Price match concerns December 22, 2009

To the guy that said the price match policy doesn't apply because of the longe rproduct number, that is bogus.  Go to Sears and demand some money back...it IS the same exact tv.  The longer version Sears uses is simply the order number...i.e. the product number +ordering info.  Check out Samsung's website and you'll see Samsung uses both numbers interchangeably.  In fact, there is a .pdf specs file that will show that info.  I'm planning on getting this tv from Sears, and they had better honor their price match policy or I will be purchasing elsewhere. 

great picture and a good price December 13, 2009

My research for my first LCD Hi-def TV came down to three models: this Samsung, an equivalent Sony Bravia, and a 55" Vizio.  The Vizio seemed to be made of a cheap plastic body, which made me wonder what other cost-saving measures were used to offer the 55" at a 52" price.  That narrowed my decision down to the Sony and Samsung.  Since the Samsung had a slightly better contrast ratio (80000:1 vs the 50000:1 on the Sony) and was on sale for $10 less, I picked up the Samsung.  Also, I have a Samsung 17" LCD monitor on my desktop PC at work, and it's been on constantly since I got it in 2006 and is very reliable.

It was not in stock at my local Sears, but it came in within the week and pickup was easy.  It was very easy for my wife and I set it up on our stand and we were enjoying a great hi-def picture within 30 minutes after unboxing the TV.  There were no dead pixels (still none after 2 weeks) and the sound is decent for a flat screen TV.  Also, there are plenty of inputs between HDMI, component, and composite, so I doubt I'll run out of inputs.  I have not yet ugraded to a hi-def provider but the over-the-air signal I receive looks great (1080i and 720p depending on the station).

The remote is easy to use, as well as the on-screen menu.  There  are plenty of settings to tweak to adjust the picture to your personal preferences.  One gripe I have, which is minor but a bit relevant while I am receiving over-the-air signals, is that the signal strength meter only works on channels which have been previously detected as digital.  I can not tweak the antenna using the signal meter unless the channel is already detected, so I have trouble getting a few local channels.  This will be a non-issue once I upgrade to hi-def (now I'm doing the Verizon Fios vs DirecTV research).

Another gripe is in regards to Sears price-match policy.  They will match the price of a competitor for the same model, but the model number they use is the complete Samsung model number, not just the LN52B630 which a competitor like ******** will use, hence the policy doesn't apply.  IMO, it's trickery, but I decided to purchase the TV anyway and keep an eye on the Sears price.  While writing this review, I discovered the Sony I was considering has dropped $200 since I purchased the Samsung. I'm waiting to see the same happen with the Samsung, so that I can give Sears' pricematch policy a test.

In summary, I think I would have been equally happy with the Sony, as my friends have a 46" model they purchased a few years ago and the picture is equally as crisp and clear.  It's probably a matter of preference, i.e. if you are into Sony products, get the Sony, otherwise go with the Samsung.

Outstanding performance. December 01, 2009

This is my second LCD TV at home 32in. and now 52in. clarity of picture is amaizing everything is so detailed and bright, For the sound, I use my receiver so I can not coment on that, when transmision is on HD the picture is really amaizing I have 32in but with 52in. it's like you are in the picture, set up and adjustments, very easy lots of fetures the product is outstanding and the price is really good. I never had any bad experiance (4 years) with Samsung LCD TV. worth every cent.   

Size, features, and quality make this a great tv for the price. October 29, 2009

This 52 In TV is Fantastic.  I bought this tv for $1780 and felt I made the right decision for the money, let me tell you why.  First, it has all the features you have to have in a LCD such as 1080P, 120Hz, 4ms, a descent contrast ratio of 80,000 : 1, and a sleek frame that surrounds the screen.  You put all that together and you have a fantastic tv.  Secondly, the next larger size 55 In with all the same features costs $540 dollars more.  An inch and a half on both sides does not justify the difference in price IMO.  Finally, the picture is AWESOME!  I had to adjust to the clarity, my previous set was a projection tv.  The picture looks so good, my sister said she didnt need glasses anymore.  While watching a BluRay, you feel like you are next to the film crew taping all the action.  NFL games never looked so good, AT HOME, unfortunately it did not help the 49ers win last weekend. 

Dont forget the HDMI cord that is rated for 120Hz.  I originally picked up a Monster HDMI cord but then returned it because I saw Sony makes a great HDMI cord for $30 less and 6 feet longer.  I needed the extra length because I mounted the tv on my wall.  I had to cut a hole into my wall to accommodate the HDMI cord so you might consider a HDMI cord with a 90 degree connector so the cable does not get crushed if you mount using a low profile hanger. 

Bottom-line, get this Samsung tv.