Samsung - 32" Class / 720p / 60Hz / LCD HDTV

I've only had this Tv for a day, and intend to write a review months from now as a proper follow-up. I was searching target, best buy, and cirtuit city websites for tvs for about a month before making my purchase. I read over five hundred reviews, more than likely. This was my first LCD purchase and I took it very seriously. The bargain brands made me worried, and the reviews certainly supported that feeling, so i refused to buy outside of the top brands (sony, samsung, panasonic, lg, and phillips). Finally I came across two tvs I was to be choosing between- Bravia 32L4000 and Bravia 26M4000. The respective prices were 689 and 599. The M series are better pictures, hence the higher price (for size). I fully intended to get one of these two. At best buy I found an employee, and rattled off my list of questions. One being what the heck "class" means, and apparently it means nothing. However, what I did learn is that Samsung is the brand most sold at Bestbuy, and keeps pace with Sony. I remember some months ago at circuit city hearing that samsung is the best, even so far as to be a seller of parts to sony. The employee told me that he owned two samsungs, a 42 and a 26, and he would choose them again if he were asked to. I must have spent an hour or more at the store, looking at two sonys and two samsungs. a 26 and 32 of each. in both sizes, the samsung honestly did look better. I decided on 32, and actually both brands were 685, so I settled on samsung. I know it's early, but i don't regret it. The missing S-Video is inconvenient, yes, because i prefer that for laptop hookup over vga, but I can live through that easily. That chiming noise at startup is stupid, but the instruction manual does say how to disable it, so an irrelevant factor. No side inputs are a concern for some, but not myself, especially since the comparable sony doesn't have hdmi on the side, only component. Honestly, i think the my only legitamate complaint is the componant/composite inputs. What samsung did was combine the two, so that if you are using rca in video 1, you are not using composite, because the yellow(video) cable goes into the y hookup of the composite. Same with video two. This means you have two video inputs that can be either composite or component, not seperate ones of each. Its a space saver, to be certain, but some people like 2 dedicated rca (since they are common) and then at least on composite. To sum up, picture is great, sound is pretty decent, though i use a stero for my sound, and the tv reception is good. I took the hd antennae off my HD radio (i don't really listed to it, i use it for dvd, cd, and video games) and put it into the tv. It picked up the DTV channels just fine and they really do look good. If you are looking to buy a 32 inch and spend no more than 800, this should be really considered. Sony is good too, trust me. Brand loyalty is important so Im not looking to sway, just saying that this samsung might as well be a sony.

I absolutely recommend this TV for anyone wanting the best bang for your buck. I replaced an 18 year old RCA floor model console that weighed more than a piano. I've carried luggage heavier than this sleek Samsung. Easy hookup and you're watching a super picture. Consumer friendly remote, and easy to understand instruction manual. Compared to my dinosaur RCA it was like going from 8 track tape to compact disc. Really blew me away. But then I contacted Directv who supplies my signal and had a High Def receiver and new dish put in, and I now conclude the picture is better than a postcard, although I've never seen a postcard as sharp and clear as the picture on this set. You definitely want to sprint for the HD so your TV gets all it's capable of. It WILL roll your socks down. The sound......after reading every review (110 at the time of purchase) I noticed the only real complaint was the sound quality. But like others have said, go for the picture quality, forget the sound (which really isn't that bad on normal viewing) and hook up a home entertainment system. After all, you're looking for picture quality, not the sound, and I'm convinced you'll not find a finer picture than this Samsung unit for the money. I've done my research. And the goofy little sound it makes when you turn it off and on....no biggie. Page 50 of the owners manual tells you how to turn it off. Takes 2 seconds. Also, to hookup additional equipment, like a DVD, you'll need the high end cords. The ones with the blue, red and green connectors, not the old style RCA jacks. That's only if you're connected to a high def receiver . The two inputs require the same line connectors, i.e. you can't mix and match. The fact this set has no S-video and not another input for other equipment doesn't shoot it out of the saddle. Trust me, you'll be absolutely amazed at the quality of the picture. It's the best investment I've ever made, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg. Can't wait to get a Blu Ray player and start enjoying that, because even running a DVD through my current deck is just incredible. I highly recomment this set to anyone wanting to upgrade, or perhaps a secondary tv set. You won't be disappointed I promise.

