HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was excellent. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail. Images details were a bit over-enhanced but not distractingly so, and we could not minimize this with the sharpness control. Edges of objects in the image stood out too much because of over-enhancement. Color accuracy was excellent, so colors looked very natural and lifelike. Color temperature was slightly on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension, typical of most models we test. The brightness level was good, making it a suitable choice for most rooms. Black levels were generally good, though not as dark as better performers on the darkest scenes. Images had a slight degree of enhancement that slightly diminished the realism of people and objects. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing was very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Samsung has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing LCD sets we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of the TV. If your family is seated in chairs off to the side of the TV, they'll see decent but compromised image quality.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was good; the picture showed a slight loss of color so flesh tones looked a bit washed out, along with a moderate color shift. Black levels brightened significantly, making dark scenes look hazy. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Samsung TV has only fair motion performance, with significant blurring on our motion tests. Though its LED Clear Motion feature does a good job reducing motion blur, it introduced notable image dimming so we left the feature off. On typical program content, the blurring effect is often fleeting and may not bother most people. However, keen-eyed viewers may detect the loss of texture and detail on scenes with movement, especially in high-quality video such as a Blu-ray movie.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
SOUND QUALITY. This TV has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. With movies, dialog was generally clear and natural sounding, and remained well balanced with respect to background music and other sounds. Base extension was lacking, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was on the bright side, and a bit thin and closed in. It has a good volume range so the TV should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system to this set, but if this smaller-screen set is a secondary TV you might find its sound quality acceptable.
EASE OF USE. Overall, we found the set very easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was straightforward, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was excellent. Also, the remote control is excellent, and the on-screen menu is very easy to navigate.
All buttons on the remote are backlit so they're easy to see in the dark. The remote's major function buttons were sufficiently large and have high-contrast labeling, making them easier to see and navigate.
STAND ASSEMBLY. Mounting the support stand to the TV is straightforward, though the stand requires the assembly of two parts before mounting. The TV's stand extends to the far ends of the display, which means the table top you'll be setting the TV on will need to be at least as wide as the display itself.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides advanced Internet capability. Features include access to a library of applications via "Apps and a full Web browser. It also supports an optional Web cam for access to video conferencing applications such as Skype.
CONNECTIONS. This TV includes three HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), optical digital audio out, two USB ports, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. Wireless connectivity includes: DLNA network file sharing. HDMI and analog cable connections made to the rear-facing panel will protrude beyond the panel's slim depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, and a remote with batteries.
