Samsung LN52A550 52" HDTV LCD TV

Buying a large television, especially one that's 52 inches, isn't easy. After all, it's a decision you've got to live with for a few years and it's not going to be an inexpensive choice.

I did all of the requisite research, reading magazines, going on Web sites, and visiting stores. In the end, it came down to companies, Sony and Samsung.

(As a quick aside, I quickly ruled out a plasma television, but not because of some of the perceived problems like burn in and such. Though I probably would have gone the plasma route because of their superior blacks, the room I was planning on putting the television in is very bright, and the plasma's glossy screen would have wreaked havoc with viewing.)

Between 52" LCD models with comparable specs from Sony and Samsung, it appeared to be toss up, though I gave Samsung a slight edge due to pricing and design. I wasn't a big fan of Sony's cabinet design, especially its newer W series. To me, Sony's cabinet designs (as of summer 2008) felt a bit dated and heavy compared to Samsung's more minimalistic and sleek design.

With Sony eliminated from contention, it came down to two choices -- Samsung's 550 series, which featured three HDMI ports and sported a 60Hz refresh rate, and the 650 series, which featured an extra HDMI port, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Samsung's "Touch of Color" red cabinet design.

Though the 650 was appealing, I wasn't completely sold on the extra cost for the 120Hz refresh rate and my wife wasn't too enthused about the red "Touch of Color." To have gone up to the 650 series, it would have cost a few hundred dollars extra, and I didn't think it was worth it.

So we went with the 550 and in the few months we've had it, we have absolutely no complaints about the picture quality. High-definition programs look fabulous on it, including sports. Shortly after getting the TV, my wife got me an Oppo upscaling DVD player, and standard DVDs look fabulous on the Samsung. We haven't encountered any issues or seen any problems with this LCD's 60Hz refresh rate.

I didn't get a chance to test out the unit's digital tuner as we get our television service through Dish Network. Though high-definition programming looks great on the 550, standard programming doesn't look as nice, kind of like drinking a nice bottle of wine using paper cups.

The screen's matte finish does a very good job in bright rooms, so it's very seldom we have to draw the shades in order to watch TV in the daytime. The 550 does have a glossy black cabinet, which can be a bit of a minor distraction.

On the subject of the 550's cabinet, it's pretty minimalistic and doesn't have the flair of its more expensive siblings, the 650 or 750 series, or even Sony's older XBR4 series with the glass bezel. I do, however, like the subtle blue light that comes on under the "Samsung" name in the middle when the TV is powered on.

I found the 550's three HDMI ports more than adequate for our DVD player and DVR. Though my own setup isn't as extensive as others', I can see other owners having some problems especially if they have multiple gaming systems like an Xbox 360 and PS3, along with a DVR and DVD or Blu-ray player. Of course, it's nothing an HDMI-equipped receiver can't help fix. The one nice thing about the 550's HDMI setup is that two of the ports are in the back with one on the side, so a user could swap out an HDMI-equipped device without having to go around back.

One of the biggest complaints I read about before buying the 52-inch 550 was the TV's sound quality. Many reviewers found the sound quality to be subpar. This was a concern to me, but in the time we've owned it, we've found it more than adequate for day-to-day usage. When we watch movies, we use the surround sound receiver rather than relying on the unit's internal speakers. Because the 550's speakers are mounted under the unit, I suspect sound quality may vary depending on whether the TV's mounted on a wall, or in my case, sitting on an entertainment unit.

When we bought our 550 last summer, we paid $2,400 for it (and later got a price adjustment from Best Buy to bring the price under $2,000). Today the same unit can be found at Amazon and Costco for less than $1,400.

Really, the only disappointment with the 550 is its remote control. From a design standpoint, it looks more like a toy than something that's supposed to control a 52" LCD TV. Of course, almost every TV these days has a bad remote, so I really consider it par for the course.