I've had this TV for a month now and I am completely satisfied with it. The TV is the perfect size for my bedroom. I was thinking about going with a 40" but this TV is just fine. The picture quality on this TV is excellent. I use this TV primarily for my Xbox 360 and it does the job. The TV has a variety of options for you to change your picture settings. The TV has a built in digital tuner which is a nice feature. No need for a convertor box to pick up over the air digital channels. I really liked the favorite channels function. You can classify a channel as a favorite and use the fav. ch. button to scroll through the channels you have pre-selected. It's convenient because you can just scroll through the channels your primarily watch instead of scrolling through every channel available. Also the over the air digital channels come in clear and have an excellent picture quality. I love watching football in bed on Sundays with this TV. I wish the TV had more inputs. It has 2 HDMIs inputs, 2 components, and a PC input and coaxial cable input. The TV doesn't have any dedicated composite inputs but you can use the 1st component input instead. You plug in the red and white cable like normal and you plug the Yellow video cable into the green component input. It's nice if you still have products that require compenent inputs. I use it to play my Sega Dreamcast (I know old school but I still like to play Marvel vs Capcom 2 on it). My only gripe is that the TV only has 2 components inputs so if you're like me you will have to disconnect something in order to connect whatever it is you use that requires a composite input. The sound is decent. I don't think it's as bad as other people have made it out to be. The sound comes out loud and clear, it's just that it lacks the depth (mainly bass) that I want. So I just connected the TV to my home theater using the audio output ( a nice feature). Would be nice if the TV came with a swivel stand. No big deal, just would've been nice. I plan to mount this TV on my wall soon anyways. Mounting the TV to the stand was a cinch. Only took about 5 mins. All the necessare screws came included. All you need to set it up is a phillips head screwdriver. Overall I am happy with my TV. It was a good purchase that I see myself enjoying for years to come.

We also have a Samsung 40" 1080p and that was the main reason we chose this 32" 720p version. This fits perfectly in our space above the fireplace in our living room. The picture is stunning from the correct viewing distance, but up close (too close for normal viewing) you can see video artifacts & graining. But sitting from 5-10 feet back, the picture is great! We are subscribed to fiber TV / internet and I'm sure the quality of the in-signal also helps. Lastly, one of the best features is also on the 1080p version; the swivel base. This makes cleaning, getting to cables, etc... TON'S easier because you don't have to lift & turn the whole monitor, just swivel to the side you need. Although the color is stunning and the speakers sound great for built in, here are a few of the short falls (although not much of an issue at all, at least for me): Being 720p VS 1080p of our other Samsung, when my Macbook is connected via DVI --> HDMI, the image is compressed or overly stretched, there isn't a proper ratio to keep a clean, workable screen ratio. Again, not a big deal, but with the ability to hook it up to the TV, it would be nice. BUT, I have not yet tried the VGA input, so that may make a difference. Secondly, there are NO side inputs, for ANYTHING. This isn't a deal breaker, but again, it would be nice to quickly hook up the Canon HV30 via HDMI or Wii, etc... by just turning the screen on the swivel. But hey, nothing too big to worry about. That's it; the only 2 gripes I have with. Again, in the price range, there are a TON of options. But the quality of Samsung is solid as long as you don't try to scrape by with the bare basic models. I would say this has to be the best value in the 32" 720p range. After having this TV for a little over 2 weeks now, running HD fiber, I can't really see how the 1080P version could look much better. I also really like the 60hz rate VS the overly-hyped 120hz. To me, 120 looks to fast or rushed, it makes animated films like Cars or Chickenlittle (playing in Best Buy now) seem really fake. So don't worry too much about that aspect. We also opted for the 60hz version of our 40" 1080p version for the same reason.

