LA32R51B

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• Expert Rating

  3.50 / 5

• User Rating

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• Price

  $ 3,499.00 (AUD)

Matthew Overington Good Gear Guide 23/06/05 Follow @pcworldau

Pros

• Wide range of inputs (including VGA for PCs), solid menu system, clear image

Cons

• Plastic remote control, colour saturation, limited outputs

Bottom Line

The Samsung screen offers clear, crisp image output, an easy-to-use menu and wide range of input connections, but the default settings produce an oversaturated image.

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The 17.7kg display can be wall mounted and includes an analog TV tuner. The Samsung offers a clear, bright image, but using the default settings the colours appear a little saturated. Contrast adjustments are effective and the on-screen text remains clear without shadowing. DNIe (Digital Natural Image engine) is also included to help enhance picture quality. The screen features an ambient light sensor but performs best in a darkened room, as a little detail is lost in bright conditions. The screen is PAL-native, but supports NTSC inputs.

When the TV is first turned on, it runs through a configuration wizard to help set up the display and tune the channels. It's extremely straightforward and takes about ten minutes to configure. The grey plastic remote control doesn't feel tremendously robust, but it does provide access to all the features of the TV. The intuitive menu system includes a wide range of colour, input, ratio (4:3, 16:9, panorama or stretched), and channel adjustments, allowing the viewer to tailor the image to suit. My Colour Control allows you to view the results of image enhancements side-by-side the original image, which greatly simplifies fine-tuning.

The display boasts a 170-degree viewing angle, but attempting to watch TV from an extreme angle makes the image appear washed-out.

The screen includes S-Video, composite, component, HDMI and VGA inputs, coupled with analog audio and headphone outputs. All are located on the rear of the screen, making it tricky to quickly connect a device. The digital interface provides the clearest image, but analog picture quality is also excellent. The VGA connector also allows it to be connected to a PC for use as a standard computer monitor. The TV itself features a minimal line of buttons on the right-hand edge, but you would generally rely on the remote control.

The TV includes a bank of small speakers fitted to the front panel. The audio quality is adequate, but suffers a little from a lack of bottom-end punch. Thankfully, quick-set and EQ adjustments are provided and the TV includes SRS capabilities. The screen remains cool during operation and is happy running between 10 and 40 degrees Celsius.

The screen ships with remote control and includes a three-year warranty.