsung provides.

For Movies: Much better than any other LCD due to the great black levels. Deep blacks and good dark detail can be seen with this TV with the right settings. With LED backlight and a Blu Ray player, blacks are actual black instead of dark gray and the black bars on widescreen movies disappear from view. And because its and LCD, bright seens have much more punch than even the best plasma displays.

For TV: If its standard definition don't expect too be impressed. I think the scaler and standard def TV feed looks good for what it is and you can use the LOW setting of dynamic contrast and auto motion plus to make it palatable. But if you have HD TV it should look great on this TV.

Negatives: There is only one real negative to this TV but for me its a very, very minor one. When viewed from an angle, you will loose the inky blacks even from just 30 degrees off axis. Its not a big deal for me for two reasons. The couch is directly on-axis and it looks great from any seat on the couch. From the side chair (about 40 deg) it still looks great and you would probably not even notice you were losing some black level until you move to the couch. Off axis, this TV still looks as good as any high end LCD I have seen. So if you will often need to watch off axis, you do lose some of the benefits of the LED backlight and maybe you should go for a plasma because all LCDs have this issue and most have it much worse than this TV. I just think its noticed more because the on axis blacks are so good. That is why it is often mentioned in reviews. Then only other minor issue is that the stand does not swivel. That would have been a nice touch but with a TV of this size, I probably would not move it much.

For Geeks: This TV is great. The number of different settings you have to play with are unbelievable. You can even do both color balance and grayscale calibration with this TV without needed to go into the services menu. You are provided with full grayscale setting (RGB Gain and Cut) and Color (RGB and YCM) from the standard settings. I really like this because I can try to calibrate it myself without the worry of messing up the service menu settings.

So, you pay a lot for this TV but I think its worth it for the picture quality and a chance to check out LED backlight technology before all the other LCDs get it, and they will! I think LED backlighting is a breakthrough for flat panels and will continue to improve over the next few years and become standard for LCD. So, I just paid a premium to see it now.Buy Samsung LN55A950 55" 1080p LCD HDTV with 120Hz refresh rate and LED backlighting!

Samsung LN32A650 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color

Very suitable in a small room. I did extensive research and went for a step above the rest. It has the best specs of any 32", and it looks like a big TV in my 10x12 TV room. The red highlights dress the room 'classy'. Wall mounted it with a full motion well made mountSanus Systems MF215-B1 15-Inch to 37-Inch LCD TV 15-Inch Extending Full Motion Wall Mount (Black) 36" from floor to bottom of TV. Connected my DVD with component cables and movies look fast and fantastic. The TV sound is very decent plus used the audio out connections to play through my new compact ilive combo cd-ipod-radio iLive iH328B Dual-CD Home Music System with iPod Dock (Black) speakers. Yes, the ilive provides the tuner and the compact little stereo looks sharp beneath the TV. Because the room is small, I did not want furniture to overpower the TV or the room. I found a Saunder nightstand 18dx23wx23h which sits pretty beneath the TV. It looks like a mini entertainment stand and when I can find one, I'll get a small media tower to go beside it. Installed a new OTA antenna in my attic Antennas Direct 43XG and wish I had bought the 91XG which has slightly higher gain which would help a lot for channel 16 on the low end of the 'dial'. Used 52' of RG6. Stations are all uhf and within 15 compass degrees of each other 13 to 40 miles away. The picture is really really nice on this TV.Buy Samsung LN32A650 32-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color!

Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV

Great product. Fantastic are in shipping. Only wish I had gotten a little bigger screen...well there is always next year!!!Buy Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV!

Toshiba REGZA 42RV535U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

This TV has exceeded my expectations. The picture is bright and clear. I have not noticed any motion blur problems and true 1080p input looks fantastic on the set. The most amazing thing however is how very good dish satellite programming, at standard 480i resolution, looks on the set. There is no pixilation or snow at all. The quality is as good as a normat tube set. Buy Toshiba REGZA 42RV535U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV!

Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

The TV has been flawless for 7 months. The picture rivals a movie theater, Blu-Rays look amazing and DVDs look so much better. The only things to note is light from a window directly across from the TV will be reflected by the glass and it puts out a surprising amount heat through the front.Buy Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV!

Sharp Aquos LC19D45U 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

The very poor audio output from this TV is in Sharp (pun intended) contrast to the picture quality, fit and finish. I normally watch my small TV while seated at my dining table. The TV is on the table. With factory settings, the maximum audio output is so low it is below my normal listening volume when I am seated across from it. Audio output was totally useless when viewed from my kitchen area while cooking and cleaning up.

I opened the settings menu and boosted the treble and bass to their maximum settings to boost audio output. That helped a little but the output is still below acceptable limits by a lot. I should not have to listen to the TV at the maximum volume setting of 60. I do not listen loud and I am not hard of hearing.

Sharp spent more money and attention to the kitchen timer/clock remote than they did to audio output and they did not even include RCA audio outputs so the TV could be connected to an external analog amplifier or preamplifier. I also have a 46" Sharp Aquos LC-46D62U and the audio output is equally dismal. I get around that by watching it through my stereo system. Apparently many (maybe all) Sharp TVs are lacking in audio performance. I will never buy another Sharp product.

This television is stunning appearance but tragically flawed. Don't be fooled by a pretty face. Buy Sharp Aquos LC19D45U 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV!

Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ800 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Has the sharpest, most life like color and image of all the other 37" TVsI compared it to prior to purchase. Set up was a breeze and connections to VHS and DVD was quite easy.

Would have given it 5 stars if the price was a bit less.

No problem seeing screen in bright or dark room conditions and seems ok even when watching action videos.Buy Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ800 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV!

Sharp Aquos LC37D44U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

I was so excited to get my new TV. Had everything setup. Set the TV to scan for all available channels. The process of removing channels was horrible. Unlike Sony where you just click add/delete in this Sharp TV you have to go through the menu and delete each channel. Hate it. Then I get to a few channels where I can see the picture perfectly, but I can't hear anything. That's strange because all the other brand TV at home can get those channels with sound perfectly even Vizio the brand I hate with its poor quality picture and a control that only works if you angle it towards the far right. What gives. Sharp is suppose to be a better brand. They need to work on their digital tuner especially the sound. I contact Sharp but have not heard back from them yet.
Buy Sharp Aquos LC37D44U 37-Inch 720p LCD HDTV!