I have enjoyed this TV since I purchased it roughly three months ago. I have it synced with my high definition cable box, and I have left one HDMI cable free when I can't use my XBOX360 or Wii on my larger Pioneer 50" 720P Kuro. Additionally, I have my sound running through a Pioneer receiver and two floorstanding front speakers. It may be one of the best TVs in the $500 price point that people can take advantage of, and I know that I will continue to enjoy my purchase into the extended future. I would like to close my comments with a note to future buyers who may be concerned about the quality of sound this TV produces on its own, which is in relation to the negative reviews that some buyers have expressed (which is why this TV is'nt 4.8 or higher). I encourage you to be open minded about the quality of sound new TVs in general are capable of performing. So much of the technology we put into today's televisions is for the picture quality, which results in an improved experience over yesterday's picture shows. Less importance is paid to the sound aspect of the TV, because producing the best possible sound is not currently and should never be the primary focus of the appliance. If you want an equally pleasurable experience in sound, I would suggest spending another $300 on an out of the box home theater system. Excellent picture from your TV and excellent audio output from a separate audio system will make one great home theater experience. Go with this TV!

I ending up purchasing this tv after doing alot of research, I was debating between the Samsung 3 series and the Sony Bravia 32". I decided to go with the Samsung due to its higher contrast ratio and after talking to a sales person at best buy who recommended it over the Sony. The TV worked great for the first month that it lasted, the picture was great. Then one day while watching 300 on my upconverting Sony DVD player the TV turned off. I called Samsung and they sent someone over to fix it, the first time they came the thought that the mother board had gone on it so the ordered a new one and came back a week later, it still didn't work. After talking on the phone they figured it was a power supply problem. They were back a week later with the new part and it still didnt work. It turned out the part left in the tv was the screen, which they said was a major repair that would cost $900 to fix if it wasn't covered under warranty. Lucky it is covered but I am still waiting for them to come and fix it, it has been over month that I have been with out my TV. I hope that this doesn't happen again and I am going to consider selling it once it is fixed. Very disapointed that a $700 TV barely lasted a month. I should have gone with the Sony though the picture isn't as good at least they are reliable. I will never buy another Samsung product after this whole ordeal.

I really researched TVs for a while before I bought this one. I initially went to get the 26 inch, but it costs as much as the 32 inch on sale, so I got the 32 inch for the bedroom. Set up took about 15 minutes to attach the stand and dust off the furniture that was holding the old TV. We put it on top of a dresser and it is as wide as the dresser is and that presented the problem of where to put the cable box. On the old set you could put it on top of the TV, but with this new stand design, you can't do that, so make sure you consider where you are going to put all the extras you have. (DVD,XBOX,whatever) I am still not satisfied with how it looks so I am going to look around for an armoire to house it. If we had gotten the 26 inch I think all would fit on top of the dresser, so that is a problem that we created, but we couldn't pass up the bigger set for the same price... About the TV....BEAUTIFUL PICTURE, SOUND IS GREAT, USER FRIENDLY, has the Plug N Play set up feature and only takes minutes. We use the remote control from the cable , so I can't speak to the remote feature. This TV is all they say it is. GREAT>>>> We are not high tech and have plenty of hookups left in the back to expand. How can you go wrong for 500.00 ? Looking forward to years of use .

After reading review after review and checking out Consumer Reports - who rated it very highly, I chose to buy this particular Samsung as my second flatscreen TV for my bedroom. I already had an LG 32" in my living room, and the LG is MUCH MUCH better in every way! I've had the Samsung for 3 months now. The Samsung's picture, even on HD channels, isn't as crisp or clear as the LG. The sound, while it has the control to monitor sound levels from channel to channel, show to show - it really doesn't work, or at least not well. For example, I'm watching one channel, the show flips to a commercial and I'm blasted with sound. This TV does come with an on timer, which is a requirement as I hate alarm clocks - but it's a pain to change compared to the LG. The Samsung comes with a selection of screen modes - the two that increase the screen size will cut off heads and any text at the bottom of the screen - like the text Comcast puts out for channel selection. The LG has the same features, but the screen modes to increase or stretch the picture work much better - it does not cutoff heads or text. Both the Samsung and the LG I purchased were the same price prior to my Rewardzone coupons. Skip the Samsung and get an LG - I'm really impressed.