2008 Line-Up of Samsung LCD HDTV Sets - Part 2

Samsung LCD Series 5, 4, and 3
affordable, solid specs LCD TVs from a top brand...

We continue our guide to Samsung 2008 lineup of LCD TVs by looking at the mid-level Series 5, and entry-level Series 4 and Series 3 LCDs. These stripped-down LCD HDTV sets still come with a respectable specifications sheet and are surely worth considering as a possible affordable option for any application.

More information in this 2008 Samsung LCD HDTV Guide.

Article Date: 28^th June 2008

Last Update: 5^th Nov. 2008

46-inch LN46A550 1080p Samsung LCD HDTV

Samsung Series 5 LCD TVs: LN-xxA550/540/530

As you may very well expect, the Samsung LCD HDTVs in the Series 5 are a step-down version of the Series 6 LCD TVs.

This is also the series that contains the most extensive range in that it coves a total of 13 models over three sub-series. These are the A550, the A540, and the A530; the A530 is a stripped-down version of the other two series.

Sizes range from 32-inch up to 52-inch; models available within each category are as follows:

A550: 32-inch LN32A550, 37-inch LN37A550, 40-inch LN40A550, 46-inch LN46A550, 52-inch LN52A550

A540: 32-inch LN32A540, 40-inch LN40A540, 46-inch LN46A540, 52-inch LN52A540.

A530: 37-inch LN37A530, 40-inch LN40A530, 46-inch LN46A530,  52-inch LN52A530

Styling is significantly different from the 'touch of color' found on the flagship and premium line series; the red or mid-night blue (Series 8 only) is now replaced by a simple all black frame.

Series 5 LCD HDTVs also lack the Ethernet connection found on the top series. But you would still get a USB2.0 port (Wiselink) as well as 3 HDMI and picture-in-picture.

Equally important, though dynamic contrast and response time ratings are not up to those found on the premium line series (Series 8, 7, and 6), yet these are still impressive by any standard.

One should therefore expect a level of picture performance that is very close to that supported by the top series in this year Samsung LCD HDTV lineup.

Interesting to note that the 40-inch, the 46-inch, and the 52-inch models under each sub-series share the same specs sheet for models within the same category, while 32-inch or 37-inch sets - where available - come with slightly inferior specifications set. The table below summarizes the main differences between the various sets in the Series 5 Samsung LCD HDTV lineup.

Samsung Series-5 LCDs - Main Specifications Sheet:

The top selling Samsung LCD HDTV in the Series 5 line-up is the 46-inch LN46A550, with a sales rank of #39 overall in the Electronics category and a 5-star rating out of 118 customer reviews posted on the amazon site.

Samsung Series 3 and Series 4 LCD HDTVs:
LN-xxA450/A451 and LN-xA330/A331

Series 3 and Series 4 represent Samsung LCD HDTVs entry-level sets for 2008. In total, these two series comprise 15 sets, eight under the A450/A451 and seven under the A330/A331.

Models in the A451 and the A331 have identical specs to their counterparts in the A450 and A330 series respectively except that these come in gloss white finish instead of the standard black color found on the other sets. Sizes range from small 19-inch sets to medium-size 40-inch LCD HDTVs; models available within each series are as follows:

Series-4 LCDs:

A450: 19-inch LN19A450, 22-inch LN22A450, 26-inch LN26A450, 32-inch LN32A450, 37-inch LN37A450 and the 40-inch LN40A450.

A451 (White): 19-inch LN19A451, 22-inch LN22A451

Series-3 LCDs:

A330: 19-inch LN19A330, 22-inch LN22A330, 26-inch LN26A330, 32-inch LN32A330, 37-inch LN37A330 and the 40-inch LN40A330.

A331 (White): 19-inch LN19A331

All models under these Samsung  HDTV series are 720p in contrast to the 1080p sets found in the Series 5, 6, and 7 LCDs. This in itself should not be an issue when it comes to picture detail at these screen sizes. Irrespective of the fact that both TV makers and retailers would like you to believe that 1080p resolution is the ultimate in video entertainment, yet it is all relative to your display size. And at anything under 50-inch, it is practically impossible for the eye to perceive any difference in picture detail between an HDTV image displayed on a 720p set and the same HDTV image displayed on a 1080p HDTV.

Quoted response time is 6 msec except for 19-inch to 26-inch sets, in which case, response is 8 msec. Equally important is that despite that these Samsung LCD HDTVs represent entry-level models, yet the larger sets in these series still come with a quoted dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 for the A450 series and 8,000:1 for the A330.

You would not get some of the convenience features found on the more expensive series, like network support, Wiselink, picture-in-picture, or the interactive content of the Series 7. But you will still get the more important features. In particular, you still get a full assortment of connectivity options, including multiple HDMI ports and a PC input. You will also get a more than adequate set of user-adjustable picture controls that will let more discerning users adjust the picture on these relatively inexpensive Samsung LCD HDTVs, to their liking.

Hence, despite that the specification set for the Series-4 and Series-3 Samsung LCD HDTVs is not up to that found on the rest of the series in the Samsung 2008 lineup, yet these LCD TVs still come with a respectable feature set, and therefore still represent a valid inexpensive option for most general viewing applications. They may not be the ideal complement to a home theater set-up, but would surely do a great job in the kitchen, bedroom, or in the kids room.

The table below summarizes the main difference between these Samsung Series-4 and Series-3 LCDs.