Brightness sells this LCD – Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Some background: I’ve owned a plasma for 5 years. I’ve loathed LCDs ever since I’ve had a plasma. When I went out to look for a new TV, I was focused on getting another plasma. I went to a couple of local stores, and found that this Samsung LCD was just so bright. It was much brighter than any plasma, and the blacks were blacker as well (because of the added contrast). So if you’re worried that this LCD can’t possibly compete with a plasma, let me reassure you of it’s torch brightness, and very BLACK blacks.

But don’t take my word for it. The proof is in the pudding. I’m quite confident that if you actually see the 650 at a store, you’ll come to the same conclusion that I did. As much as the purists like to say that accurate colors or perfect white balance are what it takes to make a great display, in my opinion, it’s all about brightness and contrast. When you see a sunset that you perceive as sun-bright, against a backdrop of a dark violet sky within which you can actually make out the dark details, you know you’ve found your perfect display.

Pros:
- Torch bright
- Black blacks

Cons:
- Unlike a plasma, this display does not yield the same quality at all horizontal angles. If you aren’t watching it dead center, it doesn’t have the same punch. This shouldn’t be a problem, because the 650 comes with a stand that swivels from side to side. But if you’re flat mounting it, and someone is watching off angle of more than perhaps 15 degrees, they’ll notice. It’s not nearly as bad as a DLP rear projection TV, but it is perceptible as a lightly washed out picture.
- The TV is very slow to start up. If I have the input set to my PC (via DVI), it takes 11 full seconds from power ON press to seeing the desktop on the LCD. In contrast, my five year old Pioneer did the same thing in perhaps 5 seconds. So this is excessive.

I’m still giving this 5/5 stars because the cons are pretty minor compared to the unbelievably satisfying picture experience.

I also want to add that the CEVA delivery experience was the best I’ve ever had. My old plasma was delivered (from Dell) by one guy dragging it to my front door. From there, I had to unpack and test, after the delivery guy was gone. In contrast, CEVA delivered this LCD with two guys carrying it into my family room, taking it out of the box, and allowing me to attach it to my PC for some initial testing… amazing. Amazon.com/CEVA really hit it out of the park on the purchase experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another large piece of electronics from Amazon.

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