weggbw's Full Review: Samsung LN32B360 32 in. HDTV TV
The unexpected death of my 11 year old CRT TV necessitated looking for a replacement. Just last year, the TV in my bedroom “bit the dust”, and I had to purchase a new TV for that room. At the time, I suffered sticker shock from TVs and went on the cheap side. While still pleased with my 19” Sylvania, I wanted something more robust for the living room.
I started with Consumer Reports and also consulted online customer reviews of models purchased at various department stores. I then hit the stores to see what was available. I had the size narrowed down to 32” or 37”. Most of my viewing is done within 8 to 10 feet of the set, and I figured that size range should do nicely.
Being a value minded consumer and not in need of the “latest and greatest” technology, I had it narrowed down to some Vizio models. They seemed to get mostly rave reviews in the sources I looked, had many features, and the prices were not outrageous. While Samsungs seem to be rated highly, I didn’t have one on my “List” to look at.
I then spent a few days at a relative’s home, which had a recently-purchased 37” Vizio set. I must say that I was underwhelmed by the set’s overall performance. My relatives had not read the manual, so I dug in and started learning about the different settings. We tried many adjustments, but the picture never got to the quality (even with videos on DVD) that I would consider outstanding.
Upon returning from that stay, I decided to hit the stores again to see if I could learn more. While shopping at WalMart one day, a fellow consumer and I started commenting to one another on the TVs we were viewing. (In your shopping, I would highly recommend going to a store that displays many models so that you can see them side-by-side and detect differences in the pictures.) It was quite apparent that the Samsungs of both the 32” and 37” varieties had better picture quality than similar-sized brands, except for Sony, with which it was on par. The price of $438 dollars on the 32” Samsung LN32B360 caught my eye. I should mention that this set is 720p and 60hz refresh rate (equates to 6 ms), not the newer technology 1080p or 120hz (or more).
Later, at Sears, I was talking to the salesman about the picture quality of the different sets, and how I noticed that the Samsungs seemed richer/clearer than the Vizios. I inquired as to whether there were settings on the Vizio that could be adjusted to make the picture better. He said that the contrast ratio of the Samsungs was much higher than the Vizios, so the Vizio’s picture would never achieve the quality level. Regarding the 720p vs. 1080p, he said that unless you specifically buy Blue-Ray discs, you will not get the added benefit of the 1080p viewing capability, as everything now is broadcast 720p. As for refresh rates, it seems that the 6ms refresh response time is quite adequate for a TV this size; faster rates factor more into the decision for larger size screen purchases.
With that, I had made up my mind. I went on a search and found the Samsung LN32B360 32” LCD Hi-Def TV at Best Buy for $437.99. I purchased it on the spot, brought it home, and set it up. It took a bit of time to hook up the different connections for DVD player, VCR, coaxial cable and the hi-def component cable from the cable box. Nothing difficult; just takes a little time to prepare and organize the nest of wires.
After using the TV for about 5 weeks, I can report the following observations: - The picture quality of non-hi-def channels is good….hi-def is outstanding. The hi-def makes watching shows like “Planet Earth” so much more enjoyable. The picture is very clear, and the colors are vivid. - Speaking of colors and picture quality, it took me a while to adjust the different picture settings to get it to where I wanted it. I found that I had to cut way, way back on the color; otherwise, it is too rich. It might be a good idea to write down the settings you like, in the event they are ever reset by accident. - Make sure you get familiar with the different sizing capabilities of the TV (common to all LCD TVs). The TV can display the picture in various sizes to make it fit the screen, which has a 16:9 aspect ratio. For anything that is not broadcast in the 16:9 aspect ratio, the picture can be expanded to fill the screen; however, it will suffer from distortion. It can be expanded to fill the screen while keeping proportions; the edges of the picture will be cropped. The original aspect ratio of the broadcasted show can also be maintained; the displayed picture will be smaller, and black bars will fill in the screen around the picture. - For non-hi-def channels, changing the source to “TV” (so it comes through the coaxial cable, as opposed to the component cable) makes those channels look better. - While not stereo surround, the sound quality is good. It is much better than my 19” Sylvania set, which has a slightly tinny sound compared to this. - This TV can pick up hi-def channels that the cable company broadcasts without using the cable company’s cable box. I believe it is the “QAM” tuner that allows this. My Sylvania does not have this capability. So, if you don’t have hi-def service, you may want to make sure your TV has this kind of tuner so you can take advantage of these channels. - The viewing angle is very good, at about 170 degrees. It has a swivel base, which allows a small amount of rotation of the screen.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I still have to go through the manual to learn more about its features, but I am satisfied with the settings that I have now. The Sylvania set in the bedroom gets much less use now, as I have moved the hi-def box to this TV. I may have to go back on my statement that I was content with just a “competent” set. This Samsung has set a new standard for me, and it would definitely be difficult to go back to anything less. A friend of mine, who has resisted an LCD purchase, was visiting the other day. To show off my TV’s capabilities, I turned on a show in hi-def that featured the Great Barrier Reef. He was glued to the set for the time it was on. He’s now seriously considering upgrading now to an LCD, as opposed to waiting for his CRT to expire on its own.
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