As the leader amongst TV manufacturers, Samsung has been doing very well with its top-of-the-line LCD and LED TVs (B650, B7000 and B8000 series). The Samsung LE32B550 is a more modest set, but it still doesn’t skip on features and keeps up Samsung’s reputation as a quality mainstream TV manufacturer.
Right from the get-go, this 32” set is a good-looking TV, with a stylish “crystal” finish, a sleek glass-necked stand and minimalist design. It offers impressive connectivity and truly superb pictures once the processing options are understood carefully.
Connectivity
There’s no dearth of connections on this set, as it includes four HDMI inputs as well as a USB port that allows you to view and share JPEG photos as well as music in the form of MP3 audio files, so it’s perfect for gathering family and friends round to see pictures from your most recent vacation. Do note that there’s no video playback option on this model, however, but these days that’s not much of an issue for most prospective customers.
What you might find lacking, though, is the absence of other media connectivity options found in higher models. This set lacks PC streaming as well as access to the company’s widget-driven “Media 2.0” online service, but then again, rival models at the same price point don’t offer these options either so it’s nothing to really complain about.
Response Time
What other rivals in this category do offer, notably, is 100 Hz processing – something that this model glaringly lacks. Samsung’s DNI (Digital Natural Image) engine and the screen’s native response time hopefully make up for this omission by limiting the expected motion-blur issue that’s inherent in liquid crystal displays.
Color Processing
Some of the features found on this model’s onscreen menu include a black level booster, a flesh tone enhancement option, noise reduction circuits as well as an “edge enhancer”, most of which sound more impressive than they are actually useful.
For one, the flesh tone booster makes skin tones look unbalanced compared to the rest of the color palette; the Edge Enhancer has a tendency to over-sharpen images to the point that they look rather unnatural, which can make for a less-than-optimal viewing experience.
Performance
Once you understand the capabilities and limits of the Samsung 32B550 carefully, it will definitely pay you back with superb pictures. The black levels are shockingly deep, and sit in brilliant contrast with stunning, pristine whites.
Even the color palette itself is impressive, and looks like those found on more expensive sets. A wide range of colors and subtle nuances help display expressively the detail we love on our Blu-ray discs. Make a point of avoiding the Edge Enhancement option, and you’ll be rewarded with clarity that comes without noise or stress.
Conclusion
For Standard Definition (SD) content, the Samsung 32B550 is a respectable performer, and even upscales Freeview and DVD content to the set’s Full HD resolution with clarity and sharpness. The fact that there is no 100 Hz processing does put a bit of a damper on things compared to Samsung’s higher-end TVs, and the result is especially evident with standard-definition content.
For the money, though, these are but minor drawbacks. Don’t mind the limited viewing angle (it’s the same in rival models) and the somewhat mediocre audio, which none of these TVs tend to be known for anyways. Overall this TV is a great deal. Get more details here
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