Samsung HDTV 32
Samsung HDTV 32 Reviews
Resolution: 1366 x 768 Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 60,000:1 ConnectShare™ Movie
Better than Vizi
Pros: picture quality, sound quality
Cons: difficult assembly, slightly cluttered remote
"I bought this for my Mom after the 32" Vizio from Costco was returned to a defective tuner(5-20 minutes for pink static/noise to disappear from screen...tuner seemed to need to warm up before you could change channel, adjust volume etc).
The Vizio had been a breeze to set up, involving a stand that slid onto the TV and was held in place with a thumbscrew, so having to deal with the cryptic instructions, tiny pictures, and unlabeled parts of this Samsung HDTV 32 had me baffled for a bit. None of the screws wanted to start, but after a bit of work, and a prayer for no cross-threading, I got them all in place. The four in the back are very difficult to get started.
After I got the guide neck, etc attached to the stand I noticed that it wasn't facing exactly forward. I remembered the one in the store pivoted and I was able to make the assembly swivel with some effort. Wish I had read the notes here first about loosening the screws on the bottom of the base first, but I can vouch that the TV will swivel with some effort without doing this step.
Anyway, after 30 minutes of fussing and fighting with the unit I had everything assembled. One part was left over that wasn't mentioned in the setup. It's roughly rectangular, black, with a couple of thumb slots and a clip. It has the word "Front" on it. I finally theorized that it's a part to cover up the hole on the back of the unit(where the stand/base would attach) if you decide to wall-mount it. Another reviewer mentioned that he found a vague reference to this in the manual.
Anyway, after 30 minutes of fussing and fighting with the unit I had everything assembled. One part was left over that wasn't mentioned in the setup. It's roughly rectangular, black, with a couple of thumb slots and a clip. It has the word "Front" on it. I finally theorized that it's a part to cover up the hole on the back of the unit(where the stand/base would attach) if you decide to wall-mount it. Another reviewer mentioned that he found a vague reference to this in the manual.
The setup of the TV was a bit cryptic as well. Again, another viewer referenced some choices on cable setup involving IRC, HRC, etc. I used to know these terms, but found out it wasn't necessary, at least for me to change any of the default/standard settings in order for the set to discover all the channels(basic cable, ie no HD receiver). The search for channels took 20-30 minutes and seemed counterproductive. First it searches for ALL available channels(close to 400 DTV and 70-90 standard/analog channels) and then removed 350+ scrambled channels from memory.
After spending over an hour on the installation and channel setup, I was not in a pleasant frame of mind. Fortunately, the picture and sound were worth the wait.
The sound first...my Mom is hard of hearing and really has to crank up the volume on the TV. I'm fairly certain this set only has two 5 watt speakers (downward facing) so I almost discouraged her from buying it. My 4+-year-old Philips has 15 watt side-mounted speakers whose sound quality has not been matched by any set I have looked at in the past six months. With the prevalence of home theater systems, it seems that sound quality is an afterthought with TV manufacturers these days.
The Vizio had two 10-watt front-facing speakers, but the sound was very tinny with no bass. This Samsung HDTV 32 with its 5-watt down facing speakers was a pleasant surprise even before tweaking the settings on the graphic equalizer.
On to the picture...even though the set is 720P its picture seemed much crisper and more colorful than the 1080P Vizio that I had to return. I guess the old rule-of-thumb has some merit that the difference between 720P and 1080P is moot with a set 32" inches or smaller.
The picture mode choices of dynamic seemed a bit too crisp/constrast-y while the cinema/film mode was too washed out. I saw little differences between the two other modes...natural and standard or normal. I left the set in one of those two modes. I apologize for the vagueness of this review as I'm not at my Mom's house to reference the TV or its manual at the moment.
The remote was a bit cluttered, as another reviewer mentioned, with some choices better left on the menu, but I found it easier to navigate than the Vizio. The channel and volume up/down buttons, the ones my Mom will use the most, are much larger than on the Vizio. The menu button, due mostly to its different color is readily visible, but not positioned in the ideal spot being buried in the middle of the remote. The enter/OK button is a bit on the small side and the left right up down buttons that surround it are too close to it as well.
Remote controls seem to be an afterthought with manufacturers as well, probably since they realize most users will be using their cable/satellite remotes more often. I wish I could find a code for my Mom's Zenith/Allegro remote that would work. That remote will always be my favorite remote, as far as position and spacing and size of buttons.
To close, everyone's taste in TVs, whether it be picture/sound/design quality varies, but don't disregard this TV just because its specs don't match your perception of what you should get. Give the set a try and let your eyes and ears be your guide. Costco's return policy is very easy and their doubling of the manufacturers warranty is a bonus."
After spending over an hour on the installation and channel setup, I was not in a pleasant frame of mind. Fortunately, the picture and sound were worth the wait.
The sound first...my Mom is hard of hearing and really has to crank up the volume on the TV. I'm fairly certain this set only has two 5 watt speakers (downward facing) so I almost discouraged her from buying it. My 4+-year-old Philips has 15 watt side-mounted speakers whose sound quality has not been matched by any set I have looked at in the past six months. With the prevalence of home theater systems, it seems that sound quality is an afterthought with TV manufacturers these days.
The Vizio had two 10-watt front-facing speakers, but the sound was very tinny with no bass. This Samsung HDTV 32 with its 5-watt down facing speakers was a pleasant surprise even before tweaking the settings on the graphic equalizer.
On to the picture...even though the set is 720P its picture seemed much crisper and more colorful than the 1080P Vizio that I had to return. I guess the old rule-of-thumb has some merit that the difference between 720P and 1080P is moot with a set 32" inches or smaller.
The picture mode choices of dynamic seemed a bit too crisp/constrast-y while the cinema/film mode was too washed out. I saw little differences between the two other modes...natural and standard or normal. I left the set in one of those two modes. I apologize for the vagueness of this review as I'm not at my Mom's house to reference the TV or its manual at the moment.
The remote was a bit cluttered, as another reviewer mentioned, with some choices better left on the menu, but I found it easier to navigate than the Vizio. The channel and volume up/down buttons, the ones my Mom will use the most, are much larger than on the Vizio. The menu button, due mostly to its different color is readily visible, but not positioned in the ideal spot being buried in the middle of the remote. The enter/OK button is a bit on the small side and the left right up down buttons that surround it are too close to it as well.
Remote controls seem to be an afterthought with manufacturers as well, probably since they realize most users will be using their cable/satellite remotes more often. I wish I could find a code for my Mom's Zenith/Allegro remote that would work. That remote will always be my favorite remote, as far as position and spacing and size of buttons.
To close, everyone's taste in TVs, whether it be picture/sound/design quality varies, but don't disregard this TV just because its specs don't match your perception of what you should get. Give the set a try and let your eyes and ears be your guide. Costco's return policy is very easy and their doubling of the manufacturers warranty is a bonus."