Samsung 32" HD LCD TV Review (LE32A457) (Samsung LE-32A457)

Member Name: Escorcio

Product:	Samsung LE-32A457
Date:	13/09/09 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great quality, high contrast ratio and great design

Disadvantages: Heat issues and slow menus

The Samsung 32" HD Ready LCD TV (LE32A457) is a high performance model in their 4th series of televisions. Even though Samsung have already advanced to their 9th series they show their dedication to providing the best products and understanding of the industry by updating hardware in older models, making them suitable for today's market. So without further adieu let's see what this television has to offer.

First and foremost Style, the LE32A457 is definitely one of the sexiest 32" TVs on the market. The curved edges really add to the modern feel of the TV, and with a glossy black finish it will fit into any room's setup, perfectly matching other household devices such as the PS3. To finish it off Samsung have added a clear plastic lip at the bottom of the device, although this has to practical use it certainly gives the TV a sense of elegance.

Accessories are definitely a strong point for the LE32A457, Samsung have included various "freebies" that just add to the value for money of this model. Included in the box you'll find a stand for the TV if you prefer not to wall mount it, and if you do there's a cover that you can insert to hide the gap where the stand inserts. There's also the power cable, a cleaning cloth to keep your TV looking great and one of the best included remote controls I have ever seen. It's styled into a pebble like shape, tapered at the edges, has a really neat layout of all the necessary buttons and features the same glossy black finish to match the TV. You'll also get a free pair of AAA batteries to power your remote.

Most importantly though is Features, as with most commercial TVs nowadays the LE32A457 includes integrated Freeview and has a widescreen flat panel display. Unlike TVs of the same price range however, Samsung have upgraded the display from the original 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with a 720p output, to an amazing 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with a 1080p output! Some additional features that you'll find are various sleep, clock and on/off timers, making the model even more energy efficient. There are also tonnes of automatic processes such as auto setup, auto power off, auto volume leveller etc, which add to the devices ease of use. Furthermore this model also features interactive (red button) and Teletext at level 1.5 (also known as Digital Teletext) which is great for getting information on channels, weather, transport and more, in a much clearer format with pictures and video. As mentioned before the TV is wall mount compatible or can be used with the advanced swivel stand which can rotate the TV about 45° in each direction (about 90° in total).

The TV's Sound system is also great quality; integrating SRS Trusurround the system provides clear, crisp and rich sound without the need for an external surround sound system. Volume control ranges between 0-100 with a considerable difference on each level, during my personal use I've never found the need to go over 25, but I would say the average viewing volume level would be about 15.

There are plenty of Inputs for the Television; inputs can be found in a well organised fashion on either the back or side of the TV for easy access. On the side (a level back from the source, volume up/down, channel up/down, menu and exit buttons) you'll find 1 HDMI input along with a composite (AV) input, S-video input and headphone socket. Then on the back you'll also find a Component input, RF input, optical sound out, aerial input, PC input, 2 SCART sockets and another 2 HDMI inputs, so with the LE32A457 you'll never run out of ways to connect your various devices.

Finally there's Value for money, buying this TV in the Christmas/January sales I got it for £297 from the original R.R.P of £499. Post-sale it has gone up to £379 which in my opinion is still a great price. With all the features, accessories and general satisfaction you'll get, £300-£400 is a fair price to pay for this TV. As I was originally considering buying a cheap brand TV (Vistron) for about the same price, I'm glad I waited till after Christmas as this deal was unbeatable.

So Overall, the LE32A457 is an amazing television and you definitely won't regret purchasing it. The only critiques I can find with this device are the occasional lagging menu and the heat emitted from the system. Menus can easily be fixed in a software update (Yes, TV's do get firmware updates!) and overheating can easily be avoided by leaving enough room between the TV and the wall, so if you can avoid wall-mounting then use the stand. This really is a superb TV so don't be attracted by the low cost TVs such as the Vistron Sense range, although they use the same panels as Samsung the displays have terrible ratios (as little as 500:1!) I think Samsung have proven that it's better to spend an extra £50 to get a TV with far better specifications.

I would HIGHLY recommend this television to anyone looking for a new TV; it will suit any room or household purpose, so try and get one! You probably won't find it for the sale price, but look around hard enough and I'm sure you'll pick up a great deal!

Summary: Great TV for an awesome price, would highly recommend

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